Early Pretoria Days 29 



had earned enough by adding to what I had, to buy 

 a wagon and span of oxen. 



Both money and skilled labour were unobtain- 

 able in the early days in Pretoria, and when I gave 

 up the Government school, as I had not enough 

 capital to start farming, I started a transport service 

 to Natal in a small way. To economise, I learnt to 

 make my own boots, " veldschoens," to paint my 

 wagon, make " reims " and " strops," to repair wagons 

 and gear. My clothes, except for a suit or two kept 

 for high occasions, made by a tailor in Natal, were 

 built in a most comical fashion by old Mrs. Vermeulen. 

 I soon had several wagons and about 250 oxen, 

 experienced white drivers, and plenty of native 

 servants. I went up and down to Natal several 

 times a year. I shot game for the servants and made 

 " biltong " to last them back into the game country. 

 I sometimes travelled with horse and cart, but during 

 rainy seasons I had to ride the whole distance, alone 

 on horseback, swimming swollen rivers, and riding 

 in the rain on a wet saddle, this brought on 

 rheumatism, which has troubled me more or less 

 ever since. 



I had good horses, and enjoyed the sporting part 

 of the business immensely, but at times, with rivers 

 in flood, no bridges, the hard work " trekking " till 

 10 p.m. and again at 3 and 4 a.m., wagons sticking 

 in morasses, and the thousand and one other accidents 

 inevitable in South African travelling, " it was not 

 all beer and skittles." It was, however, a healthy 

 and free life. I was earning my own living and 

 helping others, and I saved enough to buy the 

 " Willows " and other farms, notwithstanding some 

 heavy losses I had at various times. 



When I was staying at President Pretorius' 

 farm " Kalkheuvel," the two Devereux and Will 



