138 HOME LIFE ON AN OSTRICH FARM. 



extremely small American spider. On our way to a 



farm where T had business we happened to pass a 



Dutchman's house, round the door of which we noticed 



a lively little brood of chicks running about. T 



of course no sooner saw them than he coveted them (he 

 frankly confesses himself quite unable to keep the 

 tenth commandment as far as ostriches are concerned) ; 

 and we pulled up, accepted the hospitable invitation of 

 the Boer, who doubtless read in our eyes the chance of 

 " doing a deal," and went into the house, where, first of 

 all, a solemn, silent, and apparently endless course of 

 hand-shaking had to be gone through. The Cape 

 Dutch living in very patriarchal fashion, there were 

 not only a wife and many sons and daughters, but a 

 well-preserved parental couple, a mother-in-law, several 

 sons and daughters-in-law, and needless to say a 

 crowd of children of all sizes, including two babies. 

 All but the two last came forward one after another 

 and gravely took our hands ; then we all sat round the 



room, solemnly looking at each other, and T and I 



felt as if we were at a funeral. We would have been 

 thankful to have fled ; but our own birds not having 

 begun laying we did so want those chicks, and we 

 felt that it was worth while to endure something for 

 their sakes. 



Presently coffee was handed round in huge cups, 

 evidently more than half filled with sugar. The more 

 highly the good vrouw wishes to honour you, the more 

 horribly and sickeningly she over-sweetens your cup 

 of tea or coffee ; and the syrup we had to drink on this 



