UNDER BOER SURVEILLANCE. Ill 



tavern, just under the Berg, where quite fifty wagons 

 were assembled, waiting for an improvement in the 

 weather. As a matter of course, among so many wagons 

 all engaged in trade of some description or other, the two 

 strange Englishmen going up 'through the northern 

 country were regarded with great curiosity. For the 

 few hours that we were outspanned here, I believe every 

 teamster had a good stare at us ; and I think our height 

 and apparent strength were the means of entitling us 

 to more than the ordinary respect they show strangers. 

 However, an incident, trifling it is true, occurred, yet 

 as it expressed the sentiments of some of the population 

 I will give it. A stalwart Boer from the Transvaal, 

 and dressed in the Dopper costume, happening to hear 

 me called " Captain " by driver William, turned round 

 sharp on that luckless individual, and said a word or two 

 hurriedly in Dutch, which I did not catch ; in response 

 William murmured something about soldier officer, 

 when the stranger, with a grunt ominous of dis- 

 approbation, hurriedly departed, looking anything but 

 an amiable man. Likes or no likes, what did I care ? 

 although I would always prefer conciliation to a quarrel. 

 It is the best policy in the end, and the young traveller 

 will not do wrong to remember this. 



We were about putting the cattle in when the tall 

 stranger, with a companion, again made his appearance. 

 At the time I was standing some way from the wagon. 

 He approached me, and introduced his friend, who 

 spoke English fairly. 



" So you are going up to shoot olephunts" (Both 

 Boers and Africanders use this word.) 



" I am, and hope we shall not have to go far beyond 

 the Transvaal to find them." 



