actually working with their own hands。 One of the curses of South Africa is; or used to be; the universal habit of relegating all manual toil; or as much of it as possible; to Kaffirs; with the result that it came to be looked upon as a more or less degrading occupation only fit for black men。11 Such; however; was the Dutch habit。 The Boer’s idea was to sit on the stoep of his house and grow rich by the natural increase of his flocks and herds; only cultivating sufficient land to provide his family with mealies and the other fruits of the earth。 This system; it must be admitted; had its merits in a country where time was of no object and where land was so plentiful that every son could in due course be acmodated with a farm of 3000 morgen。
11 From Mr。 Dawson’s work on South Africa (pp。 269 and 343); published in 1925; it seems this trouble still exists。 — Ed。
Besides our milling and brick…making we were the first to farm ostriches in that part of Natal。 In my experience the ostrich is an extremely troublesome bird。 To begin with he hunts you and knocks you down。 One of ours gave Cochrane a frightful drubbing; and through a pair of opera glasses I saw an unfortunate Kaffir barely escape with his life from its attentions by going to earth in an ant…bear hole like a hunted jackal。 Of course the ostrich could not follow him into the hole; but it stood sentry at its mouth waiting for him to e out again。 When attacked by an ostrich the only thing to do is to lie down