Boer " Voortrekkers " and Commandos 95 



case of how the Roman-Dutch law affects the pros- 

 perity of the country came to my notice. A fine old 

 farmer, Izaak Bretenbach of Leydenburg, lost his 

 first wife and as he wished to marry again he pro- 

 posed to divide half his estate among his children. 

 He had quarrelled with a worthless son-in-law who 

 would accept no land, stock or anything, but 

 demanded that the estate be put up for auction. Bills 

 were accepted in payment and these were eventually 

 paid in Transvaal notes (at par 1,) while worth 

 only 2/6 and the old man was ruined. 



In the old days of the " Trek " from Cape Colony 

 in 1836-1837, the trekkers were like one big family 

 and wiled away the time when not fighting savages, 

 shooting game, or holding religious services, by 

 playing games and practical jokes on each other. At 

 one laager in the Transvaal, there was a notorious 

 old gossip named Venter, who would bore his friends 

 with interminable prosy stories and keep them up 

 till late at night. He rode a little white mare which 

 had a habit of starting off with a rush for a few 

 yards as soon as mounted. One evening, while old 

 man Venter was holding forth, a couple of young 

 fellows loosened the girths of his saddle and tied a 

 long bullock " reim " to the crupper, the reim being 

 kept on the off side, the rascals obsequiously holding 

 the mare in position, for old Venter to mount. The 

 long-winded yarn ended and " Slaapgerust " (Sleep 

 well !) followed, Venter mounted, thanking his two 

 young friends for so politely helping him to mount. 

 Off went " Saartye " at a bound, the reim tied to the 

 wagon became taut, old man Venter came flying off 

 behind, and sat sprawling on the ground, much 

 astonished and discomfited, to the immense amuse- 

 ment of his late weary audience. " Ya," said one 

 old sport, " dit zal hem leer om niet so langdradig te 



