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THE ODYSSEY OF OUE BUSHMAN BOY. 
By Miss L. Cueele. 
(Communicated by L. Peeinguey, E.E.S.S.Af.) 
(Bead October 20, 1909.) 
Our old boy's earliest recollections are centred in the town of Graaff- 
Eeinett, C. C. He does not remember his parents or relations — he thinks 
they were murdered by Kafirs; he was brought up by an " Ou Bass" 
Hendrick Pretorius, who had a long, white beard, and was of a kindly 
disposition. This " Ou Bass" had two large erven, and taught the little 
Bushman — in company with his sons — the cultivation of same, and thus 
Gert became a good gardener. He remembers that the home and erven 
were situated towards sunset near the market, and that the " Ou Bass " 
had slaughter- and baking-houses; he was taught in both trades, and is still, 
in spite of his great age, the cleanest butcher we ever had on the farm. In 
his own words "Cornelius Somerset zey was de Commandant van de 
Kaap " (probably Lord Somerset, who v^as Governor from 1813-26). The 
Kafirs were troublesome and warlike. He distinctly remembers soldiers 
and burghers being called out to meet the advancing King-kop Kafir ; 
he wanted to go out with his young masters, but the " Ou Bass " said he 
was too young. He says he heard the booming of cannons, and vividly 
remembers a detachment of the King's Dragoons falling into the enemies' 
hands, the Kafirs afterwards riding the fine horses. He was taken to the 
"baai" — no doubt Port Elizabeth — and saw ships with big, fluttering white 
sails, coming from the sea, and soldiers disembarking. His " Ou Bass," 
sons, and family joined the big trek to Natal (1833) ; he says it was a 
very large trek, consisting of a great number of people, wagons, and 
oxen ; out in the veldt he was taught to handle a gun and shoot game, 
also to help mind the oxen, out and inspan them, and drive a span or lead 
it. They used to guard the oxen with loaded guns, in fear of Kafirs 
and wild beasts ; in the evening the wagons were drawn together, guards 
put out, and when they feared tigers* fires were kept burning all night to 
* In South Africa the leopard goes by the name of " tiger." — L.P. 
