Identifier: southafric00colv (find matches)
Title: South Africa
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Colvin, Ian Duncan, 1877-1938
Subjects:
Publisher: London Edinburgh, T.C. & E.C. Jack
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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which they drank themselves so drunk thatone beheld them making the strangest antics in the world, singing,dancing, leaping, and with other strange behaviour; at one timeone, at another another, fell down through drunkenness, and werepicked up by those not so far gone, carried outside the fort andlaid on the grass to sleep. Van Riebeck and his Dutchmen entered into theentertainment with spirit. On one occasion we hear ofcertain natives being introduced into the Commandersown room and placed before a large mirror, at whichthey appeared to be completely at a loss, at one timethinking that the reflections were persons in anotherroom, at another time recognising themselves and otherpersons; they believed that they were seeing spectres,so much so that Eva, Doman, and other Hottentotsliving near the fort had enough to do to explain mattersto them. Thus we have often wonderful jokes andamusing oddities with these strangers. And we havea delightful account of the reception given to Sousoa,96
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VAN RIEBECK chief of the Chainouquas, who entered the fort,riding on a large ox, accompanied by his sons wife. He was treated to cheese, fresh bread and sugar in atin dish, and seated on a mat in the Commanders roomwith the aforesaid dirty princess (his sons wife), a favournever shown to anyone before. We also played for himon the claversingel, all which appeared to please himimmensely, as well as the beer, Spanish and Frenchwines, which he relished exceedingly. However, he didnot take so much as would have intoxicated him. Hisfollowers were entertained in the front hall with biscuitsand brandy in such a way that they sang lustily, jumpedand performed various monkey tricks. Cannot weimagine the scene—the rudely-timbered room in thefort, hung with weapons and horns and other trophiesof the chase, the chief and the dirty princess with theirmantles of skins about them on the floor, and the jovialDutchmen in their mid-seventeenth century dress pour-ing out the wine or strumming some rol

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