diff options
Diffstat (limited to '15561-h')
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/15561-h.htm | 2497 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep01.jpg | bin | 0 -> 145207 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep16.jpg | bin | 0 -> 128385 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep20.jpg | bin | 0 -> 105003 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep28.jpg | bin | 0 -> 155819 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep36.jpg | bin | 0 -> 170249 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep44.jpg | bin | 0 -> 175183 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep50.jpg | bin | 0 -> 109963 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep56.jpg | bin | 0 -> 137292 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep58.jpg | bin | 0 -> 117970 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep62.jpg | bin | 0 -> 116739 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep70.jpg | bin | 0 -> 98399 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep74.jpg | bin | 0 -> 133410 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep76.jpg | bin | 0 -> 129733 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep78.jpg | bin | 0 -> 133848 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep82.jpg | bin | 0 -> 152139 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 15561-h/images/imagep88.jpg | bin | 0 -> 140625 bytes |
17 files changed, 2497 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/15561-h/15561-h.htm b/15561-h/15561-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9929f6d --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/15561-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2497 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Boer in Peace and War, by Arthur M. Mann</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .5em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .5em; + text-indent: 1em; + } + H1 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + h1.pg { + text-align: center; font-family: Times-Roman, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + h3.pg { + text-align: center; font-family: Times-Roman, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + H5,H6 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + H2 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* centered and coloured */ + } + H3 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* centered and coloured */ + } + H4 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + HR { width: 33%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + a {text-decoration: none} /* no lines under links */ + div.center {text-align: center;} + div.content {width: 69%; margin-left: auto; text-align: left;} + div.centered {text-align: center;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 1 */ + div.centered table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 2 */ + + .cen {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} /* centering paragraphs */ + .sc {font-variant: small-caps;} /* small caps */ + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .note {margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} /* footnote */ + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .totoc {position: absolute; right: 2%; font-size: 75%; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .img {text-align: center; padding: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} /* centering images */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 1em; font-size: smaller; float: right; clear: right;} + .tdr {text-align: right;} /* aligning cell content to the right */ + .tdc {text-align: center;} /* aligning cell content to the center */ + .tdl {text-align: left;} /* aligning cell content to the left */ + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + hr.full { width: 100%; } + pre {font-size: 8pt;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Boer in Peace and War, by Arthur M. Mann</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: The Boer in Peace and War</p> +<p>Author: Arthur M. Mann</p> +<p>Release Date: April 6, 2005 [eBook #15561]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOER IN PEACE AND WAR***</p> +<br /><br /><h3>E-text prepared by Michael Ciesielski, Jeannie Howse,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (https://www.pgdp.net)</h3><br /><br /> +<hr class="full" /> + +<a name="Page_1"></a> +<!-- Note that the images did not have page numbers so they +are placed as close to where they lay in the book as possible --> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + + +<h1><a name="Page_2"></a>The Boer<br /> +in Peace and War</h1> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<h3>BY</h3> +<h2>ARTHUR M. MANN</h2> + +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Author Of 'The Truth From Johannesburg'</span></p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h5>WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS</h5> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h5>London<br /> +John Long<br /> +6 Chandos Street, Strand<br /> +1900</h5> + +<br /> +<br /> +<hr /> +<a name="imagep01"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a name="Page_3"></a><a href="images/imagep01.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep01.jpg" width="100%" alt="Boer Mounted Police" /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Boer Mounted Police.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="toc"></a><hr /> +<br /> + + +<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> + +<h2>TABLE OF CONTENTS</h2> + +<br /> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="60%" summary="Table of Contents"> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">Chapter I</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">5</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">Chapter II</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">14</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">Chapter III</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">32</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">Chapter IV</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">42</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">Chapter V</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">55</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">Chapter VI</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">65</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">Chapter VII</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">74</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">Chapter VIII</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">82</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="70%" class="tdl"><span class="sc"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">Chapter IX</a></span></td> + <td width="30%" class="tdr">91</td> +</tr> +</table> +</div> + +<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="tol"></a><hr /> +<br /> + +<h2><a name="Page_4"></a>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="80%" summary="List of Illustrations"> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Boer Mounted Police</span></td> + <td colspan="2" class="tdc"><a href="#imagep01"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="80%" class="tdl"><span class="sc">Waggons Bringing Wool To Early Morning Market (Johannesburg)</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc"><i>To face p.</i></td> + <td width="5%" class="tdl"><a href="#imagep16">17</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">A Boer Homestead</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep20">21</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Waggons Crossing River</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep28">29</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">A Boer Family</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep36">36</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Majuba Hill</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep44">45</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">A Boer Encampment</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep50">51</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Raadzaal, or Boer Parliament House</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep56">56</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">President Kruger's House</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep58">58</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">President Kruger</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep62">63</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Dutch Church (Pretoria)</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep70">71</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Boer Cattle Farm Near Majuba</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep74">75</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Shooting Rinderpest Oxen</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep76">76</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Waggon On Pontoon Over River</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep78">79</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Boers Outspanned For Nachtmaal</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep82">82</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"><span class="sc">Bloemfontein</span></td> + <td width="15%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdl"><a href="#imagep88">89</a></td> +</tr> +</table> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_I"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h2><a name="Page_5"></a>THE BOER IN PEACE AND WAR</h2> + +<br /> + +<h3>CHAPTER I <span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>A Boer may know you, but it will take you some time to know him, and +when a certain stage in your acquaintance is reached, you may begin to +wonder whether his real nature is penetrable at all. His ways are not +the ways of other people: he is suspicious, distant, and he does not +care to show his hand—unless, of course, there is some pecuniary +advantage to be gained. He is invariably on the alert for advantages +of that description.</p> + +<p>His suspicious nature has probably been handed down to him from +preceding generations. When he first set foot in South Africa he was +naturally chary concerning the native population. He had to deal<a name="Page_6"></a> +firmly with Bushmen, and the latter certainly proved a source of +continual trouble. The Boer set himself a difficult task when he +undertook to instil fear, obedience, and submission into the hearts of +these barbarians—a task that could only be faced by men of firm +determination and unlimited self-confidence.</p> + +<p>These characteristics have always inspired the Boer, and although he +may often have been the object of derision, it is to his credit that +the predominant qualities mentioned have enabled him to pull through +the miry clay. Without these qualities, it is patent that the little +band which landed at the Cape long years ago would have succumbed +before the conflicting forces which then existed. And as succeeding +years passed on, and the sun still shone upon the heads of the +pioneers, it is worthy to note that, despite the difficulties which +continually presented themselves, the little band multiplied, +prospered, and evolved an ensample not too mean to contemplate.</p> + +<p>The Boer cannot be charged with any <a name="Page_7"></a>incapacity where the mere +treatment of natives is concerned; he can manage that business +perfectly. In the first place, he does not make the too common mistake +of allowing the black populace to insert the thin end of the wedge. +This is a mistake too often fraught with serious results, and the Boer +knows it. A native, no matter if he be Swazi, Zulu, Basuto, or any +other nationality, will always take advantage where such is offered, +and he will follow it up with enough persistence to warrant ultimate +success. In Natal, at the present time, this mistake is very apparent, +and, in consequence, one very seldom encounters a native who is +content to attire himself in any other manner than that adopted by his +master. He demands decent clothing, and, if possible, it must be new +and fashionable. I have known cases where a 'boy' has been presented +with a respectable suit of clothes a little too small for him, and it +is unnecessary to add that he disposed of that suit. People who have +hitherto allowed their children to put their pennies in the Sunday +School Mission <a name="Page_8"></a>box, will perhaps hesitate to continue supporting the +'poor, down-trodden native' when they learn that he is so fastidious, +and perhaps, after all, their spare coppers might be assigned to a +more deserving cause.</p> + +<p>The Boer does not treat his black servants in any such fashion—he +knows better. He puts them on a sound footing to begin with, and he +leads them to understand that they must remain there.</p> + +<p>This method of treatment where the natives are concerned has, to a +great extent, insured the progress of the Boer in South Africa. He has +laid down certain laws at the outset, and he has rigidly adhered to +those laws. He employs a different method of treatment from that which +is attributed to the Natal farmer and others who employ native +servants. He has never allowed his original attitude towards natives +to become compatible with the British idea; he prefers still to look +upon them as slaves, although he is perforce required to regard them +as servants. The difficulty in Natal with regard to the rapidly +increasing native <a name="Page_9"></a>populace, and how to deal effectually with the +question, might have arisen in the Orange Free State, for instance, +were it not for the fact that the native, in comparison with the white +population, is small. By a Law passed in the Volksraad some few years +ago, it became compulsory for farmers to allow only a limited number +of native families to remain on the farms. This created considerable +dissatisfaction among both farmers and natives, and the result was +that native labour approached the inadequate in a very short time. +Hundreds of native families left the State, and although the Law +ultimately admitted of a wider interpretation, the native populace has +not materially increased. The present attitude of natives in the towns +is not altogether satisfactory since the passing of this Law. Labour +being scarce, they are inclined to take up an independent attitude, +which, if fraught with little danger, is at least calculated to +produce a certain amount of friction between white and black. Added to +this, there is the fact that the education of natives, which is +becoming more general, <a name="Page_10"></a>undoubtedly assists the growth of this +independence. The Boer farmers in this connection adhere to their +pristine view of the matter, namely, that educating natives amounts to +casting pearls before swine; and although this does not tend to +encourage the work of the missionary, there may possibly be a certain +amount of truth in it.