A Trip to Boërland, or a year's travel, sport and gold-digging in the Transvaal and colony of Natal

Preface

. It is not without considerable trepidation that I venture to submit this little volume to the critical judgment of the reading public. No one is more alive to its imperfections than I am, and it is only from a belief that at the present juncture of Trans vaal affairs an account, however scant, of matters in that country will be acceptable, that I have been persuaded to "go to press" at all. Had I the imagination of a Marco Polo and the graphic power of a Forbes, the narrative might perhaps have been more entertaining, and certainly would have shone as a more brilliant specimen of literary composition. But, alas ! I lack those faculties, and merely offer this little brochure as a simple account of my actual experiences and impressions during my twelve months' sojourn in South Africa. I have therefore no choice but to crave the courteous reader's kind indulgence, and to beg him, in the slightly altered words of an old saw, to " Be to my virtues ever kind, And to my faults a little blind. London, October, 1879. PAGE I i7 39 CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Two of a projected company make a proposal— Description of companions — The Edinburgh Castle — Dartmouth — A hundred rivals — The disagreeable Jew — A weak moment — A neglected cemetery — "Wolf!" — The blazing foam — A sea of blood — Capetown — Lost dignity — An exciting moment — A' dangerous shore — Landing at Natal

Chapter II

Durban — The coloured population — Sham benevolence — A patch-work bridge — Exfierientia docet — A fruit farm — Masonic meeting — Cecil overboard — Thomas Baines — Drinking propensities — Red-tapeism — A coal hoax — A dusty ride

Chapter III

Pietermaritzburg — A grass fire — Legislative Assembly — Sick oxen — Human vultures — A gory bed — The bullock-waggon — Umgeni Falls — A gentle remedy — Kartoo — " Beautiful " river — Scotch morality — An overdose — A scrape — A thorny path — The voluble captain — Cec'l in trouble — " Wart-een-bitche " — -The boundary ... CONTENTS. PAGE 64 89 112 -!33 160

Chapter IV

Political condition of the Transvaal — Importunate beggars — Vaal river — The High Veldt — A Golgotha — A grass fire — Primitive surveying — The lost tribes — Crocodile river valley — The City of Sorrows — A guerilla captain — A smash — The Devil's Knuckles — A mountain of iron — Spitzkop

Chapter V

The land of Ophir — An illiberal Government — New policy — Marabastad reef — Lijdenburg fields — Statistics — Scarcity of water — Population — Initiation — " Hind-leg " — Lynch law — An ingrate — Disappointing news — Sir Theophilus Shepstone — "Yankee Dan" — A carouse — "All gon'd afay" ...

Chapter VI

A speculation — Gold-digging — Prospecting — Spitzkop Mountain — Old workings — A Highland piper — The Transvaal flag — Insect life — Kafir rows — A seidlitz powder — Magneto-electric machine — Effects of a hurricane — A sad death — Rumours of war ...

Chapter VII

Start on an expedition — A nocturnal visitor — Liberty — Prospecting a reef — Umgwenia river — Wild pigs — A Kafir supper — Buffalo — River shooting — Great heat— A night's watch — Koodoo — A spiteful monster — A good bag

Chapter VIII

Arrival at the ford — An unexpected meeting — The homeward journey — Wet weather — Quaggas — A foolish bath — Fever — Pretorius Kop — A weary walk — Assistance — Lightning Gully — Spitzkop again CONTENTS. IX

Chapter IX. Page

Farewell to Spitzkop— Sabi-lala Falls— Mac-Mac— Fleas- Pilgrim's Rest — Kind friends— A contrast — Agents — The lower regions — Pilgrim's Hill on a wet night ... 170

Chapter X

Deserters — Kruger's Post — A Nimrod — The bacon tree — Lijdenburg again — Fresh acquaintances — A ruined city — Steelpoort river — Thaba Mossequ — Stolen diamonds — Native fortifications — An inhospitable chief — Two months after — A couple of cowards — Middleburg ... ... 185

