398 
THE NEW AFRICA 
tail of the buck, but not a trace of the bullet was visible. 
Spitting on the ground, the usual way of expressing abhor¬ 
rence, oom Christian was going off to wash bis bands after 
touching so foul a thing, when one of bis Hottentots said, ‘ Maar 
kyk, by is op de print van de boom geskiet.’ ‘ Why, look, be 
is shot on the point of the born ’; and, sure enough, there was a 
little, blue, oval splash of lead on the tip of the born: the shot 
bad broken the buck’s neck by the concussion! The whole 
matter was put right in a twinkling, and we bad delicious 
springbok fry for lunch. 
The unaffected cordiality of this good family, and I may say, 
that of all the Boers we met on the road, who, after the first 
shyness of the introduction bad worn off, received us in their 
midst, and gave us of their best, irrespective of nationality, 
demonstrated the kindness inherent in the hearts of the Boers 
in general. There are, undoubtedly, instances of Boers meeting 
strangers at their homesteads with an inhospitality almost 
amounting to hatred, but these are found near the thorough¬ 
fares to the gold-fields in the land, where evil acts, committed by 
the lower classes of travellers, have left the germs of this 
reception of others behind them. If my ten years’ residence 
amongst them entitles me to express an opinion on this point, 
I may say that, with few exceptions, I have found the Boer 
hospitable and kind. 
Piet Grobelar had by his kindness on the journey so endeared 
himself to us, that I made him a present of my long rifle, which 
put the bullets just where you wanted them, and my revolver. 
For our further journey he supplied us with a cart and oxen, 
well stored with food of the best, for had not his wife and her 
mother been baking the crispest of rusks for us two days ago ? 
And beef biltong ? why, the house was full of it! Sugar, coffee 
and tea were trifles that every one must have on the road, so no 
expostulation, if you please, but do as you are told, and be quiet. 
Only be careful of the oxen, and give the boys a pass back from 
Dundee, in Natal, where they are to take you to, and ‘Alles 
ist recht, so kom en eat ’ before you start. What could one 
