A CAPE CART JOURNEY. 43 



rising under Van Jaarsfeld and Prinsloo about the 

 same period. At length our impromptu dance was 

 ended, and we finished up the remainder of the 

 evening — extended to a late hour — -with some very 

 enjoyable singing. 



Next morning we were up betimes, looking at 

 new horses, inquiring our route to Naroekas Poort, 

 and attending to various other matters that con- 

 cerned us. Of course we went to see the morning 

 market, a great feature in every South African town, 

 where, from seven to eight o'clock in summer, or eight 

 to nine o'clock in winter, all kinds of produce are 

 put up and sold by auction to the highest bidder. 

 It is a singular and striking scene. In the market- 

 place are to be found wool, angora hair (i.e., mohair), 

 corn, skins, feathers, vegetables, fruits, butter, ducks, 

 poultry, meat, tobacco, honey and other things, 

 often in great plenty and confusion. Round about 

 stand groups of people, interested and eager, or idle 

 and inert, as the case may be, of mixed nationalities, 

 British, Boers, Jews, — Hamburg and otherwise, — 

 Germans, Kaffirs, Hottentots, Basutos, Bushmen, 

 cum multis aliis. Here is a list of morning market 

 prices during the current year, from which it will 

 appear that the actual cost of living at the Cape is 

 by no means an extravagant item : — 



GRAAFF REINET MORNING MARKET. 



Almonds, 200 lbs., per lb., i|d. to 2d. 

 Apricots. 



Angora Hair, 3,000 lbs., per lb., 4Jd. to gd. 

 Barley, 40 lbs., per 155 lbs., 5s. to 5s. 6d. 

 Beans, 200 lbs., per 100 lbs., 12s. 6d. to iis. 

 Beef, 2,000 lbs., per lb., id. to z^A. 

 Brandy, per 16 gallons, 30s. to 358. 

 Buckskins, 1,200, is. 3d. to 3s. id. 



