THE TRADER AT A FARM. 21 



the Boer into the house, where dinner will shortly make 

 its appearance, to which the Boer invariably, in the 

 most hospitable manner, makes every white stranger 

 welcome. Here, if the trader is wide awake to his own 

 interest, he will pay marked attention to the Noe or 

 frau, as no bargain or transaction of any nature can be 

 ratified with a Dutchman without her full concurrence 

 and approval. The Dutch are particularly cleanly in 

 their establishments and cooking,, and, moreover, pos- 

 sess a very fair notion of the culinary art, their tables in 

 general being graced with several very excellent and 

 substantial dishes. When dinner is over, all hands re- 

 sort to the wagon and overhaul the merchandise, where 

 it is ten to one but the Noe will find about fifty differ- 

 ent articles which she will prevail upon her husband 

 to believe indispensable in the private economy of his 

 establishment. Thus, when " handling" once begins, 

 it often goes on briskly, and from a Boer who at the 

 outset declared himself independent of the trader's sup- 

 plies, as many as two or three, or even half a dozen, 

 fat oxen may be obtained. 



As the trader knows well from past experience that 

 the Boer will be sure to endeavor to abate his prices, he 

 makes a point of asking a little more than he intends 

 to take, so as to be able to give in to the Boer's im- 

 portunities, who, with a sly wink at his wife, congratu- 

 lates himself on his shrewdness, and flatters himself 

 that he has run a hard bargain. 



When the trader has collected all his cattle, he drives 

 them by steady marches of from twenty to thirty miles 

 in the twenty-four hours, which are performed chiefly 

 during the night, to Grahamstown or Beaufort, where 

 he disposes of them to butchers. At the former place 

 thay are purchased for the use of the town, and by the 



