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[Header] Executive And Legislative Councils Pretoria

April : 5 :: 1903

My dear old Nan

I was very glad to get your and Mother's last two letters. I wonder if you got a little scrawl I sent you by a native runner from the Swaziland border. I am very sorry to hear that you are not very well and out of spirits. I hope you are having now a good holiday. I have had numerous letters lately, including one from Sandy Gillon in which he informs me that Tom Nelson has been captured by Miss Margaret Balfour. I think Tom might have done better than that long ill-made girl, but he doubtless knows best his own mind. Sandy is in despair about this spate of matrimony: he says that now he & I stand alone like 2 gnarled pines which have weathered the storm. I regret to say that the Devil has been very active in

Last edit about 3 years ago by ubuchan
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Scotland lately, for he has ploughed Sandy Gillon in his Bar Final, with the result that Sandy cables that he is not coming out now. I have written to him pointing how that no sane man should allow things like that to interfere with the serious purposes of life, such as climbing Mont aux Sources.

I came back on Thursday night from my wonderful holiday, on the whole the best I think I have ever had. I started on a Monday night with young Brand, and we travelled all night by train to Machadodorp. Thence we drove (I riding) over 50 miles of beautiful green downs to Lake Chrissie, where I have established a homestead. Early next morning we set out on horseback to Swaziland (with a man Arthur, a nephew of the Arthurs in Glasgow, who in spite of having been born in S. Africa, speaks broad Scots, as our guide.) We saw a herd of about 300 blesabok [blesbok], and we slept the night in

Last edit almost 3 years ago by Stephen
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a ruined farm house about 7 miles from the Border. Early next morning we rode to Bell's Kop, where a few years ago the Swazis murdered a man called Bell, and thence down to Umpilusi river. It was most interesting, I found the natives very peaceable, & collected a lot of shields & assegais & knobkerries as trophies. I got them to dance a war dance for me in full war costume. Then the next day we returned to Lake Chrissie & slept the night at the house of a Boer farmer, & talked guttural Dutch all evening. Next day we pushed on to Ermelo, where I stayed in luxury with the Resident Magistrate. Next day I set out in a wild ride to Amsterdam (which the first comers called Robburnia, after Robert Burns), but was overtaken by a storm & had to sleep the night in a blockhouse, among bugs, fleas, mosquitoes, snakes & rats. I was horribly bitten, & had to empty a battle of Jay's Sheep Dip into my bath

Last edit almost 3 years ago by Stephen
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before I got free from them. Next day I got about midday to Charly Leslie's farm (a son of Leslie of Kininvie) & was very hospitably treated. I went over to see old Forbes of Atholl, a Highlander who owns about 500 square miles & is worth about a million - a fine old fellow with a very nice family. Him and me had a long crack about Rannoch. Next day I struggled through a storm to Piet Retief on the Zululand border, and next day through magnificent mountain scenery to Wakkerstroom, & the day after to Volkrust on the railway. When I was waiting at Volkrust station a superintendant came & said the manager of the hotel would like to be introduced to me. He turned out to be a man Cumming, who married a daughter of old James Smith, Grocer in the Back Street. He seems to be doing well, & he is sending his son to Cambridge this year. I spent the next night at Standerton going over

Last edit almost 3 years ago by Stephen
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the Stud Farm, and on Thursday got into Johannesburg. I covered over 600 miles, of which about 350 was done on horseback. My little mare, "Mhairi ban Og", did the whole distance without a rest & was quite fresh at the end of it. The trek has done me a world of good, and deprived me of my little remaining complexion.

I was very pleased to see the good results of my work in the country districts. All my officials seemed doing well, and a good deal of honest work is being done. As usual, whenever I go away, the rumour was started that I had gone home, a rumour which seems to have originated in the home papers. On my return I found that the paper which has abused me most

Last edit almost 3 years ago by Stephen
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