</p> + +<p>Before the arrival of British subjects at the Cape, the Boer had it +all his own way. He looked upon himself as practically the ruler of +the country, and it was not natural that he should look with favour +upon the advent of a probable rival. He lived peacefully in a +way—that is, when he was not in open conflict with the natives. He +killed his game and cooked it and ate it heartily, and he enjoyed a +measure of happiness. He had found a home; the free-and-easy life +suited him; and if he was not possessed of riches (which would have +been of little value to him then), he had, at least, health and +strength and an abundance of daily food.</p> + +<p>But one day the now accursed Englishman crossed his path, and that +made a <a name="Page_11"></a>considerable difference. He perhaps wondered why the English +came there at all, when he was just beginning to develop a great +country. But he did not, of course, know then what he knows now, +namely, that the English are insatiable land-grabbers! He looked upon +their advent more in the light of a huge slice of impertinence. He +knew also that it was dangerous to meddle or contend with them, so he +merely looked on with a suspicious eye. He watched their every +movement, and he also very probably looked for the day of their +departure. But they did not depart; they had come to stay.</p> + +<p>The Boer did not like his English neighbours from the start; there was +far too much of the go-ahead persuasion about them. He wanted to jog +along quietly and cautiously, and he very naturally resented the +presence of people in whom the desire for progression was strong. So +long as the Boer was left to himself he was not aware of his own +tardiness. He was very much in the position of a cyclist on the track; +it needed a 'pacer' to show how slowly he was <a name="Page_12"></a>travelling. The 'pacer' +in this instance brought with him no commendation in the eyes of the +Boer; he merely created suspicion and ill-feeling, which ultimately +developed into rancour.</p> + +<p>When suspicion lays hold of a man it invariably changes the whole of +that man's character. It did so in the case of the Boer. It debarred +any chance of reconciliation with the English for the future. The Boer +does not know the meaning of compromise, and if he did, it would go +against his grain to entertain it. His nature is stubborn; he cannot +bring himself to look at a question from any other view-point than his +own. He will argue a point for hours, and although he may be in the +wrong, it is a moral impossibility to convince him that he is not in +the right. His consummate ignorance may largely account for this; but +even semi-educated Boers are not much better in this respect.</p> + +<p>The Boer makes an excellent pioneer, and when he found that the +English ideas were not compatible with his own, he decided to <a name="Page_13"></a>move +farther north. That is another of his characteristics—independence. +He is not only independent to a degree, he is sensitive; and when he +discovers by accident that he is a much-aggrieved party, his +indignation does not usually take a violent form—he simply clears +out. He may be somewhat different where the Transvaal is concerned—he +may be indignant, but he has no intention in this instance of adopting +the procedure of his forefathers. The latter had not yet dropped into +an inheritance glittering with gold; they were merely agriculturists, +and they desired pastures of their own. Some of them found desirable +pastures in the barren wastes of the Free State, and subsequently the +majority wended their way to the Transvaal.</p> + +<p>It is not, of course, my intention to reiterate history. History is +good enough when it is new, but I should only be covering ground which +is already familiar to most readers. My purpose is to present glimpses +of the Boer as he is to-day.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_II"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h3><a name="Page_14"></a>CHAPTER II<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>The Boers are very much like the Scotch—they are clannish. Every Boer +has a solid belief in himself, to begin with, and every Boer has a +profound belief in his brother. This characteristic has many +advantages: it not only welds a people together, it is a sufficient +guarantee of success in times of trouble and difficulty, and it has +stood the Boer in good stead. He likes to tell you that no difficulty +is insurmountable in his eyes—nay, further, he does not believe in +the existence of any difficulty which he is not competent to overcome. +Rumours of trouble with natives do not appal him, because he knows +before he slings his gun over his shoulder that he is going forth to +inflict due punishment upon the insurgents. He does not in any +instance entertain the thought of a repulse. He <a name="Page_15"></a>marches to the front +with a firm, determined step, and he does not rest until he has +conclusively settled the matter.</p> + +<p>The march to the front is a sort of family concern. I have tried +occasionally to unravel the relations of the numerous families in +certain districts, but it seems to me that the complications are too +great to admit of analysis. For instance, it will be found that the +family of Wessels is closely allied to the family of Odendaals, and +the Odendaals, on the other hand, are related to the De Jagers. This +kind of thing worries and tantalizes a man, and the only safe +conclusion to arrive at is that the entire nation is linked together +in some way or other by family ties. This may account for the fact +that it is seldom necessary to introduce one Boer to another—they are +very well acquainted without such formalities; if they are not, they +very soon strike up an acquaintance.</p> + +<p>Of course there are exceptions, and I remember one in particular. The +instance I refer to occurred in a store. One of the gentlemen in +question was leaning heavily against <a name="Page_16"></a>the counter, and one could +observe at a glance that he, at least, had a good opinion of himself. +Presently Boer number two entered. He was small in stature, like the +other man, but there was a note of uncertainty about him which seemed +to betoken that his opinion of himself did not measure up in +proportion to that of the other Boer. Number two looked about him a +bit, and occasionally directed a furtive glance at number one, who, on +the other hand, stolidly regarded the array of goods spread out before +him. Number two seemed to have settled the question in his own mind at +last, for he approached the other party and held out his hand.</p> + +<p>'I am Britz,' he said laconically, as the other touched the +outstretched hand indifferently.</p> + +<p>'Ja!' said number one; 'I am Papenfus.'</p> + +<p>The conversation ended here, and number two made a silent departure.</p> + +<a name="imagep16"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep16.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep16.jpg" width="100%" alt="Waggons Bringing Wool To Early Morning Market +(Johannesburg)." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Waggons Bringing Wool To Early Morning Market +(Johannesburg).</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>The preliminary salutations of another pair of Boers are probably as +interesting. It was during a prolonged drought, and both gentlemen had +evidently experienced a difficulty in <a name="Page_17"></a>finding a sufficiency of +water for the purposes of ablution. They had not met for a number of +years, but the recognition was mutual.</p> + +<p>'Almachtig, Gert, you are still as ugly as ever!'</p> + +<p>'Ja!' replied the other readily; 'and you are still alive with that +face!'</p> + +<p>The Boer is coarse in his conversation, although he prefers to regard +it as wit. He likes to participate in a conversation bristling with +this sort of wit, but when you come to tell him a really good thing, +he fails entirely to grasp the point, and your joke falls flat, +resulting usually in a painful silence.</p> + +<p>He is also very chary of complications in the handling of money. He +brings his wool into town once, and sometimes twice, a year, and that +staple comprises the current coin of the country. His clip is weighed +off in due course, and he proceeds to the store and sits down while +the clerk figures up the amount. You may be foolish enough to ask him +if he will buy a plough or a bag of coffee, but he continues to smoke +hard and expectorate all over the floor without giving a definite +reply. <a name="Page_18"></a>He wants to handle the money first, and then he will arrange +about his purchases. Within half an hour he will probably have in his +pocket two or three hundred golden sovereigns (he does not look upon +bank-notes with favour; he wants something hard and substantial), and +he will at once proceed to the matter of buying. At the end of the day +his waggon is loaded up with a variety of household and agricultural +necessities, for which he has paid, say, £150 of the money received +for his wool. This is his way of doing things, and he thinks it is the +right one.</p> + +<p>During the Boer War of 1880 merchants in the Free State had a bad time +of it. The Boers were, of course, very much excited, and the English +merchant was looked upon scornfully and contemptuously. One Boer had +already drawn up a memorandum of what he considered should be the +<i>modus operandi</i> in dealing with the storekeepers. Two or three were +to be hanged, and the others were to be tied up in front of their own +buildings and shot down like crows. That was in Harrismith.</p> + +<p><a name="Page_19"></a>The Boer has not much to boast of in the matter of brains, but what he +does possess he is careful not to abuse. A man can abuse his brains in +many ways—by taking to strong drink, for instance. I have been among +Boers for some years, and I can honestly say that I never yet saw a +Boer the worse for drink. He may indulge occasionally, but he very +seldom carries the practice to excess. When he does take it he likes +it strong—as strong as he can get it. He scorns the idea of mixing it +in water. He reckons that he did not go to the canteen or hotel to pay +for water. He wants the full value of his money, and he takes it.</p> + +<p>I have said that the Boer is suspicious; he is likewise jealous by +nature. If there happens to be rinderpest on the next farm to his, he +is never contented until he gets his full share. He does not mind if +the visitation plays extreme havoc among his stock so long as he is +not left in the lurch. I remember some time ago hearing of a Boer who +had decided to build a large dwelling-house on his farm in place of +the wretched <a name="Page_20"></a>little building he and his family had hitherto occupied. +This Boer had made some money, and contact with English people in the +towns had resulted in more advanced ideas. He determined, therefore, +to spare no expense on this new project—he even included a bath-room. +The building was scarcely completed, when about a dozen Boers, who +were also capitalists in a way, immediately set about making +arrangements for similar structures. This form of jealousy is, of +course, good where trade is concerned.</p> + +<p>If the Boer is nothing else, he is at least talked about. I say +nothing else advisedly, because he is nothing else. In his own country +he is nothing, and out of it he is less, if that were possible. It may +seem out of place on the part of a Scotsman to make such an assertion, +because a Scotsman (and a Yorkshireman, too, by the way) is, in the +eyes of the Boer, a friendly being, and far removed above a mere +Englishman. A Boer will give a Scotsman the best in the house, and put +up his horse comfortably, but an Englishman in the same circumstances +<a name="Page_21"></a>fares differently. It is, of course, unnecessary to say that while +a Scotsman makes no objection to exceptional hospitality, his views of +the Boer do not differ materially from those of any other person of +whatever nationality. He drinks the Boer's coffee, and shakes hands +with him and all his family, but there may be, and usually is, a great +deal of deception mixed up with such extreme good-feeling. I could +never understand, nor has it been explained to me, why the Boer is so +partial towards Scotsmen, unless it be that a great many Scotch words +resemble words in the Dutch language. Perhaps that may in some degree +account for it, although I do not think there is anything to be proud +of on the Scottish side.</p> + +<a name="imagep20"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep20.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep20.jpg" width="100%" alt="A Boer Homestead." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">A Boer Homestead.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>It is necessary to reside in the Boer Republics to place one in the +position of knowing something of the Boer, and a mere fortnight won't +do it. Of course, there are Boers and Boers, as there are Englishmen +and Englishmen. There are Boers who are competent to rank with any +English <a name="Page_22"></a>gentleman, and whose education and abilities are of no mean +order. Unfortunately, however, these are altogether in the minority.