THE BOER. 35 



sure hiding-place, for the Boer has not yet acquired a 

 confidence in Banks ; and I have been assured, on good 

 authority, that some of these primitive folk who have 

 deposited sums at Banking institutions have called and 

 asked to see their money. A ready cashier will at once 

 produce a quantity of gold from his drawer, and con- 

 fidence is restored. In former days little cash was 

 handled by the Boers ; they possessed large farms or, 

 rather, unworked tracts of land, but money was scarce, 

 and heavy and laborious wagon transport was under- 

 taken for small sums. 



In stature the Boer is tall and strongly built, but 

 seldom stout. Living in one of the most healthy and 

 invigorating climes I speak of the high veld he 

 possesses, as a rule, a splendid constitution and a capacity 

 for much more work than he cares to undertake ; his 

 ordinary spare and meagre diet prevents much aptitude 

 for corpulency. For bathing he has no desire, and he 

 is as economical in the use of soap as any white race 

 found on the globe. 



It is generally thought, and especially in this country, 

 that the Boers have a hatred for Englishmen. This is 

 a fallacy, for, in spite of all that may be said and done, 

 the Britisher is respected though not loved. His word 

 is taken, his honesty accepted, but his arrogance is over- 

 estimated. The Hollander, on the contrary, though so 

 near by blood, is neither respected nor loved. English- 

 men improve the country, even if their old colonial 

 instincts prompt a desire to fly the old flag; the Hol- 

 lander is often a financial parasite. The Englishman will 

 toil if he can reap : the Hollander will reap if possible, 

 but not toil. It is the Hollanders in the Transvaal W 7 ho 

 dislike the English, and are alike detested by the Boers. 



The longer I remained in the country, the more 

 absurd it appeared for the English to have lost it. 

 England could have worked well with the Boers by 

 proper management, and Hollanders would no longer 

 have had the opportunity of exploiting them. But a 

 Boer is a plain man : he can understand an English 

 farmer but not an English aristocrat, and why a pious 



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