Chapter XI

" Can anything good come out of Nazareth ? " — South African hotels — The Landrost — A strange Christmas— Mining speculators — A " sell " — Cobalt — Midnight revels — The ball — The stolen cannon — Bustard-shooting — The horse sickness 196

Chapter XII

The nachtmaal — Hotel inconveniences — A mission station — Starved-out miners — An entertainment ! — Trip on the High Veldt — A Boer at home — Daager — Mr. Erasmus — A philosopher — Coal 210

Chapter XIII

A giant mushroom — Brandspruit — The Boer memorial — A patriarch — Sport — The vulture — Bad water— Conversation — A mortal combat — An African idiot— Return to Middleburg — Journey to Pretoria — " Good fors " CONTENTS. X PAGE 233 246

Chapter XIV

The capital — Improvements — Misrule — Old friends — Snobs — The Wonderboom — Borers — A queer fireplace — Adventure with a lion — A fearful mistake — A waterspout — Transvaal agriculture — Return of the Governor — Ridiculous proclamation — An empty ball-room — Departure for Utrecht

Chapter XV

Leave for Natal — High Veldt again — Wild turkeys — Slang river — Accidents — Utrecht — The Buffalo river — An obstinate fellow — Nearly choked — A curious remedy — Lost on the veldt — The Tugela — Loss of property — Tit for tat — The volunteers — Durban — Afloat again — A fearful trial — Home ...

Chapter I

Two of a projected company make a proposal— Description of companions — The Edinburgh Cast/e — Dartmouth — A hundred rivals — The disagreeable Jew — A weak moment — A neglected cemetery — "Wolf!" — The blazing foam — A sea of blood — Capetown — Lost dignity — An exciting moment — A dangerous shore — Landing at Natal. For some months in the early part of the year 1877, I had been endeavouring to promote, in London, a scheme for the formation of a trading and colonizing company, on a portion of the eastern coast of the African continent. My hopes were, however, doomed to disappointment ; and, after a vast deal of trouble and expense, I had the mortification of witnessing the miscarriage of my attempts, and the plan had reluctantly to be abandoned. My African ardour, however, was not damped by failure, and when two friends made another proposal to me, bearing upon a similar subject, it was without much hesitation that I agreed to their amendment.

It was arranged, without much preamble, that we three, the sole remnant of my originally projected company, should proceed forthwith on a journey of experience in South-Eastern Africa, remaining there about twelve months. My friends, whom I shall mention by their Christian names, Cecil and Sydney, were both men well adapted for a rough-and-tumble life. Cecil had already gone through considerable backwoods experience in North America, and had also taken part in an abortive expedition which, under the superintendence of Mr. McKenzie, was to cut a channel through the Bocca di Leone, on the Morocco coast, and flood the desert of Sahara. He was a most amusing fellow, and particularly well skilled with his pencil. My other friend, Sydney, was a stout, well-built young Irishman, also lately returned from America, where he had been surveying, and although not so experienced a traveller as Cecil, was nevertheless a most desirable travelling companion.

Both were as eager as myself to leave England, and breathe, for a time at least, an atmosphere free from the restraints of a farcical conventionality. So it happened that when the good ship Edinburgh Castle steamed out of the West India Docks on Tuesday, the 15th of May, 1877, she bore, as part of her living freight, my two companions and myself, bound with our baggage for Port Natal. That very baggage afterwards proved my bete noir, and I would strongly recommend other travellers who do not intend making more than a temporary stay, to confine their impedimenta within as small a compass as possible, especially in Africa. Our run down Channel was hardly pleasant. We had rather rough weather, and matters on board being anything but ship-shape, I was not sorry, on waking up in my berth on the following Thursday, and craning my neck to the dead-light, to note the fact that we had entered the beautiful harbour of Dartmouth.

