The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-04-02

Ssmethlag Abeut the Beers.
| Ano'hony Troilope. in his work on
south Africa, gives an account OF the
curious custom. of cOirtship prevailing
among the Beers. The young Boer,
SAYS Mr.. Trollope. who thinks that he
wants wife, aud has made up his mind
Ia look for one, begins BY riding round
the country to find The article that will
suil him. On this occasion he does not
troibie himself with the hard work Of
] c0uriship, but merely sees what there IL
within the circle to which he extends his
inspection. lie will have dressed him.
>eii with more than ordinary care, So
tina, any impression which !, may make
may be favorable, and II Is probable
that the young ladies In the district know
what he Is about. iui when he has
made his choice, then he puts ON his
Very best aud cleans his saddle or bor-
rows new Que, and sticks "A feather in
his cap, and goes firth determined to
carry his purpose. lie takes with him
bottle 81 suga--plums---an article in
! great favor among the Beers and To- be
purchased nj every store, with which 10
soften the heart Of the mothcr--and 4
candle. Everything depends upon the
candle. II should be- Of wax, or some
way.iiko composition; hu. taiiow will
suffice II the proposed bride be not Of
very high standing. Arrived at the
door, he enters, and his purpose is
known ~ once. The clean trousers and
the feather declare it; aud the sugar.
plums which are immediately brought
iorth-and always cOnsumed--lcaye not
! shadow Of doubt. Then the candle Is
at once offered to the young lady. II
she refuse it,which my informant seemed
10 think was unusual, then the swain
goes on without demonstrating and Of.
fers IL to the next lady upon his list. II
she take II, then the candle Il lighted,
and the mother retires. sticking q pin
into the candle as IN intimatiOn that the
young couple may remain together, ex-
planning their feelings to each other, UNI
Ill tho flame shall have come down to
the pin. A little salt, was assured, is
often employed to make the flame weak,
and SO prolony the happy hour. But
the mother, who has, perhaps, had oc.
ca>ion 10 use salt in her own time, may
probably provide for this when arrang-
Ing tho distance for the pin. A day or
two afterwMd the couple are married,
30 that there is nothing of the "non.
sense" and occasional hcartbrcak of
long engagements. 1t is thus ''freying"
iscarried on among the Beers Of the
Transvaal. YIN -. .st ''-'. ~.
Marriages are usually early, and are
frui,ftllin the rule. From ten To twelve
children TO q mother is the average, and
fifteen or eighteen are not at all rare.
The case Of one venerable Boer is men.
toned whose descendants, including
Fssvs and daughters.in.law, grsndchii.
dfae and great. grandchildren, amount
RtO ESQ. Out Of, this rapid increase of
population grew the, Orange Free State
and the Transvaal Republic. Land be-
ing very dear in the Cape Colony, and
scarcely affording pssturage, for the
cattle there owned, it has become the
custom for the Dutch farmer to send
one OF more Of his sons to those regions
where zeal estAte can be bought com.
! paratlvely cheap. TO purchase land is
the great passion of the Boer. Farms
OF 5000 to 5000 acres are the rule, and
there are some farmersthe area Of whose
land is equal to that Of a little German
principality. Next to the land the cat.
tie constitute the. chief wealth of tho
Beers great, long horned neat herds,
together with nlerino sheep and Aneors
6soas. The FIRST business of tho farm.
|eFt day is the inspection OF the
s.lnale," or corrals, large Enclosures of
thorn hedges, or, with the wealthy
Boers, stone walls, where the cattle are
kept over. night. there being no cattle
sheds IN South Africa. The darky who
whaches cattle through the day is q
st&ing looking figure, dressed in sheep
Of toatJskin, and q wofnout English,
Fech or German military uniform,
tooe uniforms being sent TO South AT.
RIGA by the hundred by old.clothes deal.
~: Owing to the slight rainfall, only
such farms ore fit for agriculture As are
ltreted near the rivers and convenient
H irrigation. The farmer is also
plagued BY locust swarms, hail, and rust
in his grain. But the productivet,ess Of
the country is increasing, and in the
1T fifteen years the exports have near-
tribled in value. The raising of
'oseiches for their feathers has become
q considerable industry. ~ '.a ',.2
= The sO.ealled nachtmaals !" form q
characteristic feature of Boer life. The
principal religion is the Dutch Re-
formed. Church. Every three months 4
special Sunday ID set apart for the COM
mnnion of the Lords supper. % From
great distances the Beers stream into
tic "Dorp OF chief place Of the re.
gion, for the celebration 81 the festival
be ''oatt'-the principal vehicle Of
We c4untryyd sort Of box hung between
two high wheels-not being large enough
for the numerous family, the grea. OK.
wagon is drawn into requis ition, drawn
number Of draught animals:
the wife and daughters aud younger
children occupy the interior, while the
Hottentot and Kafir servants sit like
lackeys on the back seat The "baas |"
takes his plhcs on the drivers seat
armed with the mighty whip, with its SO
or 40 feet length of lash, while the
grown-up so1s ride along on horseback.
the great team being led by a negro
carrying . line. The day also an oc.
casion for political and social gathering.
and the young men use it o. 4 favorable
opportunity to look srnnnd among tho
daughters Of the. land for suitable bet
ter.halyes,i, The farmer generally con.
trives to reach the place 81, the Sunday
before, When he visits the shops and
makes his purchases for the next three
monthss also securing y market for his
own products. The church being usual.