Volume 1

Travels into the interior of Southern Africa / [Sir John Barrow].

  • John Barrow
Date:
1806
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels into the interior of Southern Africa / [Sir John Barrow]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    54/474 page 30
    or Jand-mark, a little too near to that of his neighbour, the Feld wagt-meester, or peace-officer of the division, is called in, by the latter, to pace the distance, for which he gets three dollars. If the Feldwagt-meester should happen to regulate his pace to the satisfaction of both parties, the affair is settled ; but as this is not always the case, the next step is for the dis- contented party to apply for a commission, consisting of the Landrost, two members of the Council, the Secretary of the district, and a Messenger. These gentlemen share fifteen dollars a day as long as they are out upon the commission to determine how far a man ought to walk in an hour. The dangerous and difficult roads in every part of the colony, but particularly the kloefs or passes of the mountains, and the still more perilous fords of the rivers, shew how very little sense is entertained by the peasantry of public benefits or public conveniences. Each gets over a difficulty as well as he can, and no more is thought about it till it again occurs. An instance appeared of this in crossing the Breede river op- posite to Brandt Valley, which is done by means of a small flat-bottomed tub, about six feet by three. In this machine foot passengers haw] themselves over by a rope fixed to two posts, one on each side of the river. When a horse is to cross, the saddle is taken off, the rider gets into the tub, and drags the animal after him. But when a waggon ‘is to be ‘transported, it must first be unladen, and the baggage car- ried over in the vessel: the carriage is then made fast by one end to this floating machine, and the other is buoyed up by a cask, and in this manner it is dragged over. Thus is half a day consumed in passing a small river of thirty or forty
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3