" The next morning I met one of the party in a clergyman's
garb, carrying a large Bible, not different from the one I had read.
He tackled me, saying, "If you respect the Word of God, you must admit
that the world is flat." "If the Word of God stands on a flat world--"
I began. "What!" cried he, losing himself in a passion, and making as
if he would run me through with an assagai. "What!" he shouted in
astonishment and rage, while I jumped aside to dodge the imaginary
weapon. Had this good but misguided fanatic been armed with a real
weapon, the crew of the _Spray_ would have died a martyr there and
then. The next day, seeing him across the street, I bowed and made
curves with my hands. He responded with a level, swimming movement of
his hands, meaning "the world is flat." A pamphlet by these Transvaal
geographers, made up of arguments from sources high and low to prove
their theory, was mailed to me before I sailed from Africa on my last
stretch around the globe.
While I feebly portray the ignorance of these learned men, I have
great admiration for their physical manhood. Much that I saw first and
last of the Transvaal and the Boers was admirable. It is well known
that they are the hardest of fighters, and as generous to the fallen
as they are brave before the foe. Real stubborn bigotry with them is
only found among old fogies, and will die a natural death, and that,
too, perhaps long before we ourselves are entirely free from bigotry.
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