ence of the country。 。 。 。
I must add a few words about our farming life。 Our estate； Rooipoint； covered something over three thousand acres。 At any rate it was a large property lying between the Newcastle town lands and the Ingagaan River； in the centre of which rose a great flat…topped hill； the Rooi or Red Point； that gave it its name。 From the very crest of this hill flowed； and doubtless still flows； a strong and beautiful spring of water； though why water should appear at the top of a mountain instead of the bottom is more than I can say。 At the foot of this mount we erected the steam…driven grinding mill which I had bought in England； our idea being that we should make our fortunes or at any rate do very well as millers。 Whether this anticipation would or would not have been realised is more than I can tell； as we did not keep the farm long enough to learn。 As a matter of fact； however； it was a risky business to import expensive machinery into a place that was not accustomed to machinery； since it involved the employment of an engineer and long and costly delays if anything went wrong with the parts of the apparatus。
Still our efforts were by no means confined to this mill。 Thus we started the making of bricks； for which there was a good market in Newcastle。 I used to labour at this business； and very hard work it was。 Our energy； I remember； astonished the neighbourhood so much that Natal Boers used to ride from quite a distance to see two white farmers