</p> + +<p>The Boers are all farmers, and, according to their own statements, a +poverty-stricken people. They plead poverty before an English merchant +because they fancy it will have the effect of reducing prices. +Fortunately, the merchants possess rather an accurate knowledge of +such customers, and in consequence they lose nothing. One would as +soon believe the generality of Boers, as walk into the shaft of a coal +mine. He has a reputation for lying, and he never brings discredit +upon that reputation. When he lies, which, on an average, is every +alternate time he opens his mouth, he does so with great enthusiasm, +and the while he is delivering one lie, he is carefully considering +the next. When he can't think of any more lies, he starts on the +truth, but in this he is a decided failure. He is afraid of being +found out. For instance, a merchant will approach a Boer respecting an +overdue account. The Boer will at once plead <a name="Page_23"></a>poverty, and speculate +on how he can possibly manage to liquidate his liability. If the +merchant knows the ropes sufficiently (and the majority of merchants +do), he will drop the subject for half an hour, at the end of which +time he will ask the Boer if he wants to sell any cattle or produce, +as he (the merchant) can find an outlet for either or both. The Boer's +diplomacy is weak, and he falls into the trap. He has fifty cattle to +dispose of; the merchant buys them, and the overdue account, with +interest, is paid.</p> + +<p>The Boers are very superstitious in a great many things. For instance, +they regard locusts as a direct visitation from the Almighty. When the +pest settles down upon ground occupied by Kaffirs, all the available +tin cans and empty paraffin tins are requisitioned, and there is a +mighty noise, that ought to frighten off any respectable locust swarm; +but the Boer, when he sees them coming, goes into his house and lays +hold of his Bible, and reads and prays until he thinks there ought to +be some good <a name="Page_24"></a>result. The Boer is gifted with great and abiding +patience (in such cases only), and, no matter if the locusts stop long +enough to eat up every green blade on his farm, he will continue to +study his Bible and pray. But, as I have remarked parenthetically, it +is only in cases of emergency where he evinces such a display of +patience and exercises such a pious disposition. When he is not +praying, he is putting ten-pound stones in his bales of wool to be +ready for the merchant's scales, and transacting other little matters +of business of a like nature.</p> + +<p>The Boer is not particular in the matter of cleanliness. It suits him +just as well to be dirty as to be clean. It is no exaggeration to say +that numbers of Boers do not wash themselves from one week's end to +another; and they wear their clothes until they drop off. It is always +a matter for speculation what the womenfolks do. It is certain that +they do not exert themselves too much, if at all, in their own homes. +They generally do all the cooking and eating in one room, and in the +other end of the house <a name="Page_25"></a>you will probably find a litter of pigs, a +score of hens, etc. And the one room is about as clean as the +other—most people would prefer to sleep alongside the pigs and the +fowls.</p> + +<p>The most painful proceeding is to dine in such a place. Unless you are +blessed with a cast-iron constitution and a stomach of the same +pattern, you are not likely to survive. Usually they put down boiled +meat first, after which comes the soup. The chief regret in your case +is that the soup had not come first, so that you could have disposed +of it right away and had something on top of it. Coffee, of course, is +never forgotten, and it would be a direct insult to refuse it. Coffee +is a great thing with the Boer. He would as soon be without house and +home, as his bag of coffee. Before selling his wool to the merchant, +almost the first thing he asks is: 'What is your price for coffee?' If +a satisfactory quotation is forthcoming, he does not hesitate long in +disposing of his staple, although, of course, at the highest price +obtainable.</p> + +<p>The story goes that once upon a time <a name="Page_26"></a>a Boer, whose conscience had +remained dormant from his birth, came to a certain town to purchase +goods in exchange for produce. One of the articles he bought was, +naturally, coffee, and of that he took half a bag. While the clerk was +engaged in attending to some other matters, the Boer quietly and, as +he thought, unobserved, undid the cord which secured the mouth of the +coffee bag, and slipped in a quarter of a hundred-weight of lead which +was lying in the vicinity and which he evidently calculated on finding +useful. The clerk observed this movement without betraying the fact, +and when the order was completed his eye fell upon the coffee bag +casually.</p> + +<p>'Oh! wait a moment,' he remarked. 'I fancy I have forgotten to weigh +that coffee.'</p> + +<p>He weighed it over again and carefully noted down the figures in his +little book, no doubt much to the chagrin of the silent Boer, who +probably had not reckoned on paying for his lead in the same +proportion as the cost of his coffee per pound.</p> + +<p><a name="Page_27"></a>On another occasion, a Boer, the extent of whose wealth was probably +unknown to himself, found it necessary to dispute certain items in his +account with his storekeeper. This sort of thing, by the way, is the +rule and by no means the exception. It seems natural also when it is +noted that the majority of Boers run twelve-monthly accounts, and by +the time they come to square up, they find a difficulty in recognising +some of the articles purchased eleven or twelve months previously. +This particular gentleman's argument had reference to a pair of spurs, +which he deposed had been given to him as a present by the manager, +and his hitherto good opinion of the clerk who had charged the spurs +in his account was permanently damaged. He said he wasn't a man of +that sort. If he wanted to buy spurs, he could pay cash down for about +fifteen thousand pairs and, in short, he could buy up all the spurs in +the country! He would pay for those spurs now: he wouldn't take a pair +of anything, gratis or otherwise, from that merchant as long as he +lived. He <a name="Page_28"></a>would go home and put eight horses into his wagonette and +drive round the country and tell all his friends about that pair of +spurs, and he wouldn't rest until he had completed the task to his own +satisfaction.</p> + +<p>The book-keeper tried in vain to calm him down by presenting him with +a bunch of grapes, but he only regarded the peace-offering with +extreme contempt. He wanted to know what else he had been charged +with, and the clerk, in conciliatory tones, proceeded to read over the +several items. He came to 'one pound of tea.' That was the last straw.</p> + +<p>'What! a pound of tea—a pound! Almachtig! Ik koop thee bij de zak (I +buy tea by the bag).'</p> + +<p>The suspicious nature of the Boer is always in evidence, although the +Englishman must perforce humour it. It would be interesting to learn, +for instance, how many thousands of pounds are sewn up in mattresses +all over the country because the owners are chary concerning the +integrity of bank-managers. They have no doubt whatever but that a +<a name="Page_29"></a>bank is a paying concern (one Boer entered a bank recently and +wanted to see the place where they made the money), but they would +much rather keep their own money out of it, in case it should get +mixed up with the earnings and savings of other people and be lost. +The story runs that one old vrouw journeyed to town in her waggon one +day for the express purpose of depositing £300 with the local bank, +but when she found that they wanted to give her so much for keeping it +(interest) instead of asking her to pay a small amount by way of +compensation for taking charge of her money, she became suspicious and +took her £300 back to the farm and the double grass mattress once +more. It is unnecessary to state that this particular lady never +trusted another banking institution.</p> + +<a name="imagep28"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep28.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep28.jpg" width="100%" alt="Waggons Crossing River." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Waggons Crossing River.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>And so it is with other things. When once you have aroused suspicion +in the Boer—and it sleeps lightly—you can safely say good-bye to him +for ever. He knows within his heart that the English are bent upon +taking advantage of him, and when a man <a name="Page_30"></a>makes up his mind like that +he is seldom disappointed.</p> + +<p>There is one characteristic of the Boer which the most casual observer +cannot fail to notice. It is his entire indifference to personal +appearance. He likes to see his vrouw gorgeous in all the colours of +the rainbow (pink and green being the favourites), and he doesn't mind +if the material costs a little over ninepence a yard; but he evinces +no desire to discard the suit he has himself worn for three or four +years without a change. So long as it holds together, he is content to +wear it, and he does not in the least mind what other people may say +about it. It may be supposed that this applies exclusively to the +poorer classes, but I can assure my readers that I have known it to be +the case with scores of men who could well afford to wear a brand-new +suit every day of the week and every month of the year. And what does +this characteristic indicate? It indicates the man. He has no desire +to advance beyond what he is—what his forefathers were. The latter +manufactured their <a name="Page_31"></a>own clothing; they made their own shoes, and, had +they been presented with a cast-off suit belonging to the Prince of +Wales, they could not possibly have appreciated it, and they certainly +would never have thought of wearing it. The Boer does not care to +dress respectably; he prefers to finger the coin and sit down and +watch the increase in his stock. He would have everything converted +into stock, because that is his great ambition.</p> + +<p>Another thing—he lacks taste. His clothes never by any chance fit him +(in the eyes of more refined people), and his boots are always three +sizes too large; but then he thinks he is getting more for his money. +If he must needs buy boots, he takes care that he invests his money in +quantity, not quality, or style.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_III"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h3><a name="Page_32"></a>CHAPTER III<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>The Boer would like to lay hands on the man who invented ploughs. Not +that he has any aversion to ploughs as ploughs; he merely objects to +the labour involved by the introduction of these implements into the +market. He sees some sense in an ox, a sheep, a goat, and a horse. Put +these animals on a bit of green veldt, and they do the rest +themselves; they thrive and multiply, and enhance the position of +their owner. But a plough! It means that he requires to take off his +coat and stop doing nothing. The Boer would like to argue that if God +had meant the soil to be disturbed by ploughs and such like, He would +not have left the solution of this problem in the hands of mere +inventors: He would have ordained a means whereby the soil would have +of itself turned over once a year at springtime.</p> + +<p><a name="Page_33"></a>The Boers are a pastoral people—one can hardly say an agricultural +people. They have been that sort of people from the start, and they +will never change. They are used to waggons and oxen and sheep, and +the waggons and oxen and sheep have got quite used to them. There is +abundance of proof in the Dutch Republics to satisfy any ordinary +person that a Boer, no matter if he can count his sovereigns by the +million, would never dream of giving up his farm and turning country +gentleman. He may take no part in the actual work (and this is not +much in his line under any circumstances), but he exercises that +amount of careful supervision necessary to successful farming, and +continues to do so until the end. Even the members of the Volksraad, +who are usually well-to-do farmers, never neglect their crops, albeit +a handsome income is assured in their official capacity.</p> + +<p>But does farming in the Dutch Republics pay? Most emphatically, No. I +am not making this assertion because I have tried it myself, I am +simply quoting the dictum of <a name="Page_34"></a>every Boer. I have been careful to +obtain a consensus of opinion on this question for the guidance of +those who may contemplate embarking upon such an unsatisfactory and +dangerous undertaking. Farming does not pay. For my own satisfaction, +I recently questioned a Boer with regard to his average yearly income, +and he was good enough to humour me.</p> + +<p>The value of his stock worked out as follows:</p> + +<br /> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="30%" summary="Value of Stock"> +<tr> + <td width="75%" class="tdl">1,000 sheep</td> + <td width="10%" class="tdc">say</td> + <td width="15%" class="tdr">£ 500</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl">100 head of cattle</td> + <td class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdr">1000</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl">48 horses</td> + <td class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdr" style="text-decoration: underline;"> 480</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td class="tdl"> </td> + <td class="tdc"> </td> + <td class="tdr">£1980</td> +</tr> +</table> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="50%" summary="yearly sales of Stock"> +<tr> + <td colspan="4" class="tdr">£ s. d.