1812. 
SHEEP. — SOAP. - PASTURE. — TIMBER. 
113 
way. Not even the butcher's man, or slagters knegt *, ever made his 
appearance at this distant farm ; although the owner possessed a flock 
of not less than four thousand sheep ; and many of his neighbours, 
not less than six. 
Still, however, the rearing of cattle was their chief means of 
subsistence : the family, with their slaves and Hottentots, being fed 
with mutton at every meal, caused a daily consumption of two sheep, 
the fat of which was considered almost equal in value to the rest of 
the carcass, by being manufactured into soap. It was, as they in- 
formed me, more profitable to kill their sheep, for this purpose only, 
than to sell them to the butchers at so low a price as a rix-dollar 
or less, and even so low as five schellings. f Formerly the alkali 
necessary for this manufacture, was obtained here from the Ganna- 
(or Kanna-) bosch ; but that being at length, all consumed through 
a constant demand for it, another species of Salsola growing wild 
in many parts of the country, was taken as a substitute, and found 
to be even preferable to the ganna. In the house, I saw a great 
number of cakes of this soap, piled up to harden, ready for their 
next annual journey to Cape Town ; whither they go, not merely 
for the purpose of selling it, but of purchasing clothing and such 
other articles as are not to be had in the country districts, but at an 
exorbitant price. 
The pasture of this farm, and of the wholeof the neighbouring 
country generally, is thought to be less adapted for oxen, than for 
sheep ; on which account, Vermeulen holds a farm in another divi- 
sion, better suited for his larger cattle. 
The country in which we now were, is that division of the 
Graaffreynet district, which is called Achter-Sneewwberg (Behind the 
Snow-mountains). It is, as well as several others in this part of the 
colony, very deficient in trees of dimensions large enough for planks ; 
* The office of slagte)''s knegt has already been described in the first volume, at 
page 201. 
f That is; from four shillings to half a crown currency; or about half that sum in 
sterling money. 
VOL. II. Q 
