42 KLOOF AND KARROO. 



A notable feature in these old houses is the delight- 

 ful " steep " or raised verandah, where you may sit 

 or recline sheltered from the sun, and enjoy the 

 luxuries of tobacco and coffee in a calm and cool 

 repose. No better "loafing" or "lazing" place 

 was ever designed than the good old Dutch "stoep." 

 On reaching the hotel again we found the town 

 band preparing to practice for a forthcoming dance. 

 Listening to them and smoking were several people, 

 amongst them Mr. Pieter Maynier, familiarly called 

 by Graaff Reinetters, "Oom Piet " (Oom, or uncle, 

 being a term of affection in South Africa), a well- 

 known and respected gentleman, descended from 

 one of the old Dutch families. Fired by the 

 accustomed sound of dance music, we young fellows 

 began to waltz with one another. Presently " Oom 

 Piet " joined in, as well as others, and I am bound 

 to say that the old gentleman's trois temps was 

 surprisingly good — quite equal, indeed, to that of 

 many of our fleet-footed English girls. Finding this 

 slim, active old gentleman such a treasure in the 

 terpsichorean art, I wisely, if greedily, stuck to him 

 as a partner, and enjoyed a really good dance. It 

 was a strange freak of destiny to find oneself 

 dancing with the descendant of that old Dutch 

 Landdrost Maynier, of whom I had read in Barrow's 

 and other old books of travel. This Landdrost 

 Maynier was a character of note in the troubled 

 times at the end of the last century. When the 

 British took possession of the Colony, he was 

 appointed Resident Commissioner of Graaff" Reinet, 

 then one of the four divisions of the Colony, and 

 rendered very important services to the English in 

 the Hottentot Rebellion of 1798, and in the Boer 