I was quickly on deck, and admiring the beauties of the scenery, which, even on a dull, rainy morning like the present, were enchanting. As the ship would remain until the following day, I decided to go ashore and make myself acquainted with the lions of the old town, which I had never previously visited ; and, after a hurried breakfast and a little letter writing, I carried out my intention. Dartmouth proved in every respect well worthy of the visit, and we were occupied the whole morning in examining various buildings of antiquarian and historical inte rest. After dining at the Castle hotel, I seized the opportunity of running up by train to Newton Abbot, some ten miles off — a little town, near which my boyhood was spent, and where I had relations living. To them I bade adieu, and returned again at night to the ship.

The next morning, we had a strong influx of passengers, and every berth in the ship was rapidly filled. A goodly number of these were Germans, many of whom could not speak a word of the English language, while most of the remainder were either well-to-do colonists, returning from their European holiday, or adventurers, travelling in search of what so many are disappointed in — a fortune. Of ladies, I think there were only some ten or twelve on board ; and as the total number of passengers amounted to something like 120, the spirit of gallant rivalry which pervaded the male sex on board, during the whole journey out, was, to say the least of it, highly amusing. We had a fair sprinkling of Jews, bound, I believe, for the diamond-fields ; and though I certainly do not share Mr. Trollope's predilection for Jews in the concrete, I must grant that, with one exception, they were very decently pleasant.

This one ex ception was simply a horror, and if any one had offered to drown him on the passage out, I for one should have made no very stubborn ob jection. It is remarkable the power possessed by some individuals of spoiling the pleasure of the many. This wretch not only spoilt many a pleasant conversation by his ill-judged and coarse observa tions, but also at table often completely disgusted his neighbours by his unclean and vulgar behaviour. But I anticipate. It was twelve at noon, and a gun having been fired, the anchor was weighed, and the Edinburgh Castle steamed majestically out of the harbour, with her head set away from the English shore. It was not the first time by many that I had seen my native shore recede from view when "bound away" to distant lands ; so that I ought by this time to have passed the Rubicon of sentimentality, but I must yet plead guilty to a weakness upon this occasion.

I was leaving behind me everything I held near and dear in the world ; and even were it not for this, my actual pride as an Englishman in his native land would be sufficient to cause an instant's feeling of regret. Whatever mental sensations I had on the subject were soon, however, put in the shade by certain bodily qualms which gradually overtook me, and to which I remained a martyr for the next twenty-four hours, until the wind lulled, or the sea subsided, or somethine or other became more comfortable, and I was enabled to shake the cobwebs off. The passengers by this time had settled down, and all got on pretty well together, while specu lation became rife as to when we should reach Madeira. Flirtations had evidently already com menced, and some bosom friendships initiated, to degenerate before the end of the voyage into deadly hatred, and finally, after arrival, to culminate in most supreme indifference.

On the Tuesday, we passed close to the island of Puerto Santo ; and on the next day, in the early morning, dropped anchor off Funchal, Madeira. From the roads we commanded a really splendid view of the island, the beauty of which can hardly be overrated. From the white surf-line along the beach, passing upwards over the little fantastically built town, the vineyards and quintas on the terraces, to the violet heather of the mountain — the whole, framed by the azure sky above and by the pellucid water below, formed a most striking and deliciously harmonious picture. Of course we landed, and, having chosen a guide from among the squalid, noisy troop of creatures of that ilk who swarm about a stranger on landing: like flies around a treacle-pot, we prepared to make the most of the six hours the captain had informed us were at our disposal.

Visiting the fish-market, we saw a most peculiar assortment of fish exposed for sale : beautiful silver eels, five feet in length ; huge sea bream, as red as a soldier's coat; and an enormous fish known as albicore, which was sold in steaks. Among other places, we went to the Protestant cemetery on the hill. It is here that the greater part of the English who die in the island are buried. Some of the inscriptions are very touching, and consumption appears to be generally stated as the cause of death. The cemetery is, however, in very bad order. Many of the tombs were broken, and the place has altogether a very neglected appearance. Cecil, who appeared to have friends in every quarter of the globe, here fell in with an acquaintance, the proprietor of Reid's hotel, who took us to his establishment for breakfast — a meal which was hardly finished ere we were summoned by the report of a gun to rejoin the ship, which meanwhile had been taking in coal.

