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51
xxviii PREFACE
bushmen liked Mr. Deacon, who ‘was good along boy belong
island altogether’ (‘ was good to all natives ’). When passing
the obscure grave among the coco-nuts I said that probably
some day the friends of Mr. Deacon would have a stone put up,
Amanrantus begged to be allowed to do_ that work, repeating
afterwards twice lest I had not understood that it was because
it was for Mr. Deacon.
“Another of my guides Tarlis, who took Mr. Deacon coast
journeys in his canoe (or else his brother did, I am not sure),
mentioned that the natives were so surprised that he could make
long treks on bush trails without fatigue. At Lambumbu I
heard the same, and also how he would receive parties of natives,
some of which came long distances to visit him, and would
patiently answer all their questions, show them pictures, and
tell them about the world, and especially of England. iThe
natives there said of him, ‘ Mr. Deacon savvy too much all things
altogether.’ He must have made a deep impression on them,
for they repeated to me things he had told them, giving me among
others a very clear description of snow, which is of course a new
idea to them. They also remembered all he had told them of
his family, and were disappointed that I knew nothing fl!lJ01l1
him.â€ù
We have to thank Miss Camilla l-I. Wedgwood for voluntarily
undertaking the honorary labour of editing Deacon's manu-
scripts. This was a very heavy task as the notes and descriptions
were written at various times, often on odd scraps of paper, and
usuallyiwithout any indication of place or date. It was thus
extremely difficult and sometimes impossible to determine
whether a particular record was later in date than a corresponding
one, or to which was to be ascribed the greater precision. The
methods that Miss Wedgwood had often to adopt were rather
in the manner of Sherlock Holmes than those of an ordinary
editor. This by no means is a reflection upon Deacon himself,
as it is practically impossible that a ï¬Åeld-worker can jot down
all his information or interpretations in such a deï¬Ånite order
that they would be ready to be printed. We have to remember
that Deacon had to learn two or three languages, and that owing
to his slender resources he had largely to look after himself, and
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