HENDRICK AND PATER. 131 



anything but appetising. About our encampment 

 there are building remains, and a quantity of loose 

 stones, also a few fig-trees all indicative that a human 

 habitation once stood in the neighbourhood, but I suppose 

 proximity to the marsh and probably mosquitoes drove 

 the inhabitants off to more favoured regions. 



Fevers in this part of Africa are only engendered by 

 the vicinity of stagnant water, so that, although water 

 is necessary for cattle, and the Boers are essentially 

 stock-farmers, they will not build except where is to 

 be found an abundance of water. Each farmer owns 

 such immense tracts of land that it is rarely a difficult 

 matter to do this. 



The next two days passed over. Neither of us went 

 in search of game, still, we both picked up something 

 by the roadside ; in fact, we had scarcely time to hunt, 

 as our drivers hurried on as fast as the cattle could 

 travel ; for, remember, their /rows and Jcinderkins were 

 anxiously awaiting their return, and anticipating with 

 pleasure the numerous good things that their soil- 

 stained parents had in store for them. 



A point very much to be admired in the Boer 

 character is their love for wife and children : they 

 constantly talk of them, and sound their praises to 

 those they converse with. Hendrick, who was the 

 chief among our party, was a good-looking man of four- 

 and- twenty, about five feet ten inches high, rather 

 sparely built, and capable of great endurance and speed. 

 He was very retiring, and rarely spoke unless addressed 

 first. Pater, on the other hand, was short and stout, 

 always had something to say, unless when playing on 

 the violin, an instrument that produced the most 

 doleful sounds even more so than the cats on the 

 J 2 