Reluctantly, therefore, we were compelled to leave this beautiful island, and repair on board the packet, which shortly afterwards, under full steam, again rapidly left land astern. For the next few days I found much satisfaction in conversation with a gentleman named Hudson, formerly a gold-miner in Venezuela, and who now was on board this ship with a roving commission. It was from these conversations that I conceived the idea of trying my luck at the Transvaal gold-fields. The time, however, hung somewhat heavily on our hands ; there was rather a paucity of literature on board, and the subjects of general conversation became at length exhausted. On Sunday, the 27th os May, we sighted Cape de Verde, and went so near the land that I thought we should almost go aground on the reef which there stretches out into the yellow pestilent shore water.

The equator was passed on the following Thursday, in honour of which event some fireworks were let off from the bridge in the evening — a proceeding which I cannot help condemning as mischievous, inasmuch as passing vessels are apt to mistake such displays for signals of distress, with consequences suggestive of the cry of "Wolf!" The heat now; became intense ; in the cabins we were nearly baked — many of the passengers, myself among the number, preferring to sleep on the poop deck. By doing this we certainly had the advantage of those who slept below, as, at the time of deck washing, we came in for a douche bath of the most refreshing description from the salt-water hose. On the 7th of June, something gave way in the machinery, and we had to lie to and repair for about ten hours. As a sort of make-weight against this little vexation, an evening dramatic entertainment was given in the saloon by some of the passengers, who acquitted themselves remarkably well — so well, indeed, that I suspected one or two of having some thing beyond a mere amateur knowledge of the stage.

At night-time the sea was frequently very beautiful. I would stand for hours leaning on the rail, smoking my pipe and watching those great waves of inky black as they broke on the ship's side, bursting into huge patches of blazing foam ; but my favourite haunt was right aft over the propeller, where I could see great lumps of solid fire being churned up in the seething caldron below. On the last day before arriving at the Cape, there was a great commotion on board. Somebody had overheard somebody else say that so-and-so had informed him, in confidence, that he had strong sus picions of some one else's moral character. And this rumour coming to Z.'s ears, Z. immediately tackled A. on the subject, calling the statements of B., C, D., etc., up as evidence ; and the greater part of that day was employed by the passengers in vilifying one another.

The little Jew, too, was put out ; some person to whom he had become no longer bearable had threatened to kick him, and would have put his threat into execution but for the timely interference of the captain. The Jew was perfectly livid with rage, and appealed to the captain for further support ; but that gentleman, who had had quite enough of him, politely declined acceding to his request. On the same day, in the afternoon, the ship passed through about two miles of sea of a com- * 10 pletely blood-red colour — a phenomenon which I apprehend is due to the presence, in enormous quantities, of some microscopic infusorial body akin to that which sometimes colours snow in a similar manner. As darkness set in that night, the welcome flash of the Cape Light became visible on our port bow, and within a few more hours we dropped anchor in Table Bay, after a run of twenty-four days from Dartmouth.

A magnificent sight met my eye on going on deck in the morning. I had been led to expect a dense fog, but was agreeably disappointed, for the sun, which had just risen, illumined a most pictur esque landscape free from mist or fog of any kind. On our right lay Capetown, nestling like a little toy village at the foot of the mighty Table Mountain, through the gorges on whose summit the morning mists were creeping down like huge masses of cotton wool ; while further seawards stretched the extraor dinarily shaped mountain known as " The Lion," on the green slopes of which miniature sheep and cattle could be seen grazing. On the other side of the land-locked bay, towards the towns of the Paarl and Stellenbosch, my eye was attracted by a chain of rocky mountains, whose fantastic shapes stood out in bold and striking relief against the morning sky.

