Notes on Natal : an old colonist's book for new settlers / edited by John Robinson.
- John Robinson
- Date:
- 1872
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Notes on Natal : an old colonist's book for new settlers / edited by John Robinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![a cold breeze from the moiintains, wMch fr-eshens by the time we iiispan, at 7 15 a.m., increasing as we ascend to the Berg, until at Smidt's Good Hope, (175 miles from Durban) it becomes half a gale, not only the dust biit small pebbles being driven into cm- face. This, the last house in Natal, we reach at 8.o0, and enjoy a capital breakfast. Mr. Fyvie, Inspector of Eoads, is here, and this reminds us how agreeably surprised we have been to find the Natal roads in such excellent order all the way through. We have only had to use the riem-chain twice. The trap has no other break. At 10.30 a.m. we leave Good Hope and anon find ourselves ascending the Van Eenen pass of the famous Drakensberg, when we dis- mount and follow our trap the whole way on foot, rude Boreas poiuing on us, out of the ravines to our left, the rudest blasts we have felt this many a day. The cold too, is intense, but we enjoy the splendid view as much as the haze will permit, and though we have occasionally to cry beUows-to-mend, reach the top in perfect ease and safety. Trees are found growing in the ravines quite to the top of the Berg, where we take a last lingering look at our beloved Natal, and at 12 a.m. rejoin our convey- ance, which is now in the Free State, (say 181 miles from Durban). The road up the much maligned Drakensberg is now in splendid order, without really one steep pull. We have no hesitation in pronouncing it as little difficult to ascend as the old Town-hill at Maritzburg. As easy, we were going to say, but that, as most people know, won't apply to travelling in this part of South Africa. The last home- steads in sight as you approach the confines of Natal are those of Mr. Yan Eenen (an intelligent member of the Free State Volksraad), Mr. Boast (son, probably, of one of the original York settlers), and Mr. Piet du Plessia, Jan's son, formerly of Blue ]3eU Farm, near Colenso. There are Ladismith, Newcastle and many old friends scattered about we would gladly have looked up had time permitted. The district is undoubtedly one of the best in the colony for general farming operations, and, with a large and thriving community. As yet, it seems as if the settlers object to be in the direction of the trunk road of the colony, or that the direction of the road ob- jects to passing very near the homesteads, so few are visi- ble as you drive along. The consequence is that travel- lers can form no estimate of the progress that we know is being made, and might with truth say that the countj- could not possibly have a more appropriate njirae than it](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24750517_0239.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
