THEWHITEINVADERS
the rest, however, and especially those at a greater distance, they are only
tumble-down barns, 40 feet by 14 or I 5feet, with claywalls four feet high, and
a thatched roof. These are mostly undivided; the doors are reed mats; a square
hole serves as a window. The fireplace is a hole in the floor, which is usually
made ofclay and cowdung. There is no chimney; merely a hole in the roof to let
the smoke out. The beds are separated by a Hottentot reed rnat. The furniture
isin keeping. Ihave found tip to three households-children
included-living
together in such a dwelling. The majority, by far, of the farmers from the
Overberg [beyond the mountain escarpment] come to Cape Town only once a
year, because of the great distance-
I have discovered that some are reckoned
to live 40 "schoften" or days' journey away-and
because of the difficulty of
getting through the kloofs [passes] between the mountains. Tocross them they
need at least 24 oxen, two teams of 10 to be changed at every halt and at least 4
spares to replace animals that are crippled or fallprey to lions. Two Hottentots
are necessary aswell asthe farmer himself. The load usually consists of 2 vats of
butter (1000
lb. in all) and 400 to 500 lbs. soap.s?