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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