Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1888-08-11
FARMING IN CAPE COLONY.
APicture of Agricultural Life and Condi-
ttons in south Africa.

AA'AAN -
AT six o'clock each moruing-earlier
in summer-after Sallie, our little
Kafir maid-of-all-work, has br~oughtto
each of us, while in bed, the matutinal
cup of coffee. without which no Cape
farmer, British or Dutch, begins the
day, one of Il number rises and goes
to the adjacent kraal to count the
goats as they issue forth in charge OF
their Katir herds TO pasture on the
mountain yeldt. N'Quami, Il groom,
a long, 1.-the kafir from Galekaland,
more commonly known as John, has
slaughtered ut the back of the house
Ga singlc-storied, brick-built messuage,
nat-roofcd and white washed, and
pcrched high on the mountain side
near a perennial fountain) the goat
which each day is sacrificed for the
needs of our household, and the kid.
ncys. fry and a chop or two = grillet
for breakfast. Honey, found in abun
dance in the rocks around Us, takes the
place of marmalade, Breakfast over
one of lis rides off to the shallow klOU
three miles further away in the mount
aims. whore our horses and mules are
run, under the care OF Tobias, oul
Dutch servant. Another OF us bu5ic'
himself marking goats, whilst a thirC
(thcre are three Of us-One married
takes on his back a dead kid vel
primed with strychnino pills, meaning
to deposit il in Il small kloof across the
valley for the benefit OF one Of tht
numerous leopards which infcst oul
farm. This is the only method o
keeping down these night m%arauders
which do cruel execution On our tlock'
and foals. Then attention must be
given to the little patch OF alluyial lane
by the dry riycr-bed, where we grow
sufficient grain for Gun wants, and ode
Jobs have to be done. \ gun or rilC
is usually carried; for game, fcathcrcC
and furred, is plentiful, and is ever ;
welcome change from the monotony o
goat-hcsh. Meanwhile the wife Of tht
Benedict amongst us is busy superin
tending the washing, cooking anC
/ other matters of domestic economy, II
well as the education of her littl,
fair-haired girl, our pride and delight
Katie. our cook, n yellow lady o
/ mixed race (~lIottcntot, Katlir ant
Bushman interminglcd), attends t'
the baking Of our cookies cakes o
unlcavened meal which usuTp th'
| place OF bread, and which are bakeC
and capitally baked, too-in Il hol'
in the ground. heated in the NATIVE
fashion. II we do not make none,
nowadays as we did a few years since
when the railways were being built
We live in a rude plenty; meat il
abundance is ours, dried fruits
ounces and peaches, excellent whel
-tewcd-bought from the Beers VIII,
pass us occasionally with wagonload
Of produce; oranges and grapes il
season from the irrigated farms O
Beers out beyond the Poort, whenc
we emerge from Il mountain home
and porridge Of pounded mcalies an.
milk occasionally. Goats milk W
have in plenty, but NJ butter q
cream. for cows and oxen do not tloui
ISL upon our zuur vcldt. Gam
abounds with US. Our mountains SUI
port several kinds of antclope-th
killspringcr, rhcbok OF two sorts, va
and ROOF (gray and rcd), duykerbol
and an occasional koodoo; the latte
one OF the noblc,t Of the South Africa
fauna, carrying magnificent spir3
horns and weighing from four hun
bred to five hundred pounds. IS
JdmcS' Gdzcttc.