30 Itecollections of Adventures 



Skinner lived on a small farm near by, called 

 " de Erf," and it was a relief to spend quiet Sundays 

 with them and hear one's mother tongue. They 

 were good cheery fellows. Old Mr. Hendrik Pre- 

 torius and his kindly tempered wife also made my 

 life bearable at " Kalkheuvel " by making me wel- 

 come at " Groot Plaats," whenever I chose to visit 

 them. They knew of Mrs. Pretorius' vile temper, 

 and told me to run over and stay with them when- 

 ever I felt inclined. I used to get fine shooting in 

 the Magaliesberg and good fishing in the Magalies 

 River. It is a beautiful district between the Magalies 

 and Witwatersberg Ranges. The river traverses 

 the whole valley, and the land is cultivated on both 

 sides with cereals, tobacco, fruit, etc. I had to go 

 three and four times a year to Natal; and in the 

 winter two or three times to Zoutpansberg, and 

 besides painted all my wagons once a year myself 

 as there were no painters in Pretoria, (and I also 

 saved their charges,) so I was never idle and was 

 quite contented to do all I attempted as well as I 

 could. 



In those days (of the fifties and sixties), the 

 spring rains regularly came in September and the 

 winters were colder than they ever are now. The 

 water furrows in Pretoria, and all waterholes and 

 "spruits" were frozen hard, now they seldom are. 

 No one appears able to account for the change. 



There was very little money in the Transvaal in 

 those days. The better class Boers used to go every 

 autumn to Natal to sell their produce and get 

 groceries and clothing in exchange. The load would 

 consist of say 10 bags of wheat value 15/- each, 

 tanned leather, ox reims, whips, " sjamboks," giraffe 

 bones, honey, dried fruit and biltong. The average 

 value of the whole load, including a couple of 



