Sarly Cold Discoveries Leydenberg ond elsewhere 139 



being turned over by the current put the President 

 on the "cartel" (slung high) and also th^ light 

 articles, I swam through with the end of the long 

 rope tied to the end of the trek-touw, and then went 

 into the stream below the oxen to keep them up 

 stream, while the diggers walked away with the 

 rope, and although the water was half way up the 

 wagon, we got over safely, receiving quite an 

 ovation from the good-natured diggers. We had 

 palavers with their leading men, a dinner and 

 speeches, discussed the Law as drafted, made one or 

 two slight amendments, the diggers appointed a 

 Committee and Chairman to look after their inter- 

 ests. We appointed an American, Mansfield, to 

 represent us as proprietors, and stayed among the 

 miners for a considerable time, riding round the 

 country and inspecting mining operations. P. 

 Marais who was one of our party took very little 

 interest in mining, and did not like the discomfort 

 of camping in the wet weather, so got himself taken 

 over the river and the mountains to Tom Mullers'. 

 Next day he wrote me a pitiful tale of woe. The 

 room they gave him was "alive" with "Norfolk 

 Howards" so he moved into a tented wagon which 

 was worse, he was reduced to three meals a day, of 

 buttermilk and peaches. He was depressed in spirits 

 accordingly. Mr. Burgers and I discussed the situa- 

 tion and wrote to him that we deeply sympathised 

 with him, and drank his health and return to a less 

 blasphemous frame of mind, but as candid friends, 

 told him that buttermilk and peaches were excel- 

 lent purifiers of heated blood, and that "B flats" 

 taught mortals not to be proud. Heart-rending 

 letters were sent daily, and as he was between two 

 swollen rivers Mr. Burgers and I consoled ourselves on 

 the receipt of each letter with a bottle of Hock and 

 fervent hopes that his troubles would soon be ended. 



