Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (54 page)

             
They
dismounted
at
the
invitation
of
the
coachman
and
Mister
Bentley
immediately
spotted
a
bloom
he
had
not
before
seen
except
in
books.
"
A
Protea,
"
he
exclaimed.
"
I
must
have
seeds
and
a
specimen
of
this.
I
will
need
the
bloom
sketched,
Mister
Heron,
and
the
leaves
if
you
please.
Mister
Tanner,
your
assistance
in
collecting
a
good
specimen
–
the
presses
are
in
my
case,
O
'
Connor
–
a
large
one
will
be
required
I
think.
"

             
The
watching
coachman
seemed
amused
by
this
mad
activity.
After
all,
these
plants
were
plentiful
on
the
mountain,
though,
as
Mister
Bentley
soon
discovered,
they
grew
only
in
certain
areas
and
in
certain
soils.
Within
the
hour
though
he
had
identified
and
sampled
at
least
six
varieties,
demanding
Harry
sketch
an
example
of
each.
By
the
mid
afternoon
the
list
had
grown
in
extent
as
other
varieties
of
plant
were
added
and
Harry
found
himself
almost
overwhelmed
by
the
sheer
number
of
plants
he
was
asked
to
draw.

             
"
There
will
not
be
time
to
do
all
of
these
in
detail,
sir,
"
he
protested.
"
Can
I
not
make
notes
and
then
complete
the
drawings
from
your
specimens
when
there
is
time
aboard?
"

             
The
Parson
checked
in
his
latest
examination
and
smiled.
"
Indeed,
most
unreasonable
of
me,
Mister
Heron.
Unthinking
in
my
excitement
is
what
it
is,
I
am
forgetting
the
labour
I
am
putting
you
to.
Dear
me,
yes,
of
course,
take
notes
and
let
us
arrange
for
you
to
complete
the
drawings
and
colouring
when
it
may
be
done
in
more
leisurely
fashion.
"
He
studied
the
sketches
Harry
had
already
completed
and
said,
"
Though
you
have
captured
the
detail
of
these
so
wonderfully
already.
"

             
They
returned
to
the
ship
at
sunset,
dusty,
tired
and
laden
with
the
Parson
'
s
specimens.
The
next
expedition
saw
Harry
accompanying
Mister
Bentley
and
Eamon
Barclay
who
did
not
enjoy
the
experience
of
dashing
hither
and
thither
on
the
mountain
'
s
slopes
collecting
blooms
and
insects
for
the
Parson.

             
On
returning
to
the
ship
he
complained
long
and
loudly,
"
These
starts
of
the
Parson
'
s
are
not
work
for
an
officer.
Children
'
s
games;
that
is
all
they
are.
"
He
turned
to
where
Kit
and
Harry
sat
completing
their
Journals.
"
I
shall
see
to
it
that
the
juniors
are
sent
with
him
in
future.
"

             
Tom
Bowles
forbore
to
point
out
that
it
had
been
Barclay
himself
who
had
protested
at
not
being
assigned
a
place
on
these
'
pleasure
expeditions
'
as
he
had
called
them.

             
From
Harry
'
s
perspective
at
least
it
silenced
his
constant
complaints
at
what
he
considered
the
'
favouring
'
treatment
accorded
Harry
and
Kit.
 

             
The
Dutch
inhabitants
treated
these
mad
Englishmen
with
courtesy,
but
the
language
remained
a
barrier
despite
the
recent
occupation
by
the
British.
The
'
Malay
'
slaves
intrigued
Harry.
Their
alien
speech;
somewhat
exotic
dress
and
their
obvious
adherence
to
their
Islamic
faith
were
all
interesting
and
new
to
him.
His
brush
with
the
Barbary
slavers
and
his
own
family
history
though
made
him
very
dubious
concerning
the
entire
question
of
slavery
and
the
ethics
that
underpinned
it.

             
The
Maid
of
Selsey
and
the
sluggish
Chertsey
sailed
two
days
after
their
arrival
for
the
shelter
of
Simon
'
s
Bay
on
the
other
side
of
the
great
finger
marked
on
the
chart
as
the
Cape
Peninsula,
escorted
by
the
frigate
Virago
,
herself
seeking
a
place
in
which
she
could
be
careened
and
her
copper
repaired.

             
A
fortnight
sped
by
and
then
word
came
that
the
transports
were
repaired
and
ready
to
sail.
A
last
round
of
official
visits
followed
and
then,
in
the
early
light
of
a
new
day,
Spartan
and
her
diminished
flock
weighed
and
stood
out
of
the
bay,
the
course,
south
toward
the
long
finger
that
was
the
Cape
itself
and
the
great
Southern
Ocean.