</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td colspan="2" class="tdl">His yearly clip averaged 10 bales</td> + <td class="tdc">@</td> + <td class="tdr"> £10 = 100 0 0</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td colspan="4" class="tdl">On an average he sold:</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td width="3%"> </td> + <td width="64%" class="tdl">20 head of cattle</td> + <td width="4%" class="tdc">"</td> + <td width="31%" class="tdr">£ 8 = 160 0 0</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tdl">10 horses</td> + <td class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdr">£10 = 100 0 0</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tdl">Butter, 1,000 pounds</td> + <td class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdr"> 1s. = 50 0 0</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tdl">Hides and skin</td> + <td class="tdc"> </td> + <td class="tdr">say 5 0 0</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tdl">Horns</td> + <td class="tdc"> </td> + <td class="tdr"> " 1 0 0</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tdl">Mealies, 60 bags</td> + <td class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdr">12s. = 36 0 0</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tdl">Forage, 5,000 bundles</td> + <td class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdr"> 3d. = 62 10 0</td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tdl">Kaffir corn, 30 bags</td> + <td class="tdc">"</td> + <td class="tdr">15s. = <span style="text-decoration: underline;"> 22 10 0</span></td> +</tr> +<tr> + <td> </td> + <td class="tdl"> Total average yearly income</td> + <td class="tdc"> </td> + <td class="tdr">£537 0 0</td> +</tr> +</table> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<p><a name="Page_35"></a>It must not be supposed for one moment that here we have a rich man. I +am merely citing the case of a farmer who said to me: 'I'd rather be a +book-keeper at twenty-pounds a month.' He had no idea that his annual +income figured up to anything like £537. And yet that same man would +endeavour to make a good bargain in purchasing sixpennyworth of +hairpins because he considered himself a 'poor man.'</p> + +<p>There are hundreds of farmers, more particularly in the Free State, +who are unable to realize the extent of their wealth in stock or the +acreage of their own farms. They brand every ox, sheep, and horse that +belongs to them, and it is only by such marks that they are enabled to +recognise their own property when they see it. I have known instances +where hundreds of horses belonging to one man have succumbed in a +single season on account of horse-sickness, and their owner regarded +the loss as a mere trifle, because he knew that such a catastrophe did +not materially affect his position.</p> + +<p><a name="Page_36"></a>Klondyke had its 'millionaires in huts,' Boerland has its millionaires +in hovels. You will find farmers who are worth many thousands of +pounds living in places under whose roofs a Kaffir would certainly +disdain to pass the night. They possess wives and families, too, but +they exhibit no desire to better their domestic surroundings. If the +houses happen to include another room other than the living room, that +extra room is invariably used for storing grain. The women are untidy +and unprepossessing, and the children have not yet learned to +appreciate stockings and shoes. It is almost paradoxical to think of +human beings in a civilized country living such lives, people who have +great possibilities within their reach. The children readily +assimilate the habits and ways of their parents, and grow up into men +and women of a like type, and so on from generation to generation. No +wonder, then, that the Boers are a retrograde race.</p> + +<a name="imagep36"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep36.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep36.jpg" width="100%" alt="A Boer Family." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">A Boer Family.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>It has been made sufficiently plain that when once the Boers have +acquired a country, they allow that country to rest in peace—<a name="Page_37"></a>from +an agricultural point of view only. This is quite apparent when it is +explained that the Free State has an estimated acreage of 7,491,500, +and out of that only 75,000 acres are cultivated. This is not the +fault of the country, but of the Boer himself. He has no sooner +settled down on a bit of land, where there is a plentiful growth of +grass to feed his stock, than he longs for pastures new, his only +reason for staying where he is being that he does not want the +Englishman to step into his homestead.</p> + +<p>No exhibition of national prejudice is intended when I say that were +the Dutch Republics sprinkled with a few hundred Scottish farmers, +these countries would assume a more fertile and healthy aspect in two +or three years. The soil is good; all that is wanted is concentrated +hard work, and the countries would surprise several people—the Boers, +for instance—by the extent of their agricultural wealth. There are, +of course, climatic disadvantages to contend against—prolonged +droughts are of common occurrence—but, as in other <a name="Page_38"></a>countries, the +farmer must take the bad with the good. The great thing with the Boer +is stock, and plenty of it. He does not care about anything else until +the rinderpest comes.</p> + +<p>Comparisons are odious, but let us compare the Boer with the English +farmers. Should the harvests of the latter be destroyed (as in the +case of an entire county of farmers in England at one time), ruin +stares them in the face, showing that stock is of little moment. It is +different in the case of the Boer. Take his stock away from him, and +you deprive him of his daily bread. Of course, the facilities for +successful cultivation in England are different from those in the +Dutch Republics; at the same time, there is such a thing as +irrigation, and were this resorted to more generally, and a larger +area of land put under cultivation, the Boer farmer would be on a more +stable footing.</p> + +<p>A somewhat erroneous deduction has been gleaned by many people from +guide-books, in which particulars are given respecting the limited +extent of arable land available, but <a name="Page_39"></a>guide-book makers mostly prefer +to guess at the figures rather than go to the trouble of ascertaining +the truth. Without further reference to the guide-books, it is +noteworthy that the possibilities of both the Transvaal and Free State, +from an agricultural point of view, are greatly under-estimated, the +fact being that a very small proportion of arable land is cultivated at +all. In a number of cases water facilities are entirely ignored.</p> + +<p>Wool is the current coin of the country with the Boer farmers, and the +merchant who is desirous of continuing his business must have a +certain amount of capital behind him, because the farmer likes to see +money at least once a year. Things have changed somewhat now. In the +olden days it was different. It was absolutely necessary then to put +down a cheque for the full amount, but the average farmer is becoming +less suspicious in transactions of this nature.</p> + +<p>The life of the merchant during the wool season is not exactly a happy +one. He likes to please his customers, but he does not <a name="Page_40"></a>always +succeed. The average farmer who comes in with a load of wool has the +appearance of a man whose primary intention is to buy up all the +stores (although he may go away with a bag of coffee only), and +afterwards consider with great deliberation the question of acquiring +the whole town. All this is based upon the fact that he has a load of +wool for sale. The merchant would rather give him five shillings than +fivepence per pound, because it would be a certain sign that the good +times had arrived. No matter, however, what price the merchant offers, +your average farmer can always obtain more. He does not say where; he +prefers to keep that up his sleeve. He also advances by farthings and +halfpence, because he is chary about entering into the intricacies of +eighths. He, moreover, strongly objects to accepting a lower price +than that given to his neighbour. His neighbour may be an excellent +man, and he may be in possession of very good sheep, but that his wool +should be more valuable is not so apparent—is, in fact, most +improbable. Every farmer has implicit <a name="Page_41"></a>faith in the merits of his own +particular clip, and if differences really exist, he is prepared to +state emphatically that the advantage is on his side.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_IV"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h3><a name="Page_42"></a>CHAPTER IV<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>There has been a good deal of speculation as to why the Boers are such +experts with the rifle, but that is easily and naturally explained. In +the first place, they know their own country, and that is a decided +advantage where bare veldt is concerned. An Englishman on the same +ground would make mistakes, and probably sight his rifle at 200 yards; +but the Boer puts his up to 500 yards and kills his game, whilst the +Englishman, with his imperfect knowledge of the country, misses it. +When the Dutch first settled in South Africa, they were compelled +either to shoot their dinner or go without. So they began straight +away by shooting their dinner—and they have been able to shoot it +ever since. In warfare, too, they know exactly how to proceed. They +know <a name="Page_43"></a>that it is policy to shoot the Englishmen and save their own +skins. So they get behind large stones and shoot the Englishmen. They +know, further, that the best guarantee of success is to wait +patiently. They know nothing about military discipline, and they don't +want to know anything about it. According to their idea, this is how +the crack British regiments proceed: They march up in a body—close +order—and when they come within range of the Boers the commanding +officer gives the following commands: 'Halt! Attention! Present! +Fire!' And by the time the commanding officer has given the word +'Fire!' the Boers, comfortably stationed behind stones, have shot +those regiments down! There is, perhaps, some truth in this.</p> + +<p>But the Boer, after all, believes in peace. It suits him better to be +on his farm, with a pipe in his mouth, and Kaffirs to do all the work, +while he walks around his acres and finds fault. They stick to their +country, and they fight for their country; but they don't like +fighting much. I came across one <a name="Page_44"></a>particular Boer who had been at +Majuba, and who was perfectly clear in his own mind that he did not +care much about it; and he did not entertain favourably the idea of +further warfare. He explained that he quietly got behind the customary +stone, and shot round the corners. During the time he was thus amusing +himself, the stone was struck by fifteen English bullets, and he did +not calculate on waiting to see what effect number sixteen would have, +so he left that stone. The Boers are always very reticent where the +number of their killed is concerned. In English circles it is +jocularly asserted that only one Boer was killed at Majuba, and all +the other Boers went into mourning for him. It is not known, and never +will be known, how many were killed at Krugersdorp by Jameson's men. +There is one thing, however, which goes to prove that a good number +must have succumbed on that occasion. It is rumoured that the Boers do +not want any more fighting with men who shoot as straight as those +comprising Jameson's Horse.</p> + +<a name="imagep44"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep44.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep44.jpg" width="100%" alt="Majuba Hill." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Majuba Hill.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p><a name="Page_45"></a>Defence in the Transvaal and Orange Free State is provided for +principally by the burghers, who are liable to be called upon for +active service between the ages of eighteen and sixty. The mounted +police force in both Republics is comparatively small, and the +permanent corps of artillery in each case is also small. The Boers do +not, as a matter of fact, repose much confidence in artillery at any +time, and they regard the mounted police force as valuable only in +time of peace. The burghers themselves comprise the entire force. In +the Free State alone there are 17,000 burghers liable to be called up +on commando at a moment's notice.</p> + +<p>The country is divided into districts, and each district is under the +charge of a Commandant and a Field-cornet. The duty of the latter is +to warn the burghers on receipt of instructions from his Chief, and he +may also call a meeting of burghers in his district should any crisis +of a serious nature be imminent. On the whole, the Field-cornet's life +is not a happy one; and although he has numerous opportunities of +making himself <a name="Page_46"></a>objectionable and disagreeable, he usually prefers to +perform his onerous duties in a humble and unassuming spirit. In times +of peace those duties are few. In the first place, he must satisfy +himself that all the burghers in his district are in possession of +rifles and ammunition; and in the second place, he must call the +burghers together once a year for inspection. The good old times are +now over when a score of burghers could with impunity produce one and +the same rifle. In those days it was customary for burghers to appear +for inspection when convenient to themselves, and in these +circumstances it was not a difficult matter to borrow your neighbour's +rifle and present it as your own. But this little game was found out, +and an order was at once issued to the effect that all burghers must +assemble at one particular hour. The weapons used are of different +kinds, but they must all be breech-loaders. Every burgher must +likewise be in possession of thirty rounds of ammunition, and in time +of war the Government supply unlimited ammunition. Should the burghers +be called <a name="Page_47"></a>out to action, they must supply themselves with provisions +to last fourteen days. This might be difficult to carry out, but the +explanation is simple. The provisions consist solely of biltong—that +is, dried meat, generally venison. The sustenance contained in even an +inch of this is such that the fourteen days' provision amounts to but +little in bulk. It is said that if a Boer has a rifle, ammunition, and +a piece of biltong in his pocket, he will fight till further orders.</p> + +<p>It is surprising how quickly the burgher forces can be levied. This +was made very apparent when Dr. Jameson marched into the country on +December 29, 1895. It is also well known that news travels quickly, +even in the outlying districts, and in this respect the Boers appear +to be quite as remarkable as the Kaffirs.</p> + +<p>All this military discipline might seem to be only good in itself, +were it not for the fact that the Boers still retain their reputation +for being good shots. Even the young men are not behind their fathers +in the masterly <a name="Page_48"></a>manipulation of their rifles; in fact, while a large +number of Englishmen are reputed to be born with silver spoons in +their mouths, the birth-right of every Boer is undoubtedly the rifle.