Clarksville daily chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1884-11-05
THE rRANsvAAL soERs.
ChaFaeseF ana Habits OF she south
African Dutch.
boston Globe.'

boston Globe.
OF thecharacter and habits of the Boer
there are varying opinions, and there
seems little reason to doubt that either
party can produce strong evidence in
support of their opinions. Brave, relig.
ioHs, hospitahle, intelligent, and animated
by sincere love of liberty, according to
one authority; brave, hospitable, Tilt
crate and strongly antagonistic TO the
native element, amounting to positive
cruelty and e-holding,lis the verdict
OF the other. The two opinions are ca.
pahle of easy reconciliation. No Euro.
pean nation has ever cone in contact
with aboriginal tribes yet except to the
disadvantage of the inferior race, and
this is as true of the Dutch as the Eng.
lish colonists in Africa or elsewhere.
Capt. Lucas, whose Camp Life and
Sport in South Africa is one of the
most recent works on the subject, and who
wrote in opposition TO the annexation,
speaks highly of the hospitality of the
Transvaal Beers. In the course of many
years military service he came in con.
tact with large number of them, who
invariably gave him and his men the
best their houses afforded, and as in
variably refused payment, although
supplying liberal rations TO men and
horses.
''They live patriarchal life in the
midst of their flocks, seldom making
their appearance in the settlements be-
You'd an occasional visit for the purpose
of replenishing their stores, or bringing
in their stock or produce for sale. They
are tall, as a rule, but sallow, hard
featured, INDECENT and phlegmatic. They
live very simply, their diet consisting of
kid flesh and milk, with quantities of
coffee, which they drink at all times and
seasons. They are excellent shots with
their long 'roers, or smooth-bore guns. "
But there are Beers and Beers. And
just here seems to be, perhaps, the diff
ference which may account for the
varied opinions of travellers. Further
away still, says the same author, "oc-
cupyi1g isolated stops in the gamefre-
quent6d veldt, live race of Dutchmen
who exc out miserable existence upon
the game, whence they acquire the name
of Wildbeast Beers; antelope flesh, with
the addition of little meal, forming the
main part of their subsistence. They
rear large herds of goats and tend small
herds of large headed trek oxen, liv-
ing in miserable mud huts, men, women
and children herding Unfortunately
together. Every now and then their
scanty crops are swept away by
swarms of locusts. When this happens
they are obliged to pack up their house
hold goods and trek away bodily with
their tlocks to some distant part Of the
veldt, where they can find grass and
water" rt. ..s
1t is just possible that experience
among the different classes of the Beers
have led to the various stories. DR..
Livingstone speaks in contemptuous
terms of their illiteraoy, while he was
strongly impressed with their harsh
treatment of the natives. The opinions
of the well-known traveller are combated
by others. AS we have shown, there is
ample opportunity for a difference Of
opinion, depending in large measure on
individual experience
The Dutch name "Boer," from which
our English word ''boor" is derived
means, according to one authority a
pc asant; another a farmer. In an old
English dictionary clown is the def
milton of 'tboor." At the present day
the word "clown" also needs definition,
the original meaning Of the word ("peas-
ant'O having become almost obsolete.
''Transvaal' it is easily understood
simply means "Across the Vaal' (river)