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50-522: This was the district to which Louis Tregardt and Hans van Rensburg , the forerunners of the Great Trek , journeyed in 1835. In 1845 Hendrik Potgieter , a prominent leader of the Voortrekkers , moved there. The Zoutpansberg Boers formed a semi-independent community, and in 1857 Stephanus Schoeman , their commandant-general, sided against Marthinus Pretorius and Paul Kruger when they invaded

100-472: A long term stay, and Tregardt dispatched a servant to Natal to request an evacuation by sea. Meanwhile, his son Carolus departed by ship northwards to investigate Madagascar and East Africa for possible settlement. Before his return Tregardt succumbed to malaria, six months after his wife. Only by the winter of the next year, 1839, were the 26 survivors transported by the Mazeppa schooner to Port Natal . He

150-523: A number of gifts. They reached the Komati River two months into the lowveld trek. It proved difficult to ford and a number of their animals were lost or stolen while crossing. They passed the Vila Luiza outpost and continued along swamps, lagoons and the villages of coastal tribes to reach the fort at Delagoa bay on 13 April 1838. The party of fifty-two persons received a friendly reception from

200-564: A quarrel with her rival, Magupe. A local tribe also assisted the trek in navigating a region set with numerous trapping pits . The Klaserie and Sand rivers were forded in succession, and the region now known as the central Kruger Park was traversed without incident. East of the Lebombo range they encountered different villages of the Gwamba people . All their inhabitants were friendly; they and their chief, Makodelana, presented Tregardt with

250-467: A quarter known to the Vhavenda nation who occupied the land at the time as Dzanani. His party was to stay here until June 1837, in which time they built rudimentary houses, a workshop and a school for the twenty-one children. Here Tregardt is said to have intervened in a succession struggle between the sons of the late chief Mpofu. Tregardt would have assisted his son Rasethau (i.e. Ramabulana) in retaking

300-539: A small cemetery near the eastern bank of the Old Woman's River. The graves were not marked but it is believed that members of the 6th and 45th regiments and Cape Levy were buried there. A clearing among the dune scrub marks the site on the Fish River Sun Resort property. A large civilian camp with the accompanying trading stores and inns which followed the military activities was apparently situated on

350-531: A substantial boer community, at odds with the colonial government, was already living in exile. With Louis acting as their leader, colonel Harry Smith deemed him an agitator of the sixth Xhosa war , and planned to arrest him. Tregardt however moved his family and livestock to grazing land between the Caledon and Orange Rivers , just outside the colony, where he resided in 1835. Tregardt coordinated his movements with those of his friend Hendrik Potgieter , who

400-602: Is known about Louis's youth or schooling, but his later writings would reveal a sound intellect and a literacy which surpassed that of his average countryman. He farmed at various places in Graaff-Reinet district before settling in Uitenhage district in 1810. Later that year he married the 15 year old Martha from that district. He soon moved to Boschberg farm near Bruintjeshoogte , which was expropriated in 1814. He then acquired De Plaat farm at Daggaboers Nek , where he

450-558: Is part of the Fish to Tsitsikama Water Management Area . At the river mouth, the climate is temperate with around 650 mm of rainfall that falls mainly during spring and autumn. Mean temperatures range from 12 °C to 24 °C with extremes as low as 2 °C or as high as 40 °C. In the 1970s, a major water project brought Orange River water , via the Fish River, for agricultural and industrial use. The tunnel for this

500-605: Is present beside the R519 road just north of the Strydpoort mountains, which in itself recalls Tregardt's disagreement with Van Rensburg. In the town of Louis Trichardt a memorial commemorates the school they built, and a bust of Tregardt is displayed in the municipal library. In 1937, the trek's centenary, a bronze plaque was installed where they crossed the Drakensberg ridge. A sundial beside Nelspruit 's modern town hall

