| The Shipwreck That Began The Tradition Of "Women | | | | "Immortal" Rain QueenDuring disturbances in the 16th |
| And Children First"The Captain of the sinking ship, HMS | | | | Century a princess of the karanga people in |
| Birkenhead, shouted "every man for himself", but the | | | | Zimbabwe, fled to the fertile valley of the Molototsi |
| troops stood on the doomed ship and calmly waited | | | | River, east of Duiwelskloof. The princess became the |
| their fate as they knew that if they stormed the three | | | | most famous rain-maker in Africa. She called herself |
| serviceable lifeboats, the women and children in them | | | | Modjadji and withdrew from public view. People began |
| would surely drown. They stood in their ranks even as | | | | to believe she was immortal and the book "She" by Sir |
| the ship split in two. The ship then tilted and the soldiers | | | | Henry Rider Haggard is based on her. Even the |
| were thrown overboard. Some drowned and others | | | | savage warriors, the Swazi's and Zulu's held her in |
| faced an even worse fate as the waters were | | | | awe. The mystique of Modjadji remains to this day. |
| infested with sharks. Of the 638 people who sailed on | | | | The capital of the present successor to the original rain |
| the HMS Birkenhead, only 193 survived. And that is | | | | queen is situated on a hill slope, below which is a weird |
| where the saying "women and children first" comes | | | | forest of trees known as Modjadji cycads. Gifts are |
| from. Gold reputed to be worth in excess of 300,000 | | | | still sent to Modjadji as an inducement for her to make |
| pounds went down with the ship, but to this day if any | | | | rain.Jock Of The Bushveld"Jock of the Bushveld" |
| of it has been found, it has not been reported to the | | | | written by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, ranks as a literary |
| authorities.Eternal Voyage Of The Flying | | | | classic of South Africa. It is essentially a true story |
| DutchmanWhen the wind howls and the waves crash | | | | covering Sir Percy's years as a transport rider and is |
| against the coast, the ghost of the Flying Dutchman is | | | | rich in episodes of hunting , real-life characters and |
| said to haunt the waters around the Cape of Good | | | | adventures in the haunts of big game. During these |
| Hope. Tales have filtered down through generations of | | | | years he acquired Jock, the runt of the litter who |
| a phantom ship with broken masts, flying before the | | | | became the bravest of hunters and the most |
| gale and doomed to battle forever to round the Cape. | | | | resourceful of companions. Today a number of |
| Some say the legend goes all the way back to | | | | commemorative plaques and cairns can be seen along |
| Bartholomew Dias, The Portuguese navigator who | | | | the old transport routes. In the Barberton Park is a |
| drowned when his ship sank off the Cape two years | | | | statue of Jock of the Bushveld and outside the town is |
| after he successfully rounded it. However, the most | | | | a large acacia tree under which Jock and his master |
| often told tale is that of Captain van der Decken, a | | | | often camped. Inside the Impala Hotel is a mural frieze |
| Dutchman, who on his homeward journey ran into a | | | | scenes from the Jock of the Bushveld story.Tales Of |
| storm in 1641. It is said that while his ship was sinking he | | | | The Rip Van Winkle Of ZastronTales about Renier du |
| vowed that he would round the Cape if he had to | | | | Wapenaar are part of the folklore of Southern Africa. |
| keep sailing until doomsday. It is said that whoever | | | | Renier lived on a farm on the site of what is now the |
| catches a glimpse of the Flying Dutchman, will perish, | | | | town of Zastron. With his long flowing beard, ragged |
| just as Van der Decken did. Keepers of the lighthouse | | | | trousers and peaked cap, he looked like Rip van |
| at the tip of the peninsula have often reported seeing | | | | Winkle. It is said that one day when food was short |
| a sailing ship at the height of a storm. Perhaps the | | | | because of a drought, he fired into a flock of pigeons |
| most famous sighting was on 11 July 1881 when a | | | | and killed so many that the overjoyed people of |
| young midshipman, on the Royal Navy ship, Bacchante, | | | | Zastron had to cart them away in six ox-wagons. In |
| recorded that at 4 am the Flying Dutchman crossed | | | | the Zastron area is an odd-looking peak named |
| their bows. The lookout man in the forecastle reported | | | | "Vulture Mountain" which has a great big hole beneath |
| her as being close to the port bow. Also the officer of | | | | its summit. According to Renier he was out hunting one |
| the watch saw her as a strange red light of a | | | | day when he met the devil. The devil eyed his ancient |
| phantom ship all aglow. Soon afterwards the lookout | | | | gun and asked what it was. Renier replied that it was |
| man fell from a mast to his death, but the curse of the | | | | a pipe. The devil, being a keen smoker, asked if he |
| Flying Dutchman did not touch the midshipman, who | | | | could sample Renier's tobacco. Renier warned him that |
| later became King George V.The Ghost With Red-Hot | | | | the tobacco was strong, but the devil nevertheless |
| HandshakeAccording to the legend, in about 1880, a | | | | insisted. Renier then loaded his gun with a triple charge |
| farm owner died and his farm was taken over by his | | | | of gun powder and a variety of projectiles and give it |
| brother-in-law who was an unpleasant character. He | | | | to the devil. He told the devil to put the one end in his |
| began to mistreat the dead man's wife and daughter. | | | | mouth and he lit the fuse. There was an enormous |
| The daughter was being courted by a young man | | | | explosion and the devil's head went hurtling through the |
| from Wellington and after visiting her one evening he | | | | air and knocked a hole in the mountain. "Damn it!" came |
