The term "Boer," which in English is used to describe a man who is
rough, uneducated, and illiterate, means in the Dutch language merely a
farmer, or a man who gains his living by rural pursuits. It is not
uncommon to hear the Boers speak of their companions as "_Mensch_"
(men), a distinction which they employ especially when referring to the
disputes or battles which have taken place between the English
"_Roe-barges_" (red coats) and themselves.
The Boers may be divided into two classes, viz. the "Field Boer," and
the "Town Boer."
The Field Boer is a man who usually resides on his farm, and breeds
cattle, horses, or sheep. He is generally the owner of two or three
"_spans_" of oxen, as the teams are named, of two or three waggons, and
several horses for his own riding, which he is at all times ready to
sell, if a chance offers. He passes his time principally in looking
after his farm, but the amount of ground that he cultivates is usually
very small, an acre or two being about the utmost. To hunt and shoot
are the great delight of the Field Boer, and he is very expert, both in
following game by their tracks, and in knowing where, even in a strange
country, are the most likely spots for various kinds of game.
"I think we shall here a rietbok find," a Dutchman would remark as he
rode along the side of a marshy piece of ground covered with long grass
and reeds; or "Here--so look for a duikerbok," as he rides amongst a
number of large loose stones near which are low thorny bushes and grass.
The Boer is commonly a large, heavy man, and disposed to become very
fleshy as he advances in years. This latter characteristic probably
arises from the fact that he eats very largely at his meals, and is
disinclined to take walking exercise. Riding becomes to him a sort of
second nature, and a man who is found walking from one place to another
is considered at once to be either eccentric or very poor.
From some reason the Field Boer is rather disposed to look down upon the
sporting prowess of Englishmen, but he not unusually finds himself
beaten in a competition with those very men whose inefficiency he
considered to be a certainty.
Within quite modern times there have been two wars between the Boers and
the English; viz. when the Boers attacked the English troops in the
Natal district, in 1842; and again in 1848, when the English, under Sir
Harry Smith, attacked and defeated the confederate Boers at the battle
of the Berea. In both these encounters the Dutchmen showed an entire
inability to withstand the attacks of disciplined troops, but at the
same time displayed much skill in the use of their weapons, in selecting
such stations that they might be protected from the enemy's fire whilst
he was exposed to theirs, and in retreating so rapidly that they escaped
the usual results of a defeat As a companion in the field, the Boer,
although coarse and vulgar, is still an amusing companion, and a good
instructor in hunting-craft. It is from him that you may learn the
habits and peculiarities of the many rare animals which inhabit South
Africa. The footprints of the various creatures, the localities where
they may be found at different times of the year, the best method of
pursuing them, the means to adopt when encountering dangerous animals,
and, lastly, the adventures, successes, and escapes that have occurred
either to him or to his immediate friends, form the main subjects of his
conversation; at least, after he has gained from you a full account of
the height and breadth of your father and grandfather, mother and
grandmother, sisters, brothers, and friends, and received also a short
account of the sporting capabilities of your male relatives.
The Town Boer is usually a trader, and keeps a sort of general store,
selling every thing, from a yard of linen to a pound of gunpowder, and a
patent cure-every-thing pill.