第33部分(第4/7 頁)

act；　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　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　K