</p> + +<p>Both in the Transvaal and Free State there exists a healthy spirit of +rivalry between Englishman and Boer in the shooting line. Competitions +are very frequently arranged; it is to the credit of the colonial +Englishman that he can give a good account of himself, and at the same +time hold his own against any Boer. This is fortunate, because the +Boer always respects a man who can record as many bull's-eyes as +himself, no matter what his nationality may be. The great opportunity +the Boer had of giving vent to his contempt for the English was when +the latter appeared on the battlefield in compact regiments, and +afforded the best possible target for shooting at from behind the now +proverbial stone.</p> + +<p>In these times of universal political difficulties it may be +interesting to survey the position of the Orange Free State now that +<a name="Page_49"></a>war has actually broken out with Great Britain. There is a patriotism +lurking in the breast of the Boer which would indicate that his great +aim was the overthrow of the hated Englishman. It would not be +advisable to quote the opinion the generality of Boers have of the +poor Englishman; needless to say it is strong, emphatic, +comprehensive, and by no means complimentary. Obviously the origin of +such opinion concentrates in the fact that the Englishman is too +persevering in other people's countries, and, moreover, shows an +aptitude for developing the said countries which, in the opinion of +the Boer, is altogether too progressive. It is, of course, a pity that +the Englishman cannot accommodate himself to the antiquated ideas of +the Boer, because if he could, he would probably exonerate himself in +the Dutch eyes, and at the same time find himself away back in the +eighteenth century. But in this advanced age he is too much for the +Boer, and this is probably the explanation of the existing friction.</p> + +<p>The Orange Free State has all along <a name="Page_50"></a>evinced a helping-hand where +Transvaal broils have occurred. This is not surprising, considering +that the Free State is governed by a Volksraad wholly in sympathy with +the mighty Oom Paul. In the time of President Brand things were +slightly different, although even his Volksraad held him in check and +exercised its own influence. But President Brand had sense enough to +see that participation in Transvaal difficulties could in no way +benefit the Free State, and, in fact, that interference was not +desirable or advisable. When the previous Boer War broke out, he +intimated that no commandeering would be enforced in the Free State, +but that those burghers who chose to engage in warfare might do so. He +would take no active steps until the independence of the Free State +was endangered.</p> + +<p>His successor in office, President Reitz, was not credited with +anything in particular, but it was understood that should the +Volksraad decide to co-operate with the Transvaal in any instance, he +would willingly give his consent. This was confirmed when Dr. +<a name="Page_51"></a>Jameson's entrance into the Transvaal was made known. Three +districts of the Free State were promptly commandeered, and burghers +swarmed to the border.</p> + +<a name="imagep50"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep50.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep50.jpg" width="100%" alt="A Boer Encampment" /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">A Boer Encampment.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>About the same time President Reitz vacated his office, and President +Steyn is now at the head of affairs. President Steyn has now +conclusively shown his sympathy with the Transvaal, and his occasional +interviews with Oom Paul were presumably for the purpose of ratifying +the compact from time to time. This is confirmed by the fact that the +Volksraad some considerable time ago proclaimed that, when hostilities +broke out in the Transvaal, the burghers were to hold themselves in +readiness to proceed to the border. This was not merely with the +object of protecting the border, but to render assistance to those +across the border, and now they have joined their neighbours in +invading Natal.</p> + +<p>The feeling amongst Englishmen in the Free State was, of course, +strong, but Englishmen are not considered in the matter at all. If +they are burghers of the State, they must <a name="Page_52"></a>perforce conform to the +laws thereof, and fight to the death even against their own relations. +If they refuse to go to the front, it is not certain what would +happen.</p> + +<p>There is another aspect of the question, and a serious one, too. When +the Free State burghers were called to the border, and war was +actually declared, they feared that they would return to their homes +only to find that their wives and children had been murdered, their +cattle stolen, and their property burnt to the ground. This new and +terrible danger came from Basutoland. The Basutos have a grudge +against the Boers, and they were only waiting an opportunity to wipe +out that grudge for ever. They are a warlike race, they are well +supplied with arms, and their horsemanship is notorious. They like the +Englishman, but they look upon the Boer as something to wipe off the +face of the earth. Of course, their discrimination between English and +Dutch when the time comes for them to take action, if it ever does +come, will not save the Englishmen in the Free State.</p> + +<p><a name="Page_53"></a>The Basuto question may not have escaped the notice of the Volksraad +in their anxiety to assist their brethren in the Transvaal, but their +action would seem to indicate that it had. Had they been wise, they +would have left their sister country to settle its own affairs, and +have looked nearer home for something to do; but this view, although +now too late, may already have engaged their attention.</p> + +<p>Apart from the Government of the country, it may be interesting to +reflect upon the opinions of the burghers themselves, i.e., the Dutch +burghers. The majority of the young men originally favoured the action +of the Volksraad. They had not tasted war; they had only heard about +it; and their contempt for the English race generally suggested a +trial. Their enthusiasm was undoubtedly great, and the idea of lending +a helping-hand to another country evidently fascinated them. But their +elders have now come to look upon interference as bad policy, and they +dread the possibility of handing over their possessions to the wily +Basuto. The <a name="Page_54"></a>feelings of the Free State Boers towards their English +friends were scarcely so vindictive as in the Transvaal, but perhaps +that is because there are no gold mines in the Free State.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_V"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h3><a name="Page_55"></a>CHAPTER V<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>It must not be supposed that the intelligent Boer is non-existent; +but, as I have said, he is in the minority. He reads the newspapers, +and he has a great deal to say on both sides. He has very few personal +prejudices; his whole concern is concentrated in a desire to further +the progress of the country. His mind is developed; he does not regard +the Englishman as an interloper; he wants 'to live and let live.'</p> + +<p>There is, unfortunately, the other element, a most undesirable +one—the Boer who is continually stirring up ill-feeling. You will +find him everywhere, and he is always at it. If his own brother +happened to be an educated man, he could not get on with him; his +nature is despicable. President Kruger thinks that race hatred will +gradually <a name="Page_56"></a>disappear, for 'wherever love dwells, prosperity must +follow.' Can anyone imagine love existing in the nature of the man I +have cited? President Kruger himself is an educated man, an able man +in his own sphere. If he practises the art of brotherly love to the +same extent that he preaches it, why does he not make some arrangement +by which it would be possible to instil a portion of the sentiment +into some of his erring children? Then we should have no more racial +hatred to concern ourselves with; we should have instead the inspiring +spectacle of a reclaimed Dutchman falling upon the neck of his English +next-door neighbour and weeping.</p> + +<p>At the same time, however, even supposing Oom Paul's influence were +capable of producing such picturesque results, it would be well +meantime if a little fundamental education could be introduced. This +may seem impracticable at the first blush, considering that the +population is so widely scattered, but no doubt there is some hidden +solution. Ignorance is accountable in a great <a name="Page_57"></a>measure for the +ill-feeling which exists between Dutch and English, and rancour cannot +be removed until ignorance is ordered out through the back-door.</p> + +<a name="imagep56"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep56.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep56.jpg" width="100%" alt="Raadzaal, Or Boer Parliament House." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Raadzaal, Or Boer Parliament House.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>There is also the fact that the generality of the people exhibit +little or no interest in the leaders of their Government. It is said +that the perusal of biography ennobles and develops the mind. This is +also the case when a man follows with interest and profit the mature +reasoning and diplomatical tact of some of our present-day +politicians. I say some of them, because not all of them exhibit that +intellectual refinement which characterized the great Plato. Still, a +great many people might acquire a tolerable education if they applied +themselves to the perusal of newspapers in this way, and it is my firm +belief that the Boers would benefit by such a course.</p> + +<p>The average Boer does not know exactly the meaning of the word +'politics,' except that in most things he prefers to be conservative. +He likes to move along very quietly, without any outside +interference. <a name="Page_58"></a>He knows full well that he has sent his representative +to Parliament, and he leaves that member severely alone. Sometimes the +member calls a public meeting of his own accord, and the Boer attends +that meeting, not because he is anxious to bring forward any matter +affecting the welfare of his country or district, nor because the +member has failed to satisfy him, but merely because he is desirous of +meeting his fellow-men and discussing crops and Kaffirs and oxen and +sheep and wool—in short, anything outside of politics, in which he +professes no interest whatever. He is not interested in general +measures for the benefit of the whole country; his attention is fully +occupied with the affairs of his own particular piece of land, and so +long as he himself prospers, he does not trouble about the prosperity +or otherwise of his neighbours.</p> + +<p>Oom Paul is the leading light, and should he elect to do this or that, +he need exercise no discretion concerning the probable feeling of the +country. He is the man at the wheel, and the crew have such implicit +faith in him <a name="Page_59"></a>that he can practically steer where he wills. He may +sometimes experience a little opposition in the House, but he is +long-headed as well as hard-headed, and he invariably holds the trump +card. He is not a Boer in the ordinary sense of the word; he is only a +Boer in the sense that he smokes hard and prefers coffee. He lives in +a very ordinary dwelling-house, and it is even stated that his vrouw +starches and irons his dress-shirts, but this may only be surmise. At +all events he does not allow these trifles to worry him, his renowned +diplomacy being directed chiefly to the management of his cosmopolitan +children, who are apt occasionally to wax troublesome and exceed the +bounds of caution.</p> + +<a name="imagep58"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep58.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep58.jpg" width="100%" alt="President Kruger's House." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">President Kruger's House.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>When a Government assumes a more or less aggressive attitude, or +something tantamount, it is safe to predict that such a Government +will encounter difficulties. It may be a good Government; but it will +not be a successful one. The actions of any Government reflect upon +the country, adversely or otherwise. In a country like the <a name="Page_60"></a>Transvaal, +the Government is a weighty concern which does not so much consider +the voice of the people as the preservation of its own individual +sanctity. The presidential chair represents the universal criterion +either for good or for evil, although it is not usually associated +with evil. It practises the art of cabling—with Mr. Chamberlain for +preference. The voice of the people is duly represented, but it is a +very weak and halfhearted voice. There is not that hearty ring in it +which is so marked when, for instance, a crowd of Englishmen greet +their Queen. President Kruger represents the Transvaal burghers, and +the requisitions which are published previous to the Presidential +election are sufficient and convincing proof that he is a popular and +highly respected man. These requisitions usually refer in a general +way to the numerous difficulties through which Oom Paul has so ably +piloted the country. According to such requisitions innumerable +difficulties have assailed the poor country on all sides, and the +general tone throughout would imply that they were <a name="Page_61"></a>insidious and +uncalled for. The country had done nothing; the people had gone about +their business innocently, and attended church regularly, and no +thoughts of intrigue or anything resembling it had existed in their +bosoms. Their desire was to govern the country honestly and with a +view only to its prosperity, adopting precautions at the same time +which would exclude the participation of foreigners—Englishmen, for +example. They didn't believe in the English element; it was too +dangerous. The President all the while tried to make out that he liked +the English; but he didn't. Of course, a great Power like the +Transvaal must keep up appearances. The German Emperor, for instance, +doesn't say straight out that the English are a bad lot, and therefore +Oom Paul must not display official ignorance by doing that which the +German Emperor does not do. A man may not exactly be born a King, or a +President, but he can learn a lot of useful little formalities by +watching the other Kings and Presidents. It will be observed, +therefore, that the Transvaal <a name="Page_62"></a>has all along been very docile and +consequently very badly used. And because it has displayed the best +and noblest qualities and on all occasions endeavoured to obviate +friction with other people, it has been unjustly assailed and trampled +upon.