The sea itself was covered with every description of craft, and the air around was filled with boobies, mullihawks, Cape pigeons, and scores of other noisy varieties of the feathered tribe. Altogether, my first impressions of Table Bay were very pleasant. The ship got alongside of the quay at about the middle of the day, and I at once proceeded to make the most of the time at my disposal. Walking through the town, I was not much impressed with either streets or buildings. The former were steep and abominably dusty, and the latter, with few exceptions, ill built and very dirty. I certainly expected that a city with 30,000 inhabitants would have managed to cut a little better figure. I visited the museum, with its library of 35,000 volumes, which I thought pretty good for a colonial town. We also ran through the International Exhibition, but to me, just arrived from Europe, that sort of thing was decidedly tame.

There were some fine specimens of polished native woods, and of minerals from Namaqualand, but this was all that interested me here. I should have wished to have spent some time in exploring the surrounding country, but as the Natal steamer was to depart at an early hour on the next morning, I had to defer my explorations. We dined at an hotel in one of the principal streets, and I was disgusted at not being able to obtain there a natural Cape wine, which I was desirous of tasting. " We don't sell that sort of thing in this establishment, sir," superciliously replied the waiter, in answer to my question ; " but possibly you may obtain it at one of the low canteens." Thanking him for his informa tion—he was a half-bred St. Helena boy — I paid my score, and, being intent upon getting the native wine, repaired to one of these canteens, which I happened to find to be anything but " low," and where I obtained a wine immeasurably superior in flavour and pleasanter to the palate than the heavily bran died, inferior Spanish wines sold at outrageously high prices in the hotels.

I also tasted the Cape beer — a light, frothy beverage, sold at threepence per bottle, and something similar in character to the so-called weissbier of Germany. So that on the whole, I lost nothing by going to the " low " canteen, excepting, of course, my dignity in the eyes of the St. Helena waiter. On the following day, our baggage having been transferred to the coasting steamship Florence, we bade farewell to the friendly officers of the Edin burgh Castle, and embarked in the smaller ship en route for Natal. The change was anything but pleasant, the ship's accommodation being very infe rior to that of the Edinbtirgh. The decks were blocked up with cargo and waggons for the troops ; the catering was very second-rate, and a horrible smell pervaded every part of the ship during the whole voyage.

Of our old passengers, only a dozen remained ; but we had a tolerably good addition from Capetown itself — every berth was crowded, and auxiliary beds had to be made up at night upon the saloon tables. All the way to Natal we kept the coast well in sight — a fine, bold outline, but bleak and inhospitable in appearance. Our first stopping-place was Port Elizabeth, which I saw nothing of, being asleep. In the after noon of the following day, we had, however, a little sensation to break the monotony of the voyage. This was the transferring of thirty-five tons of cargo into lighters, in the open sea off Port Alfred, or " The Kowie." The cargo had to be lowered by the steam-winch from the deck into the lighter alongside, and as the sea was pretty rough, it may be imagined that this was no easy matter.

At one moment the lighter would be almost on a level with the ship's deck, at another down in the trough of the sea, some fifteen feet lower. The bumps that lighter gave the ship's side were numerous and hard. I do not think that one single package went through the ordeal of transhipment without damage. Many were visibly smashed to pieces, others dived into the sea between the lighter and the ship's side and were crushed to splinters. A case said to contain a tombstone, and labelled " with great care," was smashed in two, one-half falling into the hold of the lighter and the other plunging into the sea. At one upward surge, the mast of the lighter caught our derrick, and was snapped off like matchwood, bringing down all the rigging, and seriously injuring a man. How they stuck to the decks of that lighter was to me a marvel, as she was actually being whisked about like a cockle-shell.

But the most exciting part had yet to come. The cargo having been transhipped, a small hatch was opened on the lighter by two of the hands, and a woman, in a per fectly unconscious state, was dragged forth, brought to the edge, and held out like a wet sack to be caught up. Three times the lighter rose up to the level of the deck, and as many times was the woman missed being caught; but a fourth and mightier wave, however, brought her up again, and then, seizing their opportunity, the men stationed in the gangway clutched the poor, insensible creature, and, after a moment's dangling in mid-air, safely landed her on board, amid the cheers of the lookers-on. If that is the usual method of landing or embarking* at the Kowie, I trust none of my female relatives will ever go there. We arrived at East London on a Sunday, and as the Sabbatarian principle is strongly developed at that port (?), no notice was taken of our arrival, until the following morning, when a steam-tug, which on the previous day had been lying in the roads some three hundred yards off, came alongside and took off mails and passengers.

