262 Among Men and Horses. 



still nothing more than a place at which to dig up gold, 

 and to fight for its possession. 



The term ' the Randt/ which is often applied to Johannes- 

 burg, is a contraction of Wittwatters randt (the edge of the 

 white waters), which was the name given in former days to 

 the high ground which fringes a few small lakes, and upon 

 which the capital of the Gold Fields now stands. Although 

 Johannesburg is in the territory of the South African 

 Republic, it is essentially an English-speaking city. Writing 

 from the impression left on my mind during a residence of 

 about six weeks, the whole of which time I had unrivalled 

 opportunities for getting to know the people ; I would say 

 as a rough guess that of the business men, four-tenths are 

 Jews ; three-tenths, English ; two-tenths, Germans ; and one- 

 tenth, Americans and other nationalities. I have an immense 

 respect for the Jews as a nation, and number among them 

 several valued friends. Originally they were a pastoral and 

 warlike nation, whose virtues and valour have been recorded 

 not only in the Bible ; but also by Josephus and others who 

 were in no way prejudiced in their favour. While suffering 

 from bitter persecution and the enactment of shamefully 

 unjust penal laws, many of them have risen to the highest 

 eminence in art, science, literature, politics, and philanthropy. 

 They are warm friends of our Government, and in many cases 

 flatter us in the sincerest possible way, by trying to pass as 

 Christians. Unfortunately, Johannesburg has not recruited 

 her stock of Jews from the better classes of that ancient 

 nation. With a few exceptions, the best of them would pass 

 for members of ' The Den of Lions ' in Rathbone Place ; and 

 the majority, for the ' boys ' who ' follow ' racing. They seem 

 to take their tone from their chief leader, who from nothing 

 has risen to be a millionaire many times over. His East 

 End co-religionists worship him for being the incarnation of 

 successful cunning, and for preferring to remain one of them- 

 selves, than to become respected and honoured. The ex- 

 ample of a man whom the acquisition of immense wealth 