550-536: Is shaped like a wagon wheel in recognition of his journey. The Louis Tregardt Trek Memorial Garden is located at the final destination of his trek, in Maputo . A novel by Jeanette Ferreira, Die son kom aan die seekant op ( Afrikaans : The sun ascends from the ocean ), is based on his journey, as is the youth novel by Pieter Pieterse, Die pad na die see ( Course to the sea ). Great Fish River The Great Fish River (called great to distinguish it from

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600-411: Is the vervet monkey , which has been known to grab food under the nose of unsuspecting guests at the Fish River Sun Resort. There are over 135 species of marine and terrestrial birds found along the river including the colourful Knysna lourie , giant kingfisher and the fish eagle . There are 26 species of snakes, of which only five are venomous. During the 19th century, the river formed the border of

650-749: The Cape Colony and was hotly contested during the Xhosa Wars of 1779 to 1878 between the Xhosa nation on the one side and the Afrikaner colonists and the British Empire on the other, and in 1835, the Fingo people were permitted to settle on the river's banks. During apartheid , the lower reaches formed the western boundary of the nominally independent Ciskei homeland. Between 1846 and 1847,

700-694: The Dutch East India Company in 1795, and subsequently against English colonial governance. When the English installed Bresler as their landdrost in Graaff-Reinet, Carel and his two sons settled beyond the Great Fish River , outside the colony, rather than pledging allegiance with the new government. Carel only returned when Dutch governance was restored in 1803, and died at Bruintjeshoogte, near Somerset . Nothing more

750-684: The Namibian Fish River ) ( Afrikaans : Groot-Visrivier ) is a river running 644 kilometres (400 mi) through the South African province of the Eastern Cape . The coastal area between Port Elizabeth and the Fish River mouth is known as the Sunshine Coast . The Great Fish River was originally named Rio do Infante , after João Infante , the captain of one of the caravels of Bartolomeu Dias . Infante visited

800-732: The Orange Free State . It was not until 1864 that Zoutpansberg was definitively incorporated in the South African Republic as a result of the Transvaal Civil War . The white settlers in Zoutpansberg had for many years a reputation for lawlessness, and were later regarded as typical "back velt Boers". Zoutpansberg contained a larger native population than any other region of the Transvaal. It

850-533: The Tarka River joins its left bank. Thence it makes a zig-zag turn to Cookhouse , from where it meanders down the escarpment east of Grahamstown before its final near-straight run to its estuary 8 km northeast of Seafield , into the Indian Ocean . The river is generally permanent, having water all year round, although its headwaters rise in an arid region, and the natural flow can be sluggish in

900-524: The tsetse flies endemic to the low regions. Tregardt arrived at the Olifants River via Chuniespoort on 2 October 1837, and consulted chief Sekwati of the Pedi people about a way forward. Chief Sekwati paid them a friendly visit, and advised that the eastward route was everywhere obstructed by impassable mountains, lest they would leave their wagons behind and proceed by foot. Tregardt, now aged 54,

950-597: The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World Complex. As part of the license bid, the Boardwalk agreed to supplement the costs of maintaining the Fish River Sun as part of its obligation to rural development in the province. Activities include swimming, guided nature walks, golf, dune boarding, canoeing, fishing, mini-golf, and spa treatments. There is a golf course designed by Gary Player and rated in

1000-580: The Cape in 1731 at the age of 19. His grandfather married a daughter of the German Eksteen family. His father was born in Franschhoek . His family moved to Uitenhage after his birth, and hence to Graaff-Reinet . His father Carel was, as civilian officer, much involved in the 18th century Xhosa conflicts . In addition he was a participant in the Graaff-Reinet resistance movements, first against

1050-629: The Doorn river (current Doorn River farm), whereafter they departed from the Zoutpansberg to find a new home or trading route to the sea. Their limited communications with the Portuguese indicated that they would be welcomed, and that the east coast was sparsely populated. Tregardt decided on a southerly approach to Delagoa Bay , avoiding the Limpopo where the Van Rensburgs were murdered, and

