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[Page 175]

May [1883]
Tuesday 15th

The telegraph has to be opened
at 8 A.M. so we were up at a
very decent time, & had breakfast
at 8 after a delightful
night's rest. All the morning
I did nothing particular, lying
down & reading principally.
The 2 officers here make a great
deal of us & especially of me,
a lady is such a novelty
to them. There are a small
mob of Blacks camped close
to the Station. They are not
civilised, but as
long as there are several
men about the place there
is no fear of any danger. They
are terrified at the sight of
firearms, so many of them
having been killed at different
times. The S.A. Government
is very strict about murdering
niggers, a man is liable to
be hung for it, if it is found
out, so unless the blacks have
killed cattle or sheep, the
white men do not harm
them, & then they have to
keep it very quiet in case it
should get to head quarters.