</p> + +<p>Oom Paul is a very good man, but he kicks at the traces a great deal. +He likes to go out of his way to find out what other people are saying +about him, and he displays, moreover, another undesirable +characteristic—he is suspicious. It is in the family; it is in the +whole people. He is continually working himself up into the condition +of a man whose highly-strung nerves convince him that the whole world +is against him. He always imagined that everybody was working out +plans of campaign by which it would be possible to annex the Transvaal +to the British Empire. Fortunately there were other matters and other +countries to consider, and if Oom Paul would just study a map of the +world for a few weeks and reflect, he would probably find his position +less irksome. But Oom Paul has a great deal to think <a name="Page_63"></a>about—he must +think for the whole nation. The 'unfortunate affair which occurred +after 1895' seems to trouble him a great deal. Despite the fact that +the country was well paid for it, this incident seems fated to crop up +at least every six months, and it will be handed down to generations +untold, so that it may ever be kept green. It will be nurtured and +well looked after, and the one regret will be that it does not bring +in an annual income in proportion to the original amount.</p> + +<a name="imagep62"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 55%;"> +<a href="images/imagep62.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep62.jpg" width="75%" alt="President Kruger." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">President Kruger.</span>.<span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>The Boer's politics are summed up in the single word 'Defence.' He is +not aggressive, but he is strong on Defence. Possession with him is +ten points of the law—it is everything. Let the independence of his +country be threatened, and he is at once a man of action. He +figuratively converts his ploughshare into a sword, although the uses +of that weapon are unknown to him. At the time of the Jameson Raid it +may safely be asserted that there did not exist a single Boer—young +or old—who was not in possession of a serviceable firearm and the +full complement <a name="Page_64"></a>of ammunition. The Kantoors—i.e., the Government +offices—were daily besieged by eager men as eager to possess +themselves of the instruments and munitions of war. Every man was +ready; farmers were no longer farmers, but soldiers, prepared to face +the worst in the defence of their only love—their country.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_VI"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h3><a name="Page_65"></a>CHAPTER VI<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>The Boer is not what one would call a sentimental person; he is +practical in all his ways. If he sees a thunderstorm approaching, he +does not go into raptures over the magnificence of the lightning; he +watches that thunderstorm calmly and philosophically. And if he had +anything to do with the order of the elements, he would have that +thunderstorm come his way, and he would detain it exactly three days +over his particular farm, so that the rain should leave a lasting +impression upon his mealies and forage. The Boer likes wet weather, +probably because he gets so little of it.</p> + +<p>I have said that the Boer is practical in all things; he is even so in +love. The old story concerning the 'opzit' candle may have applied in +former days, but the Boer of the <a name="Page_66"></a>present day does not waste his time +in any such fashion. He has probably become cognisant of the +match-making methods practised by other nations, and he has, +therefore, abandoned that affected by his forefathers. It is still a +common thing, however, to see him astride a horse with a sleek skin +and noble appearance and plenty of life in it, cantering gaily towards +the residence of his beloved or intended. Sometimes, too, in order, +perhaps, to add more lustre to his own appearance, he is to be seen +suffering untold agony under the unyielding brim of a tall, white felt +hat, trimmed with green veiling. He likes to look imposing, and so he +gets under that hat. This in many instances may account for the +restiveness of his steed, which is as yet unaccustomed to the weight +of a person with such a grotesque headgear.</p> + +<p>The Boer has several methods of courting. There is one thing he +objects very strongly to, however—he doesn't like courting in a +drawing-room; he prefers a dark and quiet corner on the veranda. Let +us picture a little scene in this connection. Observe <a name="Page_67"></a>young Piet, +dressed in his best Sunday suit, and wearing a worried look in +addition, sitting on one end of a long form that stands on the veranda +of the house; and observe also a fair young damsel, who has just been +initiated into the art of doing her hair up on top, sitting on the +other extreme end of that form. The night may be dark and only the +stars visible, or the moon may be shining brightly overhead, casting +shadows awry here and there, and endeavouring to catch a furtive +glimpse of the lovers under cover of the veranda.</p> + +<p>A painful silence takes the place of conversation at the outset, and +young Piet occasionally coughs in an apologetic manner. When he does +sum up sufficient courage, the moon has travelled a considerable +distance; but then Piet is not so sentimental as to make any reference +whatever to the moon.</p> + +<p>'That's a fine horse your father has bought of Dirk Odendaal,' says +Piet, in a tone which suggests that his new paper collar, purchased +for the occasion, is choking him.</p> + +<p>A two minutes' pause ensues.</p> + +<p><a name="Page_68"></a>'Ja! Piet,' agreeably assents the maiden after an interval which Piet +reckons must be at least half an hour—and he has forgotten about the +new horse altogether.</p> + +<p>'Your father's oxen are looking well after the rain,' continues Piet +some minutes later; and this time he has reduced the space between +himself and the maiden by about three inches.</p> + +<p>After the lapse of another few minutes, the maiden, who is evidently +bashful, ventures again, 'Ja! Piet.'</p> + +<p>Piet's eyes wander away across the open veldt in front of him, and +gradually from the observation of kopjes, they wander upwards towards +the pale moon; but, as has already been remarked, that luminary +suggests no new theme in the mind of Piet.</p> + +<p>'The last Nachtmaal was very good.'</p> + +<p>With this he once more edges away from his end of the form and covers +an additional three inches.</p> + +<p>'Ja! Piet.'</p> + +<p>Another person would have become exasperated at this stage, but not so +Piet.</p> + +<p><a name="Page_69"></a>'The new minister preaches very well,' is followed up by an advance of +three more inches.</p> + +<p>'Ja, Piet!'</p> + +<p>The form may be an inconveniently long one, and this naturally hampers +Piet somewhat, because by the time he has covered half the distance, +his stock of remarks may be exhausted. But he gets close up in time, +by the exercise of perseverance, and when he is at last in a position +to manipulate his left arm in connection with the maiden's waist, he +does so with a sigh of relief.</p> + +<p>'I think I love you a great deal,' is what he says when he has placed +his arm to his satisfaction. The maiden whispers 'Ja, Piet!' and the +thing is done.</p> + +<p>But the young Boer does not attach so much importance to pleasant +features and agreeable dispositions, as he does to the worldly +standing of the lady's parents. If there is the slightest prospect of +a handsome dowry in the shape of one or two farms, the inducement to +enter into married bliss is, of course, greater than in the case of +the young <a name="Page_70"></a>lady who merely brings with her a nice set of false teeth +and a pleasant countenance. Young widows are in great demand +throughout the country, because, as a rule, they are in possession of +farms and stock which require the undivided attention of a responsible +man, and that man must be a husband.</p> + +<p>Such an instance occurred only the other day. This very fortunate +young man, before his betrothal, could conveniently count his riches +on the fingers of his left hand—in pence! But he is happy now, +because he can bring in a load of wool every year with his own waggon +and oxen, and talk to the merchant with all the swagger and assurance +of a full-blown capitalist.</p> + +<p>It must not be supposed that such occurrences are uncommon; they +happen almost every week, which would seem to indicate that rich young +widows are very plentiful.</p> + +<p>In these latter days a Boer wedding is arranged on a very grand scale. +No matter if the young couple reside fifty miles from the nearest +town, they all come in to church <a name="Page_71"></a>to get fixed up. Friends and +relations arrive, with great ostentation, in conveyances drawn by +four, six, and sometimes eight, horses, the number depending on the +wealth of the families. They come from far and near. You can see them +coming to town when they are yet miles away across the veldt—that is, +if the day is bright. The dresses of the women-folks flash gaily in +the sun, and the old vrouw would not change places with the Queen of +Holland as she proudly surveys her offspring seated around her in the +wagonette. The old man presides unctuously at the ribbons, and he +cracks his whip every now and then just to let his team know that he +is there, and that he is a very capable person.</p> + +<a name="imagep70"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep70.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep70.jpg" width="100%" alt="Dutch Church (Pretoria)." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Dutch Church (Pretoria).</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>The generality of weddings are uninteresting, but occasionally +something unique is introduced. In the town of Harrismith a very long +time ago, a transport-rider decided to take unto himself a fair +partner. He was a practical sort of person, and in cases of this kind +he did not believe in allowing business to become a secondary +consideration. <a name="Page_72"></a>Transport-riding in those days paid very handsomely, +and the intervention of side issues might have meant a serious loss. +Accordingly, this particular gentleman (who had meantime been loading +up coal) repaired to his tent-waggon at the appointed hour, and +proceeded to attire himself in the conventional black suit. In order +to economize time, he pulled his best clothes over his working +garments, and hastily rubbing his face and hands with a coarse towel, +he hurried towards the church. Within ten minutes he was back again +loading up coal, his better half being occupied in preparing dinner.</p> + +<p>The Dutch are not a musical nation, and for convincing proof it is +only necessary to attend Divine service in any of their churches. +Their rendition of psalm-tunes reminds me of A.K.H.B.'s story +regarding the lonely Italian, who, passing the Iron Church in +Edinburgh one Sunday morning while the congregation were engaged in +praise, and on inquiring of the beadle 'What that horrible noise was?' +remarked very sorrowfully, 'Then their God must have no ear for +<a name="Page_73"></a>music' It is strange, nevertheless, that no matter how poor a Boer may +be, he will have an organ in his house. There are instances +innumerable where the only respectable piece of furniture in the house +is an organ. It does not, of course, follow that every Boer is a +musician, but it is a fact that nearly every Boer knows how to produce +at least one tune, even if it is only the Volkslied or national +anthem. They will come into the stores, and the first thing they do is +to sit down at an organ and show people generally what they can do. In +the meantime the English merchant and his clerks fume around and vow +all sorts of things under their breath, but the indefatigable Boer +knows nothing of all this, and he would not care if he did.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_VII"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h3><a name="Page_74"></a>CHAPTER VII<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>Besides the everlasting worry of keeping the English community in +hand, the Boers have been visited by other plagues, such as +rinderpest. In 1897 such a calamity befell them, and although the rich +farmers did not suffer materially, the poorer class experienced +reverses sufficient to discourage them for life. The mistake made was +simply this (and it is characteristic of the Boers): every individual +farmer and owner of stock exercised his own judgment throughout, and +the most drastic results followed as a consequence. Temporary +excitement naturally took the place of clear judgment. A man may be +possessed of all his faculties and yet lack that knowledge which would +save 95 per cent. of his cattle. The desire to save the cattle was +there, but the farmers were too <a name="Page_75"></a>prone to accept the first method +which turned up. Without even considering thoroughly the merits and +demerits of any particular method, they rushed at it with the same +prospect of success as might be attributed to a blind man going in +search of the North Pole. Of course the system would 'either kill or +cure.' That was how the majority of them put it. The veterinary +surgeons received very little encouragement. If a Boer makes up his +mind that his cattle are going to die, he likes to have all the honour +of killing them himself, and he does not want any vet. about his +place, propounding advanced theories which he does not understand. +Added to this, it appears that when the disease first made its +appearance in the country, certain vets, made themselves so ridiculous +in the eyes of the farmers who invited them to inspect sick cattle, +that distrust immediately took the place of suspicion, and confidence +was never established.