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
They tracked these Bushmen about on the hills in snow for some days, and
at last the two parties met, and just before dark saw the Bushmen's
fires in caves. The parties slept on the ground, and in the morning saw
a Bushman come out with a bridle to catch a horse. Suddenly, like
Robinson Crusoe, he stood aghast seeing their spoor, threw down his
bridle, and bolted to give the alarm. The Bushmen fought with their
poisoned arrows, and as their sexes could not be distinguished in the
bush, as they dress alike, all were killed, except one old woman, shot
through the knee, who rode in as if nothing was wrong with her. She was
cured, carried near to another tribe and turned out. No other Bushmen
were ever seen after that in Natal. Previously one lad was shot through
the shoulder and caught. He was never of any service, not even as an
after-rider, though a splendid horseman, being quite unteachable. He
never attempted to escape to his tribe, though he might easily have done
so; and when taken out to track them, and coming on their caves, he
broke their pots, a sign of displeasure among Kaffirs; and he said all
he wanted was, to catch and kill his mother.
Starting.
Before starting on my memorable expedition, I procured some sail-cloth,
to make a side-tent to my waggon, which formed a very comfortable
retreat for my boys on wet nights. My driver, a fine young Zulu, could
handle an ox-whip and give the professional crack to perfection. If not
able to accomplish this feat, they are not considered efficient drivers.
His name was Panda, after the great Zulu chief, and he was from all
accounts a descendant of that renowned warrior, his father having fled
into Natal some time before. He was now working to collect a sufficient
number of heifers together to buy his first wife, a young Zulu maid
living in a large kraal half a mile from his master's farm. The
forelooper, one who leads the two front oxen in dangerous places, and
looks after the span when in the Veldt feeding and assists in
inspanning, another fine young Zulu about eighteen, a handsome lad, was
named Shilling. The other and third boy, younger, also a Zulu, I named
Jim, as his other name was too long to use or recollect. After seeing
some of my friends and saying good-bye, we make the first afternoon trek
over the Town hill towards Howick, a very steep and stony road, full of
ruts made by the heavy rains, and out on the rising ground beyond; where
a magnificent view is obtained of the surrounding country and distant
hills, of which Table Mountain, some twenty miles on the east of the
city, stands out boldly in the landscape. There are several table
mountains in Natal, so-called from their flat heads. My object when I
commenced this journey was to push on with all speed to the foot of the
Drakensberg Mountains, a distance of over 100 miles, cross the Berg at
Van Reenen's Pass, and make for Harrysmith in the Orange Free State,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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