Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-11-09
AMONG THE DUTCH Beers.
Some Very Queer Costumes-Medicine an"
Observation-Disclosures.

The traveller Il speak OF one WIZ 10
supposed to understand Boer speech and
habits arrives at farm house in, say,
the Orange Free state. A farm house
may have one field Of forage and stone
kraal: otherwise the farm is open coun-
try. He viii not off saddle his horse
without receiving permission; this having
been asked for and granted, the farmer
leads him through the half doors into the
main apartment. There is home made
furniture, numerous pink and white
paper flowers, and painted on the
walls vases of fruit like those seen
depicted on the London pavements.
The visitor will proceed to shake hands,
commencing with the stout vrauw
and ending with the baby in arms. This
Is not the English ''handshake, but a
resting Of palm within palm. The coffee,
which is made from sunrise to sunset, il
then brought in in bowls, tobacco
pouches are exchanged, and converse
ton, which seldom varies, commences.
The visitor and the farmer answer or re-
ply pretty much as follows: 1.-THE weld is
green. The clouds are heavy; there will
be thunderstorm tomorrow. / have a
very fine red horse running. Nachtmaal
(communion) will be next month. My
vrauw has cold. The president Is a
fine man. Japie de Villiers pronounced
Vile, and minus the prefix has had a
ram born with five heads. The English
are thieves" The handwriting cere-
mony is then repeated, the horse, fed
and rested, is brought round; the trav-
eler mounts, smacks his sjambock, shows
<.Gr III, a,,I l., 1,
The farmers have trained ponies to a
special pace called a cripple" and a
good "trippler' is always priced. With
this pace no porting" of tho saddle is
required, and on u long journey the trip
pier will arrive each night without turn
ing hair, while the trotting horse, his
companion, may he done up. Distance
Is reckoned by time---six miles to the
hour. II an Englishman near the hour
Of sunset asks Dutchman where such a
village lies, he will DO answered by a
raised hand and "a little way over that
hill" You then ride ten miles and sleep
out in thunder storm. perhaps. You
reach the village the following midday.
Superstition and fear Of contagious dis
eases are great among this people.
lDt ltulIil dCtOliBliohtA iiCi ptlh-
lists, doubtless obtaining the knowledge
Of the Hottentots and Bushmen; they
have herb brandies for COLES and plants
for sores. They are often the prey Of
quack doctors; the more as genuine prac'
titioners, who have to go long distances,
charge heavily A Dutchman is satisfied
with the treatment SO long as his medica
adviser brings to the house quart bottle
of physic; if he present him with small
vial he doubts his skill and sends for an
other man. The dead are buried ON thu
farms, and over them travelling masonl
erect mausoleums Of brick. Dutch wo
rnen.a enormous in size, good cooks il
their style, gobble sweets and cakes al
day and take little exercise. But nov
and then Dutch wife and her daughter
may be seen kraaling the sheep at even
| ing. A Boer likes his wife's company
and will leave passengers by his Wagon
stuck in the mud and half starved Will
he tracks off fifty miles with anothe
vehicle to pay a visit to the vrauw
Feather beds are greatly priced by thi
people; they generally carry their bed
with them ON journeys.
| The trekkings of the Beers are re
markable. Annually the farmhouse Oh
the slow weld" is shut up, and the shee
| and cattle are taken scores of miles u
to the "high veld' for mountain pas
ture. Beside some rushing stream tn
wagons are cnmped, perhaps tents ar
pitched, and domestic life goes on a
usual Fowls cluck among the viii
grasses, and the cows are MIXED beneat
| ~.
general belief in the excellence of Doe
shooting is ITO delusion.
The people are excessively fond c
music and dancingi concertina, harmc
MUM and fiddle are their delight
withered Hottentot dwarf will draw
strain from the sole Of an old shoe strun
with sinew, and men and maidens wi
vigorously dance to it for hours. Fc
dancing there is no touching the Englis
Afr.llander and his measures seem quit
original. The Boers have be
character for pilfering. When til
I men and the women entt
nm up country store they are allowed
carry off small goods like sweets or ril
, bons, which they unconsciously pay Il
! in the bill. The farmers are not ofte
| tlNli lipiNNy tllth "Npi NAA'IS ANhI
nortgaged sometimes to the stores fl
two seasons ahead. Young bloods" al
impudent and wild. A smart curyetir
horse and hat with white ostrich plum
usually denote this species. When
Boer drinks he Is an entire fool.
| order to keep n firm hand over the your
| ;aen riding transport, the elders Of Il
{ iree state recently passed bill prohibi
! ing the sale of liquor ct wayside cai
I teens, and thereby lost a large revenu
However, there are sinugglers
4 The Beers are great religious Journalist
D aud ut certain times they and their fan
D lilies ride into the villages from great di
. tances TO celebrate the NachtInaai Wigl
meal or commrnion), their wagons load,
with produce-presents for the parson
At this time business is brisk and d
| streets are like fair. Yet. where nativ
v and land are concerned, the Beers co
slant violation of the commandment
, does not need pointing out The Boz
= are by no means modest and their fnmi
q conversations are nj times boisterous
r indecent. Household arrangements, go
. on rich farms. are necessarily rieags
q and the traveller must be prepared To sic
q on the floor in the midst Of four or &
4 sisters and their three or four brother
a ell grown up. while the head couple sno
q on an elevated and ponderous feather b
4 in 4 curtained corner of the room. Wh
n sleeping at q superior Transvaal far
4 house, il is well TO examine the mettre
i if it rests on sheepskins, throw the ski
@ out.-St James Gazette.
rhe Conscientious Newspaper MAN.