A SURLY RECEPTION. 155 



ernrnent. On my going up to him to inquire where I 

 should oatspan, he was very surly, and would scarcely 

 deign to speak to me. Of this, however, I took no no- 

 tice, but took the liberty of informing him that when 

 I had outspanned I should come up to the house and 

 make the acquaintance of Mrs. Potcheter. As I wheel- 

 ed about and walked away from him, I overheard him 

 remark to three other grufl-looking Boers who stood 

 beside him that I was " a verdomd Englishman." 



Notwithstanding this cold reception, on returning to 

 the house I soon managed to get into their good graces, 

 and took dinner with them. During dinner the con- 

 versation turned on politics, when a keen discussion 

 arose concerning the present administration of the gov- 

 ernment. This being at all times a disagreeable sub- 

 ject, I thought it time to change the conversation to 

 sporting subjects, in which the Boers always take in- 

 tense interest. I accordingly mentioned to one of the 

 young ladies who sat next to me that I had iii my 

 wagon a large work containing engravings of all the 

 most interesting animals in the world, on which she 

 instantly expressed a strong desire to see it. I then 

 produced my " Museum of Animated Nature," which 

 never failed to enchant the Boers, and it put an end to 

 all political discussions, shooting and wild animals en- 

 grossing the conversation during the rest of the even- 

 ing. These Boers informed me that I should see herds 

 of blesboks on the following day. They also stated 

 that lions frequented the bushy mountain ranges which 

 look down upon the plains frequented by the blesboks, 

 and they mentioned that a considerable party of Boers 

 had mustered that day upon a farm a few miles in ad- 

 vance, to hunt a troop of lions which had killed some 

 horses on the preceding day. From the conversation 



