HENDRIC STRYOOM. 71 



small herd of goats and sheep. Strydom's revenue 

 seemed principally to be obtained by manufacturing 

 ashes, with which he was in the habit of loading up 

 his wagon and trekking many days' journey into other 

 districts, where he sold them to richer Boers. These 

 ashes are in great demand among all the Boers, as be- 

 ing an indispensable ingredient in the manufacture of 

 soap. Every Boer in South Africa makes his own 

 soap. There is a low, succulent, green bush from 

 which the ashes are obtained, which is only found in 

 certain districts, and in these desolate plains it was very 

 abundant.* 



Strydom, having sympathized with me on my con- 

 tinued run of ill luck, remarked that it was quite a 

 common thing when "jaging" on the principle which I 

 had followed. He said that he was aware that in hunt- 

 ing on that system an immense amount of ammuni- 

 tion was expended with little profit, and that he, being 

 a poor man, very rarely indulged in it ; but that, if I 

 would accompany him after I had taken my coffee, 

 there being still about two hours of daylight, he would 

 show me his method, and he thought it very probable 

 that we should get a buck that evening. Accordingly, 

 having partaken of coffee, Strydom and I stalked forth 

 together across the wild and desolate-looking plain, fol- 

 lowed by two Hottentots, large herds of graceful spring- 

 boks pasturing on every side. He placed me behind a 

 small green bush, about eighteen inches in height, upon 

 a wide open flat, instructing me to lie flat on my breast, 

 and having proceeded some hundred yards, and taken 



» Tlie manner of obtaining this ash is first to dig up the bushes and 

 collect ihera on the plains. There they are left until sufficiently dry to 

 burn, when, a calm day being selected, they are set on fire, and the 

 ashes are collected and stowed away in large sacks made of the raw 

 skins of wildebeests and zebras, when they are fit for immediate use. 



