Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1889-10-25
THE DUTCH IN AFRICA,
Some OF the Qneer Customs OF the Boen
In the Orange Free State.


In the Orange Free State.
| The traveller U speak. writes . cor
respondent of the 81. james Gazette, Of
the one who is supposed to understand
Boer speech aud habits) arrives at ,
farmhouse in. say, the Orange Free
State. A farmhouse may have one
field Of forage and stone kraal other.
/, wise the farm is open country. He will
not otf-saddle his horse without per.
mission. This having been asked for
aud granted the farmer leads him
through the half-doors of the main
apartment There is homemade
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. com.
mencing with the stout vrauw and
ending with the baby in arms. This
is not the English ''hand-shake." but
resting Of palm with palm. The
coffee. which 10 made from sunrise to
sunset is then brought in in bowls.
tobacco pouches are exchanged. and
conversation. which seldom varies,
commences. The visitor and the farm
or answer or reply pretty much as fol-
lows: The weld is green. The clouds
are heavy; there viii be = thunder
storm tomorrow. have q fine red
horse running. Nachtmaal (com-
munion) will be next month. My
vrauw has n cold. The president is .
fine man. Japis de Villiers (pro-
nounced Vile. and minus the prefix
has had ram born with five heads.
The English are thieves" The hand
shaking process is then repeated; the
horse. fed and rested. is brought
round: the isaveler mounts. smacks his
sjambock. shows OF his steed. and pro-
csrds ON his journey.
The farmers have trained ponies to
. special pace called cripple and
good cripple 10 always priced.
With this pace no porting" Of the
saddle 10 required and on . long
journey the tipplier will arrive each
night without turning hair while the
tro,ting horse. his companion. may be
done up. Distance is reckoued by
tims-six miles TO the hour. II an
Englishtnan near the hour of sunset
asks Dutchmsn where such village
lies he viii be answered by . raised
aand aud "A little way over that hill"
You then ride ten miles and sleep out
i'm . thunderstorm perhaps You
reach the village the following mid
day. Superstition aud fear Of con.
tasious diseases are great among this
people.
The Dutch are accomplished herba-
lists. doubtless obtaining the knowl-
edge Of the Hottento,s aud Bushmen;
they have herb brandies for colics and
plants for sores. Trey are often the
prey OF quack doctors; the moro as
genuine practitioners. who have to go
Dug distances. charge heavily. A
DutchmAn is satisfied with the treat
ment So long as his medical adviser
brings tn the house . quart bottle of
ph hysic; IL he presents him with small
vial hs doubts his skill and sends for
anot,er man. Tne dead are buncd on
the farms. and over them travelling
mAsons erect mausoleun,s Of brick.
Dutch women are enormous in size,
good cooks In their style. gobble
sweets and cakes all day. and take
little exercise. But now and then .
Dutch wife aud her daughters may be
seen kraaiing the sheep at evening. A
Boer likes his wife's company. and
will leave passengers by his wagon
stuck in the mud and half.starved
while he tracks OF fifty miles with an.
other vehicle to pay . visit to the
vrauw. Feather beds are greatly
priced by this people; they generally
carry their beds with thcm on Journeys.
The trekkings of the Beers are re-
markable. Annually the farm house
on the slow weld" is shut up aud the
sheep and cattle are taken scores Of
miles up 10 the "high Weld foi
mountain pasture. Beside somo rush
ing stream the wagons are campcd.
perhaps tents are pitched. and do
mestic lie goes on as usual. Fowls
cluck among the wild grasses and the
cows are MIXED beneath tho shadows
of mighty mountains. The general
belief in the excellence of BoeT shoot
ing 10 no delusion.
The people are excessively fond Of
music and dancing; concertina. har-
monium. and fiddle are their delight
A withered Hottsntot dwarf will draw
q strain from the sole Of an old shoe
string with sinew, and men aud
msidens will vigorously dance to 1t for
houra- For dancing there is no touch
tuo AttiAauteis aoo
measures seem quite original. The
Beers have . bad character for pilfsr-
ing. When the men and the women
enter an np-country store they are al
lowed to carry Of small goods like
sweets or ribbons. which they uncon-
sciously pay for in the bill. The farm
ers are not often rich in money. their
wool crops being mortgayed sometimes
to the stores for seasons ahead. Young
bloods" ars Independent and wild. A
smart curveting horse and hat with
white ostrich plume usually denote
this species. When Boer drinks he
10 an entire fool. In order to keep .
firm hand over the young men riding
transport, the elders of the Free State
recently passed . bill prohibiting the
sale Of liquor Mt waysIds canteens. and
thereby lost = large revenue. How
ever. there are smugglers.
The Beers are great religious formal
lists. and at certain times they and
their fsniies ride into the villages from
great distances tO celebrate the
Nachtmaal Ought meal communion).
their wagons loaded with produce
presents for the parsons. At this time
business is brisk and, the streets are
like = fair. .xsk vi Fe natives and