Early Pretoria Days 31 



oxen out of the span, would not amount to more 

 than 30 or 40, and this had to be taken 350 miles 

 by bullock wagon. Very little money passed hands 

 except for ivory or ostrich feathers the former worth 

 from 3/6 to 6/- per Ib. a good ostrich cock in full 

 plumage with skin complete would be worth from 

 7/10/- to 10. There were few stores except 

 in Potchefstroom, and afterwards in Pretoria. 

 44 Smouses " (itinerant traders), took goods about the 

 country, and exchanged them on the farms for pro- 

 duce, cattle, etc., at about 100 per cent, on cost. The 

 farmer only got from 2 to 3 for cows, and 4 

 to 5 for big oxen. Native labour was cheap and 

 better than now, and on the whole, the farmers did 

 as well then as they do now, although there is more 

 money in circulation. I remember one day the 

 wagons had just outspanned at Van Reenen's Pass 

 on the top of the Drakensberg, when some 

 Basutos came along with ponies for sale, and I bought 

 seven at 30/- each and took them to Pretoria. 



Old Adrian Standers offered to sell me seven 

 farms on the Upper Vaal River for 75 apiece in 

 paper money. These farms are now heavily stocked 

 and worth thousands. It is a splendid stock raising 

 country for horses, sheep and cattle, from the Drakens- 

 berg to the northern escarpment of the high veld, 

 and should be reserved for occupation of white 

 farmers only. 



