New-York tribune., 1900-08-25
THE BOERS AT HOME.
SOME NOTES ON THEIR MINDS AND THEIR
WAYS.
n The Cornhin Magazine.

From The Cornhin Magazine.
1 have not myself acquired any huency IN o.
Low Dutch which is spoken by the UnedUcated
Boer, and also by the cOlored people; but in
deed, there is no advantage to be gained By 30
doing rOr conversation, IN any real sense q
the word they have none. How often have
listened 70 an intelligent, well informed English
farmer holding forth on home or foreign politics
even some subject OF local interest 70 one
Of his Dutch neighbOrs, whose only part IN the
conversation was to say about three times every
minute: ia, Mr.. k; ia, Mr.. k some
times repeating, in addition the last two OF
three words of his interIOcutOr's sentence; and
the constant repetition OF this pregnant Obser-
walton. in the course of half hour 20. be-
comes to the silent listener equally ridiculous
and wearisOme.
1 think il scarcely possible for any one who
has not lived among the lower class OF Beers 10
gauge their really vast ignorance They have
no knowledge of any world outside the veldt and
the little Dutch village, or church place. where
they assemble four times year 70 receive the
Sacrament and hold holiday; their lives are as
totally devoid Of any intellectual interest as the
lives OF their Kaf1r and HOttentOt servants-I
had almost said Of their goats and Ostriches
A large proportion OF them can neither read nor
write. as I often had occasion to observe when
they came TO the field cOrnet 70 register a birth
or a death and did not know how 10 spell their
own names. One n particular recall. who, By
a freak of fate, inherited the illustrious mama
Of Erasmus. and who came 70 register the death
Of his wife When called upon TO sign his name
he proceeded 10 form labOriously several small
letters-twO or three ms, four ats. !" three "rs''
and so on, but never a vowel among them all
When the Work, which occupied at least ten
minutes. was completed. he surveyed IL with
pride and satisfaction. and remarked: 'Therel
1t is not very well written, certainly. but still
IL is quite legible!"
The Beers as a rule, marry very young b.
tween the ages Of sixteen and twenty; and as
the Dutch Church in it's wisdom has ordained
that they shall not marry until they have been
confirmed, and that they shall not be confirmed
until they can sign their names and repeat Ger
tain answers IN the Dutch catechism. IL there-
fore follows that, when they want to get mar
r1ed they forthwith learn. not 70 write. but
to form mechanically, and IN correct order, the
letters composing their name and they also
learn, not TO read, but they acquire orally that
portion Of the Dutch catechism which Il be-
hooves them 70 know. and in later life for want
Of practice. even this amount OF useful knoTl-
edge is frequently forgotten
Two marked characteristics Of the Boer, which
have strongly appealed 10 the sympathy OF
many people not otherwise favorable 70 his
cause, are his attachment 20 the soil and his love
Of independence. the latter quality being marred
by the circumstance that he does not willingly
concede independence to any else
The spot of ground on which he Is born snd
reared seems TO be almost sacred 70 the Bcsr
and moreover, to his children after him As
instance Of this, know OF several cases where
three or four generations OF one family have
cOngregated on a single farm until IL Is i'm
possible for the land to support them. tnpoSsi-
BILE for them to live there IN comfort or even
decently. A Dutch farmer has. let Us say, three
sons When they grow up, he gives them each
a piece of his farm; they build themselves
houses Of a kind; they marry and bring up
their children there Later on, the children OF
these brothers intermarry; the farm is then
further subdivided. until at last each one has
the merest plot Of ground. sufficient 20 feed
few goats and 20 grow a few vegetables Yet
they would rather continue 20 exist IN this mis-
cradle manner than leave the original home and
work their way up to better condition IN some
other part Of the country.
More. however, than even the beloved home
stead does the Boer cherish his Independence,
partly, no doubt, value anything for which
have fought a stern fight and endured much
hardship. He knows that. IN times past, by
fierce courage, by patient endurance, BY dogged,
unyielding determination and tenactcy, ne has
subdued the wilderness and made himself house
holds in the fastness Of the savage Kaffr and
the beast Of prey He breads nothing more than
70 lose what has been so hardly gained.