The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-10-11
The Beers Of Transvaal.

The Beers might almost be called
white stationary gypsies. their life
being such strange mixture of the
nomad and settled. They travelled
into the country i'm wagons, and wher-
ever they found suitable places en-
camped, and the wagon was exchanged
for Il house. But they kept the wagon
still at hand, and sometimes made enOr-
nous journeys in it. The house was
always built where there was plenty of
water, and though often substantial, it
was a rude erection. The Urou0 sits
near the window slipping tea or coffee,
and employed making or mending
clothes for the family. Here she will
sometimes sit, with the stolidity of the
race, the whole day long. The domestic
servants are usually natives-fotten-
tots and Bechuanas, or Bushmen, and
though slavery was formally abolished
at the time the independence of the re-
public was acknowledged, yet it was
believed to still exist under speciOus
pretences. The food principally relied
upon is mutton or dried beef; they do
not like the pig. There is plenty Of
game, and as African game tastes pecu-
liarly dry, they eat it swimming in
mutton fat. They are not drunkards;
but when they do take spirits prefer it
neat, after the fashion in the Water
land. In the house will be found the
rush baskets made by the Caflre wo-
men, which are so closely interviewer
that they will hold water, and are used
as milking buckets.
These farms are often miles and
miles apart; in fact, the Beers once had
a law that houses should not be built
within less than three miles Of each
other. The offices are irregular, not
neatly disposed, doubtless having grown
up, as it were, from time to time, as Oc-
casiOn required. The threshing-hoor
is often simply enclosed with a wall of
mud, and the grain tro1den out by
oxen. Near the house is patch of cul-
tivated ground, but their wealth lies in
flocks and herds. During the day these
wander over immense tracts of country;
at evening they return, and are shut
up in the enclosures known as kradlS,
formed of the thorny mimOsa, through
which nothing can penetrate. This
precaution is rendered necessary by
the wild beasts of prey. They have
saying that the lion, if he can have his
choice, will fix on an OK or IA horse; if
he cannot get either he prefers sheep,
and thirdly, men; and of men, a Hot
tentot or native before a white. The
kraal is so important an adjunct of the
farm as to be used in speaking to de-
nominate settlement; they call place
So-and-so's krddl. The cattle are very
good. SO long ago as 1882 the Beers
were sharp enough to import some of
the Devon breed to improve the native
strain, and also some of the fine black
Holland beasts.
The men are fine strong race, tall
and large-made; and it speaks well for
the climate of South Africa, that al
though they are the descendants of the
Dutch who settled at the Cape 200
years ago, they are, if anything, phys
ically improved. Their compilations
are darker and ruddier than the hue of
a European who has just come over.
The women would be good-lOoking were
it not that corpulency is the fashion,
and it is Increased BY perpetually sit
ting still. The general manners are
said to strike stranger as somewhat
cold and reserved. 1t is the custom to
merely touch, not shake hands in the
cordial English fashion; but they i'm
prove greatly upon acquaintance.