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1100-503: The Drakensberg in a feat taking two and a half months. Once encamped in the lowveld , they soon encountered the local inhabitants. By day they were presented with pots of marula beer by the Sekororo tribe, but at night the tribe members would repeatedly rustle their cattle. Tregardt, at a loss to recover these losses, resorted to taking a number of tribe members hostage to prevent further wrongdoing. The final two-hundred mile stage of

1150-553: The Fish River Sun golf course. A certain Sergeant C. Broxholm is rumoured to have built the only structure that survived the war, located on the eastern side of the river. Built in 1846, he sold the building a year later to Mr. J. Kidd of the Wesleyan Missionary Society who hoped to undertake missionary work at Waterloo Bay. Some of the soldiers that died during the occupation of Waterloo Bay were buried in

1200-610: The Fish River mouth area became a hive of activity during the War of the Axe, one of several frontier wars at the time between the Xhosa nation and Britain. A ferry was constructed at the Fish River to link the Cape Colony (western side of the river) with Waterloo Bay (the small bay near the mouth of Old Woman's River which now flows through the Fish River Sun resort). Waterloo Bay, named after

1250-454: The Fish River on the south-eastern coastline of South Africa. The Fish River Sun opened its doors in March 1989 as a hotel and casino. The 184,000 hectare property on the eastern banks of the Fish River fell within the then Ciskei region, a former Bantustan homeland during the apartheid administration. The hotel, casino and golf course continued to be a popular and successful tourism attraction in

1300-570: The Kat River, part of the Great Fish river basin. The Fish River mouth area supports several species of large and small mammals including five antelope species, bushpigs, various rodent species including mongoose , hyrax , hares, rats and mice, bats, and the shy Southern African wildcat , the small spotted genet , striped polecat and the Cape porcupine . The most commonly viewed wild mammal

1350-406: The Old Woman's River, called Cape Maitland, in honour of Sir Peregrine Maitland, Governor of the Cape Colony. The name was later changed to Fort Albert in honour of Queen Victoria's husband. The camp consisted of huts and tents surrounded by an earthwork and was abandoned at the end of the war. The camp site was ‘rediscovered’ when large quantities of artifacts were unearthed during the construction of

1400-424: The Portuguese. What had the appearance of a new beginning would however spell the gloomy end of the trek as a coordinated movement. Four days after their arrival five persons fell ill with fever. The school teacher Pfeffer and Tregardt's wife Martha were first to perish from malaria. More persons took ill, though some of Tregardt's children recovered. The climate and grazing at the fort was found to be unfavorable for

1450-525: The accessibility of the text. The town Trichardtsdorp was named after him in 1899, commemorating his year-long stay at the base of the Zoutpansberg . In Mpumalanga , a town named Trichardt is situated along his northward route. Several memorials trace his route, the first at Winburg where one column of the Voortrekker monument symbolizes Tregardt's party. Near Zebediela a route marker

1500-463: The challenge of traversing a section of the northern Drakensberg . Though reaching the fort at Delagoa bay, a number of their party contracted malaria en route. Tregardt's wife perished at the fort in May 1838, followed by Tregardt six months afterward. Louis was the youngest of four children. His grandfather Pietrus Trädgård was a Calvinist refugee from Bäckebo , Kalmar , Southern Sweden who arrived at

1550-453: The chieftainship from his younger brother Ramavhoya. Tregardt's account of this incident was however torn from his diary at an unknown time. For this assistance, and for protection against Matabele raiding parties, Rasethau evidently gave Tregardt freedom to occupy land and access to hunting grounds. Potgieter's trek, delayed by conflicts to the south, was however not forthcoming. From June to August 1837 Tregardt's party camped eastwards at

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1600-651: The dry season beyond the ebb and flow of the tidal reaches; now, water from the Orange River system can be used to keep up its flow in dry periods. The river is tidal for roughly 20 km. Its main tributaries are the Groot Brak River , the Tarka River and the Kap River on the left side, and the Little Fish River ( Afrikaans : Klein-Visrivier ) on the right side. The Great Fish River

