Twenty-Five Years in a Waggon in South Africa: Sport and Travel in South AfricaAnderson, Andrew A.
History
Twenty-Five Years in a Waggon in South Africa: Sport and Travel in South Africa
Anderson, Andrew A.
Africa, Southern -- Description and travel; Anderson, Andrew A. -- Travel -- Africa, Southern
The mountain, called Scheurberg, is another peculiar range, with its
many pointed peaks, with wood in the valleys and kloof; fifty miles in
length and twelve in width, a road passing through the centre, a great
resort of lions, wolves, and other beasts of prey. The continuation of
the Orange river up from the junction of the Hygap is particularly
picturesque, and in many places fearfully bold and rugged, with lofty
and almost perpendicular cliffs, with fine timber, beautiful bushes,
tree-ferns, and other subtropical plants, which add much to the
landscape.
It was at the point of the Langberg, close to the river, where the berg
seems split up into several magnificent hills, between which and the
river is almost a level but thickly wooded space of several hundred
yards in width, where we came to outspan, for the purpose of making a
new tent to my waggon. My driver happened to capsize it into a sluit
two days before, and, to complete my misfortune, I lost four of my best
trek oxen in the river by sinking in the mud. The next day one died of
the melt sickness, and I had to shoot another from lung-sickness.
The willow trees along the bank gave us plenty of wood, and in two days
the tent was completed. Mr. Staple, who was with me, suggested we
should make a boat of wicker-work, after our Welsh coracles, which we
soon completed, by small branches being bent the proper shape, with
cross-pieces, each tied very carefully together, forming a strong and
firm framework, over which we stretched two raw bullock-hides, well sewn
together, and when dry painted it red,--two seats, two paddles, a mast,
and lug-sail; the length was seven feet, and twenty inches deep, in
shape like half an egg cut through lengthways. This little work
occupied us a week. When perfectly dry we took it down to the river to
launch it, not thinking of its lightness. As soon as it was floated I
brought it close to the rock, and put one foot into the boat, and then
made a spring in, when I was no sooner in than I was out on the other
side into the water, a regular header--fortunately it was deep water.
However, on landing, I took off my clothes to dry on the rocks, and
Staples got some Koranna girls who were sitting on the bank watching our
work, to bring some stones to put in as ballast, which took some time,
as few were to be found.
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