Hilda's diary of a Cape housekeeper

That night we slept at a cousin’s farm, and started early next morning. After a drive of fifteen miles we outspanned where there was water, and the horses were knee-haltered and allowed to have a good roll in the soft sand, powdering themselves all over. It seems an instinct with all horses to roll after a long drive or ride, and my father always said nothing cooled or refreshed an animal more, I always feel sorry for horses when I see them led about to cool, instead of, what is far more natural to them, allowing them to have a good stretch on soft ground. I think the grooms object to the extra brushing they have to give the horse ! — a long digression on the merits of rolling and knee-haltering, my friends will say ; but in travelling it is so necessary to know why a thing is done. The horses being a most important factor in travelling, their wants are always carefully attended to, and some one of the party watches that some thirsty one does not run to the water before it is quite cool ! The coachman meanwhile ties the travelling manger to the pole of the wagon. This manger is made of canvas, and it is so much safer feeding the horses in this way than throwing the forage on the ground, where they might eat sand with the cut hay. Our hamper was next unpacked. Bread, butter, hardboiled eggs, corned breast or ribs of mutton ; frickadels, that is minced mutton, with bread-crumbs, spices, etc., made into little balls and fried — they are excellent for travelling. We were not far from a farm, and they kindly sent us a jug of hot boiled milk, which we enjoyed. R Dec. SALDANAH BAY We started on our journey, enjoying the flowers, air, and drive immensely. The nemesias, scarlet and pink, grow on these flats, and I wished it was the time to get seeds, they were so lovely. We got to a farm called Geelbeck, owned by Mr. Breda, who married our cousin, just as a very bad shower was falling, and some who were on horseback got drenched. The kind inmates received us hospitably, and gave us nice hot lunch and coffee ; and when man and beast were thoroughly refreshed (for I must tell you the roads are through sand ruts), on we went, and that evening we reached Saldanah Bay. It is indeed a most perfect harbour, and one only regrets that the country around, though so rich in wild flowers in the spring-time, is not fertile enough to carry a large population, nor is there water in any quantity. In old days there were little stations all along from Saldanah Bay to Cape Town, where troops were stationed — such as Oude Post near Darling, Groote Poste, Newe Post ; and at Saldanah Bay there was, in years gone by, an English resident, Captain Marsh, whom my father used to know very well. We explored the hills around the bay, found the scarlet geranium growing wild (the original kind from which such endless varieties have been cultivated), and such lovely gazanias, pink ones, and exquisite white, as if made of the finest white porcelain ; flowers, in fact, in every shade of colour and form. The next day we started for Berg river, by way of St. Helena Bay, camping out for breakfast, but generally staying at some hospitable farm-house, the occupants of which knew the Duckitts, and would not allow us to unpack our hamper, but insisted in themselves entertaining us. The evening of the fourth day we reached Berg river,