An Attractive Little Town. 57 



then came the crash. All was over, and a large 

 pretentious stock exchange, tenanted now only 

 by the dog, the cat, the pig, and the foAvl, 

 tells the interesting story of an African golden 

 dream. There are, however, one or two mines in 

 the neighbourhood, which may possibly, with 

 skilful management, yield some profit to the 

 shareholders, v/here the ore is plentiful, though of 

 low grade. One of these, the Bufflesdorn, about 

 ten miles from Klerksdorp, we were able to make 

 a thorough ins]Dection of. It is being skilfully and 

 economically worked, possesses a reef from three 

 to four feet in thickness, yielding on an average 

 a1)out seven penn\^weights to the ton, is not 

 o\'er capitalized, and has much about it which 

 led those "who Averc with me and who were 

 experienced authorities, to suppose that be- 

 fore long it may be a fairly })rofitable mining 

 venture. Klerksdorp can also boast of a hotel of 

 considerable size, the landlord of Avliich, a Gei'man, 

 may be celebrated for his insolence and his 

 rapacity, whose guests are tormented by excessive 

 dirt and discomfort. A short drive of about five 

 hours brought us on the following day to Potchef- 

 strom. This attractive little to^vn lies in the 

 hollow of a great plain, at the foot of some lo^v 

 hills fairly covered with plantations. The houses 

 are surrounded by luxuriant gardens, the streets 

 are lined with handsome trees. The sight of a tree 

 or -of a bit of green in the treeless and parched 

 veldt gives pleasure and relief alike to the mind 

 and the eye. Here a clean and comfortable hotel 



