Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-02-01
LIFE AMONG THE BOERs.
A STURDY AND RELIGIOUS RACE
OF FARMERS IN AFRICA.
They arc Poor. but Worry Hospitable
Their Dwellings and Industry
Midday Siccpers.

Of the country are wool-growers, and
like the rest of their kind, are the most
hospitable people on the face of the
globe, writes a correspondent Of the San
francisco Chronicle. Although living
In almost abject poverty, they arc ever
ready to extend Il hand OF welcome tc
every stranger, particularly if he be an
American.
! have now Travelled over one thousand
miles by cart in the colony, aud it has
always been with the greatest difficulty
that have persuaded the Beers to take
from me the price Of the corn. the horses
won d eat.
For days we rode along without touch
ing ut single village, aud when night
came ON made Tor the nearest farm
house. AS the farms are generally on
elevated ground the folks can see the
cart long way or, and as We pull up in
front Of the house The old Boer and his
vile step out TO hid us welcome, although
we are perfect strangers. and before we
have done shaking hnnds the kalir ser.
wants are busy outspanning our horses,
while the gond wife, or FRAU" as she is
called, hurries away to procure the best
cncer her humble dwelling q lords
The Boers, although so hospitablo,
make n distinction in their attentions to
Englishmen and Americans, at least all
my friends and ! have found such to be
the case.
y lew weeks ago, as pulled up at a
farm house about shutdown, weary with
my long days ride aud covered with
dust, another cart containing four men
pulled upat the same tine. We were
received in the usual manner, and al.
thDnph tharn rnnl1v do
ton IN the house for five unexpected
guests, it never entered into the mind OF
our host TO hin, ut such thing The
occupants of the other cart were Eng
lishmen, and my boy, Jan Fatboy, TAX.
ing in the situation at glance, and
wishing to procure me the best possible
quarters, told the old man that was an
American. The result was that my newly
made friends occup ell two beds, while
had one all to myself.
No matter how late traveller may pro-
sent himself, lie he Jew or Gentilc,
EnSlishmnn or American, and ask u
gifts lodging. the Beers door will
instantly open Ia him and some one of
the Family will c!Iecrlully turn out Of his
bed aud give It 10 the stranger, aud pos
sibly find another for himself in the hay
loft
The Boer in tho construction of his
dwelling does not aspire to any higher
class of architecture than what
pleased his grandfather and fatker be-
fore him. 1t consists of four plain walls
of unburned brick. Its floor is the
honest earth with coating of pounded
ant nests mixed with blood and cow
dung. However rcpulsivc this may seem
to yonr ideas, it has nice. sweet,
wholesome smell and were il not for the
ilcas which infest every Boer's house, 1
could find no objection to it, MS it has
very cool effect in the hot, dry weather.
There are generally only three rooms
and kitchen or ''comhnse" in the
house, the front room opening directly
onto the stoop, with two bedrooms on
either side. The furniture is of the
plainest kind, the chief ornament, rs
well us the most useful article. being the
old Dutch clock. which stands ma ;csti-
cally in the corner, numbering the days
as well as the seconds of the lives of
these honest men. Mo expen,i @ oil
paintings adorn the walls, but con.
spicuousty resting on an ornamental
table of ancient date is the family Bible,
on which every Bocr prides himself. /
failed to find any other kind of literature
with the exception of few school books
and the "a eady ieckoDcr," viii. h every
Boer i'll the country possesses.
These people are chiefly the descend
ants of the Protestant refugees driven
into exile by the revocation OF the edict
of Nantes. y considerable numtcr of
the Huguenois made their way to tho
Cape about that time. They are very
religious, and naturally peaceful peo-
pie, but when their rights are tempered
with they rise to IL man and show that
although they are ignorant farmers they
are skilled lii the use Of The rifle, and
prove it with deadly effect upon their
foes. They aic very carly riscrs and 90
about their work long before the sun is
up. The men generally pile out of bed
about o'clock in the morning, and the
first man has 10 make coffee and call the
rest. Such Is the unwrittcn law. They
work in the vcldt till noon, when they
have the heartiest meal of the day.
The heat is generally intense at
this hour, and rs soon as the meal
is finished the house is closed up to
keep out the flies. and every man,
woman and child take themse YES off to
their beds, where they sleep soundly till
the heat of the day is over, wGcn they
'Noh'hS ehNAi WIN iii ouHtiOWU. Ill tnc
evening, after supper, the people sit
round the room barefooted, when n tub
is passed round and each person bathes
his feet in it. At first used to object
strongly, but found that the refusal gave
oifcnse. Now, however, l take care to
get nearest the door, where can have n
better chance to use the tub first. 1t is
an oil custom and one that induces
sleep.
When this foot bathing is finished the
old Boer gets down the family Bible and
the prayers for the night are read. They
sing without hyrn books, and most
Justify. too, and 1t is to be regretted that
they know so few turcs, for The only one
have ever heard is the tune of the One
Hundrcdth Psalm. They follow the
teachings Of the Dutch Refoi med { hurch,
and every Sunday, no matter what the
weather is. the horses are spanned into
he cart at an early hour 10 take them to
church, which in some cases Is thirty
miles away from their homes.
There is said to be nothing in all
H., 10 al