Early Farming Struggles 117 



beest, besides small buck and I took pains to preserve 

 them, but these Boers along Sand River never ceased 

 to poach my farms during our absence and now only 

 a few Koodoo and Ostriches are left. I had enclosed 

 about eight thousand acres of the best game veld 

 but they cut the fences, rode in and shot whatever 

 they could. On more than one occasion my farms 

 were set fire to, and burnt completely out, because I 

 refused to give free grazing and I had to take 

 all my own stock away in consequence. 



The fencing of farms with posts and wire is of 

 recent date, I had to fence with stone walls, of which 

 some miles remain on "The Willows" to this day. 

 My neighbour, Matthias de Beer, came to me in a rage 

 one day and said that the building of a wall along 

 my boundary was an unfriendly act, as it would 

 keep his cattle out of the best grazing along the 

 river in Koodoo camp (my farm), and in consequence 

 he would not speak to me for some time. Even now, 

 (in 1911), I have erected on various properties alto- 

 gether over two hundred miles of boundary fences, 

 and subdivision fences, and have hardly ever been 

 able to get my Boer neighbours to share the cost ; 

 although these fences are of iron and permanent and 

 they have beneficial use of them. Payment of joint 

 boundary fencing should be made compulsory in 

 most districts; (such legislation has now been provided 

 vide Act 17/1912), as the enterprising landowner has 

 to work for the indolent one. About 1866, I asked 

 Izaak Holtshuizen to catch some young ostriches for 

 me, promising him 5 cash for six months chicks. 

 He brought forty -four birds, and I had to pay him 

 what was a large sum in those days (220). It was the 

 first venture of its kind in the country, no one knew 

 anything about feeding or plucking, nesting or rear- 

 ing ; and although the birds grew to be a very large 