</p> + +<a name="imagep74"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep74.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep74.jpg" width="100%" alt="Boer Cattle Farm Near Majuba." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Boer Cattle Farm Near Majuba.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>The farmers who managed to save a considerable number of cattle were +not slow to <a name="Page_76"></a>make hay while the sun shone, and some of them may +probably have turned up their noses at the mere mention of the Yukon +goldfields. Prospecting for gold is a somewhat risky business, but the +Boer looks upon transactions in salted oxen as eminently satisfactory, +more especially where the buyer negotiates the risks. Nothing affords +him more pleasure than to hand over twenty or thirty oxen, and receive +in exchange twenty-five pounds per head. But, unlike the English +problem, rinderpest is not always with the Boer.</p> + +<p>In this connection there is a story to the effect that a certain Boer +farmer discovered one day that his cattle had contracted a very +serious disease, and he was advised by the Government vet., who +happened to be passing that way, to inoculate immediately, and after +the lapse of ten days to repeat the process. When the vet. returned a +few weeks later he was surprised to learn that the majority of the +cattle had died.</p> + +<p>'But that was impossible if you acted on <a name="Page_77"></a>the instructions I gave +you,' he said to the farmer.</p> + +<p>'Ja!' answered the latter, 'that may be, but I didn't do what you told +me; I only inoculated once.'</p> + +<p>'And why didn't you do it a second time?' pursued the vet.</p> + +<p>'Oh,' replied the Boer, 'because the vrouw said I hadn't to.'</p> + +<a name="imagep76"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep76.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep76.jpg" width="100%" alt="Shooting Rinderpest Oxen." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Shooting Rinderpest Oxen.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>The Boer seldom does anything without first consulting his wife, and it +is hinted that the wives made a very bad job of the rinderpest. The +vrouw steers the ship. It is so when the whole family goes to town to +make the half-yearly purchases. In the stores the husband will be found +in deep and earnest conversation with his better half, relative perhaps +to the quantity of barbed wire or coffee or woolpacks—anything and +everything required at the time. All this would seem to point to a +plain fact, namely, that the vrouw not only excels in physical +proportions, but also in the matter of brains. There can be no doubt +about the first mentioned, and there seems to be little <a name="Page_78"></a>question about +the other as well. It is authoritatively stated that at the time of the +Boer War the women were so bitter against the English that they spurred +on the men to do things which they themselves deemed foolhardy. This +anti-English feeling seems to have been intensified since then, and it +is often jocularly remarked by Englishmen in the country that so long +as an enemy makes things square with the womenfolk they need have no +fear of the men. The women may have the reputation of knowing and doing +more than the men, but they are certainly not thrifty. They are kind to +travellers (provided they come on horseback and not on foot); but their +kindness is too often spoiled by the dirt and general undesirability of +the atmosphere within their dwellings. A traveller can appreciate a cup +of coffee after a long ride; but he likes to have it in a clean dish, +and it rather damps his ardour when he finds that he is expected to +take the mud along with it.</p> + +<a name="imagep78"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep78.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep78.jpg" width="100%" alt="Waggon On Pontoon Over River." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Waggon On Pontoon Over River.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>In this connection there is still another story. This story is related +by a commercial <a name="Page_79"></a>traveller, and in order to establish its +authenticity it is only necessary to remark that it has been related +by at least six different commercial travellers, and in every case the +incident has occurred within the experience of each and all.</p> + +<p>The commercial gentleman (no matter which one) having been overtaken +on the road by a severe thunderstorm, and arriving at a spruit which +he found he could not then cross with safety, put back to a small +farmhouse near by. After much parley on both sides, the Boer who owned +the place agreed to give the traveller and his driver shelter for the +night, provided they would sleep in an outhouse, where the horses +could also be put up. Being only too glad to obtain shelter of any +sort, the traveller readily accepted the offer. At this point each +traveller who has told the story breaks into a graphic description of +how he passed the night, and how many rats he and the driver killed, +and how much of his clothes they devoured, and how he couldn't sleep +because of the presence of pigs and fowls in addition, <a name="Page_80"></a>which seemed +to resent the invasion. Then comes the dawn of another day, and, which +is more important (before its appearance), breakfast. A cloth was +spread on a box in the mud-floor dwelling, and eggs and coffee placed +thereon. The commercial was evidently expected to eat the eggs anyhow, +so long as he did eat them; for there was nothing visible in the shape +of a spoon. The Boer and his vrouw did not put in an appearance at +breakfast, no doubt disdaining to look upon an Englishman any more +than was absolutely necessary. He had almost concluded this rude and +somewhat unsatisfactory meal when the vrouw entered. She was fat and +dirty, and her clothing had apparently been renewed from time +immemorial by much mending. She now rested her great hands on her +hips, and calmly surveyed the English party and the breakfast-table +for a few seconds. Then she spoke, in Dutch; but he understood—too +well:</p> + +<p>'Have you finished?'</p> + +<p>'Yes,' he replied in the 'lands taal'; 'but <a name="Page_81"></a>surely you are in a very +great hurry. I will pay you well for the food and shelter.'</p> + +<p>'That's nothing,' continued the vrouw in a business-like tone; 'I only +want the tablecloth so that I can get the bed made.'</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_VIII"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h3><a name="Page_82"></a>CHAPTER VIII<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>The Boer is a pious person, who prays to God when he wants rain, and +forgets to pray when his mealie crop proves a success. Unlike other +people, he does not believe in thanksgiving when he shells one hundred +bags of mealies where he only expected twenty. He has no 'harvest +home.' He simply stores his mealies until such time as he can bring +them to town and obtain the best possible price. But let the rain stop +away too long and the sun wither up his crops, and he is a very +different man. In every Boer house there is a large Bible, and that +Bible is systematically read and re-read when the fates are unkind. +The very low class Boer is, of course, unable to read his Bible, but +he takes it over to his nearest neighbour, whose education may not +have been neglected to the same extent.</p> + +<a name="imagep82"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep82.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep82.jpg" width="100%" alt="Boers Outspanned For Nachtmaal." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Boers Outspanned For Nachtmaal.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p><a name="Page_83"></a>The Boer journeys to town once every three months with his family in +order to attend Divine Service. These occasions are known as +Nachtmaal. He brings his waggon with him, and outspans on some open +space within the town. When he cannot arrange for a room or rooms +gratis, he sleeps in his tent waggon. He very seldom goes to a hotel, +unless this course is absolutely necessary. If he does go to a hotel, +he engages a room only, and dines alongside his waggon or else he goes +to his particular storekeeper and indulges in sardines and sweet +biscuits He is great on sardines, and his only regret perhaps, is that +the tin is not edible also.</p> + +<p>A Dutch Nachtmaal in the olden days was a sight quite equal to any +Lord Mayor's show. The costumes were unique; but in the present day +the womenfolk in particular have learned to ape the English, and the +colours are therefore less conspicuous. Formerly the young ladies wore +short dresses of many colours, and the display of white stockings was +very general. The men appeared in black felt hats with huge <a name="Page_84"></a>brims, +and frock-coats (most of them bordering on green) were the order of +the day. Veldschoens of home manufacture were never wanting, but in +these latter days veldschoens are regarded with contempt.</p> + +<p>The man who probably suffers most at Nachtmaal-time is the organist, +for organs are now regarded as indispensable. An organist is usually a +man of a sensitive nature, and on such occasions his ideas of good +music are apt to be completely demoralized. Nevertheless, he gets +along as best he can, and even if he happens to be dragging a +congregation numbering three hundred voices seven whole notes behind +his instrument, he continues to suffer nobly and silently.</p> + +<p>The services commence at 7 a.m., and continue throughout the day until +9.30 p.m. Baptisms occupy a few hours during the afternoon, and the +most common names for youthful burghers are Gert, Barend, Paul, Piet, +and such like. The Boers do not believe in departing from the +time-honoured names of their forefathers. Piet suggests <a name="Page_85"></a>the immortal +name of Piet Retief, and Paul—well, there is Oom Paul.</p> + +<p>Before the marriage ceremony can be performed in a Dutch Reformed +Church, the minister must satisfy himself that the contracting parties +have previously been confirmed. Great preparation for the confirmation +is engaged in by the young people a week before Nachtmaal Sunday, on +which day, in presence of the whole congregation, they are received +into the bosom of the Church.</p> + +<p>The Boer is very conscientious in the matter of religion. For +instance, should he be on bad terms with any of his friends or +relations, he will not attend Divine Service. He argues that a man who +is not at peace with his fellow-men cannot hope for reconciliation +with his God until the difference has been amicably settled.</p> + +<p>It may be observed that the order of service in a Dutch Church is very +similar to that in vogue in a country church in Scotland. The minutest +details have much in common, but perhaps I had better not enlarge +upon <a name="Page_86"></a>such a coincidence. Before each service the menfolk linger in +front of the church door, with their hands stuck deep down in their +pockets and the inevitable pipe between their teeth. They talk about +almost everything except religion—the crops, their petty difficulties +with Kaffirs, the last hailstorm and the havoc it worked, and so on. +The Boers never enter into theological arguments. Each and all place +implicit faith in the Scriptural teachings, and they take for granted +everything from the beginning to the end of their Bibles. Consequently +the teachings of Scripture are not very firmly impressed on their +minds.</p> + +<p>When the organ begins to peal forth the voluntary, the worshippers +troop into their seats. During the choral part of the service the +congregation remain seated, and they rise when the minister prays. The +elderly gentlemen very promptly go to sleep when the text is given +out, and they lean back in their respective corners with the full +assurance that they will not be disturbed for at least an hour. +Occasionally they may be <a name="Page_87"></a>gently aroused by their wives or children, +whose supply of sweets has been exhausted. By the way, every Boer in +the country has one particular weakness, and that is a desire after +sweets. The young men recklessly walk into a store whenever they come +to town, and devote a portion of their capital to the purchase of +'Dutch mottoes,' to which the ladies are very partial. The elderly men +are not so particular in this respect.</p> + +<p>When the benediction is about to be pronounced, there is a general +scramble after hats, and the last Amen has scarcely been uttered when +there is a rush for the doors. It seems to amount to a sort of +competition as to who will be first in the street.</p> + +<p>It may be interesting to pause for a moment and look at the +collections. The poorer classes besiege the stores on Saturday with +anxious inquiries for 'stickeys,' i.e., threepenny-pieces. To a poor +man with a large family of church-goers this matter of church +collections is a serious business unless he can get four mites out of +a shilling, as coppers are not used in the Transvaal; but I have +<a name="Page_88"></a>known men of good standing inquire as eagerly for the despised +threepenny-piece. When special collections are called for, in aid of a +new organ fund, for instance, the results are rather surprising. In +one instance the combined special collections on a Nachtmaal Sunday +amounted to a little over £500, with a congregation of only 400. This +points to the fact that there is money enough in the country, and it +only requires a church collection to prove it.</p> + +<p>It is to be regretted that the Boer does not devote a little more +attention to the education of his children. If there happens to be a +school anywhere near his farm, he does not mind taking advantage of +this with a view to 'teaching the young idea how to shoot'; but +perhaps he takes too literal a view of this adage. His chief care is +to see that his boys are taught to shoot straight, and he does not +attach so much importance as he might to the three R's. The Boer who +can afford such luxuries engages a tutor for his children, but tutors +are mostly of the English persuasion. They have not yet <a name="Page_89"></a>learned to +appreciate the language of the country, and this constitutes a serious +barrier. Again, one does not expect much of a country school, and the +majority of the men who preside over these institutions in the Dutch +Republics are there simply because they can obtain no more lucrative +an occupation. A number of Free State farmers invariably 'trek' to +Natal with their families and stock during the winter months, and this +affords an opportunity for placing the children at more advanced +schools; but then again the objection is serious—the masters are +English.