"Agreed," replied the others; and putting spurs to their horses, they
soon arrived at the farmhouse of the Dutch planter.

They were saluted with the barking and clamour of about twenty dogs,
which brought out one of the young boors, who drove away the dogs by
pelting them with bullock-horns, and other bones of animals which were
strewed about. He then requested them to dismount. The old boor soon
appeared, and gave them a hearty welcome, handing down from the shelf a
large brandy-bottle, and recommending a dram, of which he partook
himself, stating that it was good brandy, and made from his own peaches.

Shortly afterwards the wife of the boor made her appearance, and having
saluted them, took up her station at a small table, with the tea
apparatus before her. That refreshing beverage she now poured out for
the visitors, handing a box, with some sugar-candy in it, for them to
put a bit into their mouths, and keep there as they drank their tea, by
way of sweetening it. The old boor told them that he had expected them,
as he had been informed that they were to set out that day; but he had
concluded that they would arrive in the afternoon, and not so early.

We may as well here give a description of a Dutch farmer's house at the
Cape settlement.

It was a large square building, the wall built up of clay, and then
plastered with a composition made by the boors, which becomes
excessively hard in time; after which it is whitewashed. The roof was
thatched with a hard sort of rushes, more durable and less likely to
catch fire than straw. There was no ceiling under the roof, but the
rafters overhead were hung with a motley assemblage of the produce of
the chase and farm, as large whips made of rhinoceros-hide, leopard and
lion skins, ostrich-eggs and feathers, strings of onions, rolls of
tobacco, bamboos, etcetera.

The house contained one large eating-room, a small private room, and two
bed-rooms. The windows were not glazed, but closed with skins every
night. There was no chimney or stove in the house, all the cooking
being carried on in a small outhouse.

The furniture was not very considerable; a large table, a few chairs and
stools, some iron pots and kettles, a set of Dutch teacups, a teapot,
and a brass kettle, with a heater. The large, brass-clasped, family
Dutch Bible occupied a small table, at which the mistress of the house
presided, and behind her chair were the carcasses of two sheep,
suspended f