| was untethering his horse when he felt that there was | | | | the voice of the devil in the distance, "that tobacco of |
| someone watching him. The young man asked the | | | | yours is on the rough side!".Dick King's Epic JourneyIn |
| stranger to identify himself. The shadow answered | | | | the early hours of 25 May 1842 began one of history's |
| that he was the previous owner. The young man | | | | epic journeys. Dick King and his 16-year-old servant, |
| argued that this was not possible since he had been | | | | Ndongeni, slipped across Durban Bay to the shore to |
| dead for a year. The ghost chuckled and moved into | | | | race towards Grahamstown for reinforcements and |
| the light, and there was no doubt as to who it was. | | | | supplies for the British garrison who were besieged by |
| The ghost told the young man to tell his brother-in-law | | | | the Voortrekkers. Dick crossed nearly 1000 km of wild |
| to treat his wife and daughter better or it would be the | | | | country, with 122 rivers and streams to ford.. He |
| worse for him. As proof that he had been there he | | | | reached Grahamstown in ten days and |
| told the young man to wrap his hand in his saddle | | | | reinforcements were hastily shipped from Port |
| blanket. The ghost then firmly shook his hand. There | | | | Elizabeth. On 26 June the siege was broken and both |
| was a puff of smoke and the imprint of the dead | | | | Dick and Ndongeni were granted land as a reward. |
| man's hand was clearly burned into the blanket. This | | | | The equestrian monument to Dick King on the Victoria |
| was enough to send the brother-in-law packing and | | | | embankment in Durban was erected in 1915.The Nation |
| leave the family in peace.Huberta The Wandering | | | | That Committed SuicideAt a pool in the Gxara River, |
| Hippo Who Went On A Three-Year RambleNo-one | | | | the strange predictions of a 14-year-old girl called |
| will ever know what made Huberta leave her muddy | | | | Nongquawuse, virtually led her people to commit |
| home n Zululand, but in November 1928, she started on | | | | suicide. One day in 1856, she was sitting at the pool |
| one of the most dotty animal adventures of all time. | | | | and looked down and thought she saw the faces of |
| For the next three years she wandered over 1600 km | | | | her ancestors. She told her people that their ancestors |
| through South Africa. She wandered across railway | | | | were prepared to return to earth to drive out the |
| lines, golf courses and gardens and popped up in cities | | | | Europeans, but first the people had to commit an act |
| and towns. Her fame spread quickly and soon she had | | | | of faith which would prove their belief in the spirit world. |
| a contingent following her, who thinking she was a he, | | | | They would have to kill all their cattle and burn all their |
| wanted to capture her as a mate for a lonely female | | | | crops. Those who refused would be turned into frogs, |
| hippo in the Johannesburg Zoo. The public began to | | | | mice and ants and would be blown into the sea by a |
| love the adventurous hippo and the Natal Parks Board | | | | mighty whirlwind. For ten months they destroyed their |
| proclaimed her royal game and the zoo men were | | | | provisions waiting for the day of their salvation that |
| ordered to leave her alone. Early in March, Huberta's | | | | Nongquawuse predicted, 18 February 1957. On that |
| footprints were found on a housing estate, and rumor | | | | day a blood-red sun would rise, stand still, and then set |
| had it she was looking for a house, but none had a | | | | again in the east. As the great day dawned the people |
| sufficiently large bathroom. After a brief stop at a | | | | waited in anticipation, but the sun rose and set as |
| reservoir in Pinetown, Huberta pulled her most | | | | normal. About 25 000 people died of starvation. Others |
| dangerous stunt, she gate crashed a party at the | | | | survived only with the help of neighboring communities |
| Durban Country Club. In the ensuing confusion, she | | | | and Europeans. As for Nongquawuse, she would have |
| charged off across the golf course and a policeman | | | | been killed by her people had she not fled to King |
| found her in the doorway of a chemist's shop in the | | | | William's Town and was kept for a while on Robben |
| city. When she reached the Wild Coast, the Pondo | | | | Island for her own safety.How The Cape Doctor Lays |
| people overlooked the fact that she was eating their | | | | The TableclothThe Cape Doctor refers to the howling |
| crops because they thought she was the reincarnation | | | | South-Easter, this wind makes the city's atmosphere |
| of a legendary diviner. In March 1931 Huberta had | | | | one of the healthiest in the world by blowing away |
| reached East London and was spotted sleeping on | | | | pollution, dust, and insects. It also creates the scenic |
| the main railway line. An engine driver, who failed to | | | | wonder of Table Mountain's tablecloth, a strangely |
| wake her with his whistle, edged the train forward and | | | | neat cap of cloud which, in summer months, rolls |
| gently nudged her off of the tracks. In April 1931, | | | | across the flat summit and drapes itself over the |
| Huberta's luck finally ran out, three hunters shot her. | | | | edges in a neat straight line.Gerald Crawford was born |
| There was a national outcry and her killers were | | | | in South Africa, studied electronics, telecommunication, |
| tracked down. They pleaded ignorance and were | | | | eco-travel and african travel concepts. He taught |
| fined R 25 each for destroying royal game. The body | | | | responsible tourism in South Africa. If you have any |
| of Huberta can be seen at the Kaffrarian Museum in | | | | questions or comments please e-mail me on. E-mail |
| King William's Town.Secrets Of Modjadji The | | | | Address: southafricantravelarticles@12234455.co. |