</p> + +<a name="imagep88"></a><br /> + +<div class="img" style="width: 85%;"> +<a href="images/imagep88.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep88.jpg" width="100%" alt="Bloemfontein." /></a> +<p class="cen"><span class="sc">Bloemfontein.</span><span class="totoc"><a href="#tol">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p>In the town of Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, where the Volksraad +thunders forth its mighty convictions, there is a model Young Ladies' +College. It seems that one day recently the members of the Raad found +themselves in want of debatable motions, and it fell to the lot of one +of their number to save the situation. That member directed the +attention of his brethren to a certain question affecting the proper +conduct of the Young Ladies' College aforesaid. It had come to his +knowledge that the Principal of <a name="Page_90"></a>the College had granted, to certain +of the pupils who desired it, permission to pray to Almighty God in +the English language. The member forcibly contended that this +lamentable state of affairs should not exist, but that every pupil in +the College should be compelled to pray to God in the language of the +country! A general discussion followed, but it was ultimately allowed +that this matter did not come within the jurisdiction of that Raad.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<a name="CHAPTER_IX"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h3><a name="Page_91"></a>CHAPTER IX<span class="totoc"><a href="#toc">ToC</a></span></h3> +<br /> + +<p>Every town has its Landdrost, and every town has its Landdrost's +clerk. Usually the clerk does all the work, and the Landdrost, in his +capacity of chief magistrate, passes all the sentences and issues all +the instructions. But, then, Landdrosts, as a rule, are very agreeable +people, possibly because they are educated and intelligent men, and +have nothing in common with the Boer.</p> + +<p>I have one particular Landdrost in my mind as I write. He was a dear +old man, but he was dead against Kaffirs and natives generally. His +father had been killed by Kaffirs, and this fact probably rankled in +his bosom and ruled his judgments to a great extent. When he wanted to +show a little bit of leniency, as, for instance, after an +extraordinarily good breakfast, he would bind the culprit over to +serve in his own kitchen <a name="Page_92"></a>for a period of one year without +remuneration. But he never did get a native to serve the full time, +because the native preferred to break the law once more and go to +'tronk' instead. Hard work was not in his line.</p> + +<p>He is dead now, poor man! but he was a regular type of a Landdrost. He +lived a very quiet life, and the brunt of the work fell to the lot of +the ever-willing and conscientious clerk, which arrangement allowed +the Landdrost sufficient leisure to attend to a somewhat large garden. +There were fruit trees in that garden which in the fruit season +incited every boy in town to deeds of valour, the said deeds +consisting in being able to carry away as much fruit as possible +without being caught in the act. For the Landdrost exercised a +watchful eye over that fruit. It was currently reported, however, that +his was the first garden to be literally left desolate before the +season had far advanced, and it was usually his misfortune to be +deprived of his fruit just after he had retired for the night, after +having prowled about with an empty gun in his hand from sunset <a name="Page_93"></a>till +late in the evening. It was even reported that one evening, after the +old man had retired as usual, a certain person who had a strong +predilection for other people's fruit approached the Landdrost's +garden with a handcart and a lantern, and assisted himself freely +before taking his departure.</p> + +<p>In conclusion, and as an illustration of the moral tendencies of young +Boers generally, I shall now quote a little scene which was written +some time ago for another purpose.</p> + +<p>In a mealie-field close to a certain farm, which shall be nameless, a +curious scene was being witnessed by a very stout Dutch lady. She was +standing at the edge of the field. Above her head myriads of locusts +floated in a darkening mass. The mealie stalks were only a foot or so +high, but the locusts knew that they were green, and therefore good to +eat, so they hovered around. The mealies were in rows, and between +these rows galloped half-a-dozen horses carrying half-a-dozen very raw +natives. The latter were making such a hideous noise, that it seemed +to point to remarkable staying powers on the <a name="Page_94"></a>part of the locusts, +inasmuch as they still persisted in trying to gain a footing. But the +Kaffirs cantered their steeds faster, and the noise waxed more +hideous, and the fat vrouw continued to urge them to renewed and +increased effort. Round the edges of the patch four or five Kaffir +women walked, each at a different point, and each in possession of a +five-gallon empty paraffin tin and a stick, with which to strengthen +and augment the noisy defence. The locusts were reinforced every +minute, and they made repeated and determined efforts to sample the +young mealies, but the horsemen and the paraffin tins were too much +for them.</p> + +<p>A small white boy was standing near the fat lady, watching the +proceedings with a critical eye. His dress was very primitive, and his +home-made veldschoens were very large, but he was a healthy-looking +boy.</p> + +<p>'Ma,' he said at length, looking up into the fat lady's face, 'I see +something.'</p> + +<p>This was rather a peculiar remark to make, because undoubtedly he must +see something, not being blind.</p> + +<p><a name="Page_95"></a>'Yes,' returned his 'ma,' without taking her eyes off the mealie +patch, 'what do you see, son?'</p> + +<p>'I won't tell you, ma.'</p> + +<p>'Ma' paid no particular attention to this decision on the part of her +small son, but he continued to look into his 'ma's' face as if +uncertain about something.</p> + +<p>'Ma, I won't tell you what I see,' he continued, coming up closer to +the stout lady and catching hold of her hand.</p> + +<p>'Why won't you tell me, son?' asked 'ma,' looking down affectionately +upon the white head of her boy.</p> + +<p>'Not until you promise me something, ma.'</p> + +<p>'Well, what must I promise you?'</p> + +<p>The boy hesitated for a minute before replying. He had apparently +grave doubts as to whether 'ma' would concede even if he did ask her.</p> + +<p>'Ma, I want to shoot Witbooi with my gun.'</p> + +<p>Witbooi was a Kaffir umfaan, who had no particular liking for his +young Baas.</p> + +<p>'I can't promise you that until your pa <a name="Page_96"></a>comes home, Gert,' said his +'ma,' patting him lovingly on the head, and at the same time lending +her critical eye to the mealie business.</p> + +<p>The boy left his mother's side and walked away a few yards, evidently +disgusted with unsympathetic 'mas.' Then, apparently changing his +mind, he ran towards her again, and clung to her dress, meantime +looking up in her face.</p> + +<p>'I'll tell you, ma—I'll tell you,' he said laughingly.</p> + +<p>'That's a good boy,' said 'ma,' again patting him on the head.</p> + +<p>'I see waggons coming; that's it!' exclaimed the boy, running away +playfully, and observing with evident satisfaction the look of +surprise on his mother's face, as if it atoned somewhat for the +disappointment regarding the fate of Witbooi.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<hr /> +<br /> +<h5>Billing and Sons, Printers, Guildford</h5> +<br /> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOER IN PEACE AND WAR***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 15561-h.txt or 15561-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/5/5/6/15561">https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/5/6/15561</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution.</p> + + + +<pre> +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +<a href="https://gutenberg.org/license">https://gutenberg.org/license)</a>. + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS,' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: +https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's +eBook number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII, +compressed (zipped), HTML and others. + +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks replace the old file and take over +the old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is renamed. +VERSIONS based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving +new filenames and etext numbers. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">https://www.gutenberg.org</a> + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + +EBooks posted prior to November 2003, with eBook numbers BELOW #10000, +are filed in directories based on their release date. If you want to +download any of these eBooks directly, rather than using the regular +search system you may utilize the following addresses and just +download by the etext year. + +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/">https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/</a> + + (Or /etext 05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00, 99, + 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90) + +EBooks posted since November 2003, with etext numbers OVER #10000, are +filed in a different way. The year of a release date is no longer part +of the directory path. The path is based on the etext number (which is +identical to the filename). The path to the file is made up of single +digits corresponding to all but the last digit in the filename. For +example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at: + +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/0/2/3/10234 + +or filename 24689 would be found at: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/4/6/8/24689 + +An alternative method of locating eBooks: +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/GUTINDEX.ALL">https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/GUTINDEX.ALL</a> + +*** END: FULL LICENSE *** +</pre> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep01.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep01.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1ff1928 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep01.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep16.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep16.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..b507083 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep16.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep20.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep20.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..91e05b6 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep20.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep28.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep28.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..953a794 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep28.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep36.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep36.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..b3815d9 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep36.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep44.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep44.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..634a927 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep44.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep50.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep50.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..40db062 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep50.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep56.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep56.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..df85e8f --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep56.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep58.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep58.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..683bddf --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep58.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep62.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep62.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..67eac1b --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep62.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep70.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep70.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..623632a --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep70.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep74.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep74.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e277270 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep74.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep76.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep76.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3493d87 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep76.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep78.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep78.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ada8593 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep78.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep82.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep82.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e4855f --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep82.jpg diff --git a/15561-h/images/imagep88.jpg b/15561-h/images/imagep88.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9c50fa6 --- /dev/null +++ b/15561-h/images/imagep88.jpg |