I subsequently heard that these unlucky individuals remained for no less than three weeks in that tug at anchor, the weather being such as not to admit of their crossing the bar of the Buffalo river. I believe this part of the African coast to be one of the most dangerous places in the world. There is at all times a heavy surf breaking along the shore, and as the anchorage is bad, many vessels come to grief in a south-east gale. As we steamed along, we saw the skeletons of many ships lining the shore, and a passenger informed me that in the preceding year as many as forty vessels broke from their moorings and went to pieces in one single night at Port Elizabeth. I myself, when in Natal on my return, some twelve months later, witnessed the wrecking on the back beach of two brigs within three hours of each other, and I have frequently heard the statement made that when ship-owners of easy virtue were desirous of realizing, they sent their old ships to the south-east coast.

Whether this statement was a true one or not 'I cannot say, but it is a very significant one. On the 19th of June, we sighted the Bluff, a bold headland protecting the little harbour of Natal, and some few hours afterwards we dropped anchor for the last time at what is known as the outer anchorage. The draught of water on the bar of the harbour being insufficient for the Florence to cross, passengers and luggage were transferred to a small steam-tug, the Scout, and after having been half-drowned with spray, and bumped once or twice in going over the bar, we finally brought up alongside the landing-stage at the Point, Port Natal. By this time it was nearly dark, and a friendly fellow-passenger, who was acquainted with the locality, having introduced us to a Mr. Pugh on the landing-stage, that gentleman undertook to see our heavy baggage safely housed for the night, and to conduct us to his boarding establishment in Durban, some three miles off, where in the course of an hour or so, we were safely ensconced at the rate of seven shillings per head per diem.

Chapter II

Durban — The coloured population — Sham benevolence — A patchwork bridge — Experientia docet — A fruit farm — Masonic meeting — Cecil overboard — Thomas Baines — Drinking propensities — Red-tapeism — A coal hoax — A dusty ride. Thirty-five years ago, the spot where now stands the town of Durban was marked by a sandy plain, elevated scarcely six feet above high-water mark, studded here and there with dense clumps of bush, and situate on the edge of a little land-locked bay, about three miles from the Point and open sea. At that time the locality was doubtless very unhealthy, mangroves being plentiful along the shore of the bay. These have now, however, been almost wholly eradicated, and the locality has much improved in a sanitary point of view, although a description of low fever, known as the " dengue," is sometimes prevalent in the summer season.

At the present day, Durban is a flourishing little town, having about 3000 white inhabitants, and as the greater part of the Transvaal and Free State derive their foreign imports through the Natal colony, its trade is not inconsiderable. The Point, where the shipping business is carried on, is connected with the town by a short line of railway, which is under Government control and supervision, and the same line of metals extends about eight miles to the mouth of the river Umgeni, where there is a depot for the neighbouring sugar and coffee plantations. To the north-east of the town lies the Berea, an elevated tract of country surrounded by dense bush, where, some thirty years since, elephants held undisputed sway, but which now is in great part dotted with suburban residences of the merchants and notables of Durban, who find the hill more healthy and agreeable than the low lying plain beneath.

The town consists mainly of three principal streets, parallel with one another, two of which are partially macadamized, while the remainder, with the cross-streets, are but mere sandy tracks, over which traffic is carried on with difficulty. The houses and stores are in general only one-storey buildings, and in great part constructed of corrugated iron, a material which, in South Africa, is much employed for the erection of dwellings. In West Street, which is the principal street, however, there are a few buildings of a more substantial description, among which are two banks and some general stores of extensive dimensions. The most considerable building in the town, the Court- House, in which are united all the offices over which the Legislature has direct control, is a fine stone erection, situate at the entrance of a square park, which is prettily laid out as a botanic garden, and planted with many beautiful specimens of exotic trees.