John Buchan

Name: Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale
Author: John Buchan

Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

Summary

“Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale”, published in 1910, is a work by John Buchan. It explores elements such as South Africa, Arcoll and Laputa.

Quotes from Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (John Buchan)

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ Every exit from native territory is watched, and the frontier farmers are out on commando. We have regulars on the Delagoa Bay and Natal lines, and a system of field telegraphs laid which can summon further troops to any point. It has all been kept secret, because we are still in the dark ourselves. The newspaper public knows nothing about any rising, but in two days every white household in South Africa will be in a panic. Make no mistake, Mr Crawfurd; this is a grim business. We shall smash Laputa and his men, but it will be a fierce fight, and there will be much good blood shed. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ Arcoll's whimsical, humorous face had hardened into grimness, and in his eyes there was the light of a fierce purpose. The sight of him comforted me, in spite of his tale.
'But what can he hope to do?' I asked. 'Though he roused every Kaffir in South Africa he would be beaten. You say he is an educated man. He must know he has no chance in the long run.'
'I said he was an educated man, but he is also a Kaffir. He can see the first stage of a thing, and maybe the second, but no more. That is the native mind. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ Arcoll looked at the clock. 'In half an hour's time Laputa will be with 'Mpefu. There he will stay the night. To-morrow morning he goes to Umvelos' to meet Henriques. To-morrow evening the gathering begins.'
'One question,' I said. 'How big a man is Laputa?'
'The biggest thing that the Kaffirs have ever produced. I tell you, in my opinion he is a great genius. If he had been white he might have been a second Napoleon. He is a born leader of men, and as brave as a lion. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ Then I spoke of my sight of him on board ship, his talk with Henriques about Blaauwildebeestefontein, and his hurried departure from Durban.
Captain Arcoll listened intently, and at the mention of Durban he laughed. 'You and I seem to have been running on lines which nearly touched. I thought I had grabbed my friend Laputa that night in Durban, but I was too cocksure and he slipped off. Do you know, Mr Crawfurd, you have been on the right trail long before me? When did you say you saw him at his devil-worship? Seven years ago? ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ Anyhow, the centre of authority began to shift southward, and the warrior tribes moved in that direction. At the end of the sixteenth century the chief native power was round about the Zambesi. The Mazimba and the Makaranga had come down from the Lake Nyassa quarter, and there was a strong kingdom in Manicaland. That was the Monomotapa that the Portuguese thought so much of.'
Wardlaw nodded eagerly. The story was getting into ground that he knew about.
'The thing to remember is that all these little empires thought themselves the successors of Prester John. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ We have driven great wedges of white settlement into their territory, and we have taken away their arms. Still, they are six times as many as we are, and they have long memories, and a thoughtful man may wonder how long the peace will last. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ Somehow or other, some fetich had descended from Prester John by way of the Mazimba and Angoni and Makaranga. What it is I do not know, but it was always in the hands of the tribe which for the moment held the leadership. The great native wars of the sixteenth century, which you can read about in the Portuguese historians, were not for territory but for leadership, and mainly for the possession of this fetich. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ I have often asked myself that question, and till lately I used to reply, "For ever because they cannot find a leader with the proper authority, and they have no common cause to fight for." But a year or two ago I began to change my mind.
'It is my business to act as chief Intelligence officer among the natives. Well, one day, I came on the tracks of a curious person. He was a Christian minister called Laputa, and he was going among the tribes from Durban to the Zambesi as a roving evangelist. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ His word was "Africa for the Africans," and his chief point was that the natives had had a great empire in the past, and might have a great empire again. He used to tell the story of Prester John, with all kinds of embroidery of his own. You see, Prester John was a good argument for him, for he had been a Christian as well as a great potentate.
'For years there has been plenty of this talk in South Africa, chiefly among Christian Kaffirs. It is what they call "Ethiopianism," and American negroes are the chief apostles. For myself, I always thought the thing perfectly harmless. ”

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Source: Wikisource

John Buchan, Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (1910)

“ You're a plucky fellow, Mr Crawfurd. I suppose you understand that the risk is pretty considerable.'
'I suppose I do; but since I'm in this thing, I may as well see it out. Besides, I've an old quarrel with our friend Laputa.'
'Good and well,' said Captain Arcoll. 'Draw in your chair to the table, then, and I'll explain to you the disposition of my men. I should tell you that I have loyal natives in my pay in most tribes, and can count on early intelligence. We can't match their telepathy ”

John Buchan

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Quotes from Prester John — VII: Captain Arcoll Tells a Tale (John Buchan)

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