1650-414: The first ship which unloaded cargo in the bay, served as a landing place for soldiers and supplies in the war. Several ships wrecked along the Fish River coast during these years. The following are notable historical sites at the Fish River mouth, mostly encompassed within the Fish River Sun Resort premises which the establishment has endeavoured to protect: The main military camp was on the eastern bank of

1700-514: The region, mostly due to the casino, as licenses are awarded sparingly in South Africa. The resort establishment suffered a huge knock when its casino license was not extended after its ten-year period, ending in 1999. The accommodation format was converted from a hotel to a vacation club functioning on a timeshare basis. The Eastern Cape Gambling Board granted another casino license in nearby Port Elizabeth, also operated by Sun International, in

1750-621: The river in the late 1480s. The name Great Fish is a misnomer, since it is a translation of the Dutch Groot Visch Rivier , which was the name of a tributary in the vicinity of Cradock , which at its confluence with the Little Fish ( Klein Visch Rivier ) forms what is properly called the ( Eastern Cape ) Fish River. The Great Fish River originates east of Graaff-Reinet and runs through Cradock . Further south

1800-448: The river mouth, there is Valley thicket, dune thicket, riparian vegetation and fynbos . The eastern Cape giant cycad , the red and the white milkwood are protected trees. Other significant species include the acacia, white pear , Karoo boer-bean , Strelitzia nicolai , dune poison bush , wild plum , coral tree and small knobwood . There is a small population of the endangered Eastern Province rocky ( Sandelia bainsii ) in

1850-479: The search in an easterly direction, and reached Sakana's kraal on the Limpopo, where the Van Rensburg clan were likely decimated. Here a premonition of danger and treachery caused Tregardt to return homeward, all but convinced of Van Rensburg's fate. In November 1836, Tregardt moved his camp eastwards to more agreeable climes in the vicinity of what would later be known as Schoemansdal and Louis Trichardt ,

1900-546: The top 30 golf courses in South Africa. Old Woman's River runs through the course. The course has hosted some large events including the Africa Open in 2008. Great Fish Point is a lighthouse situated near the mouth of the Great Fish River, about 25 km from the coastal holiday resort of Port Alfred . Before the lighthouse was built in 1898, two ship's lamps exhibiting fixed green lights were erected on

1950-562: The trek to Delagoa Bay commenced on 5 February 1838, and the Olifants River was soon forded a 14th and last time. Here the subjects of the Sekororo induna Ngotshipana came to apologise, and managed to secure the release of four woman hostages by presenting Tregardt with two large elephant tusks. The tribes beyond the Blyde River assured Tregardt of their good intentions, and the old chieftainess Mosali asked Tregardt to arbitrate in

2000-523: The uncharted interior of South Africa, and settled for a year at the base of the Zoutpansberg . At this most northerly point of their trek, unhealthy conditions began to take a toll on man and animal. Seemingly abandoned by a follow-up trek, and distant from supplies and buyers for their ivory, Tregardt abandoned the settlement, and led the party southeastwards to the Portuguese outpost at Delagoa bay that would later become Maputo (the capital city of Mozambique). The oceanward route proved arduous and included

2050-407: The western side of the Old Woman's River. All historical remains are currently covered by the golf playing surface. The remains of the vessels Catherine and Justina can still be seen by divers. The ships were wrecked in the 1840s and are located within 1 km of the mouth of the Fish River. The Fish River Sun Hotel and Country Club Resort is a Sun International resort destination at the mouth of

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2100-580: Was a farmer from the Cape Colony 's eastern frontier, who became an early voortrekker leader. Shunning colonial authority, he emigrated in 1834 to live among the Xhosa across the native reserve frontier, before he crossed the Orange River into northern territory. His northward trek, along with fellow trekker Johannes (Hans) van Rensburg , was commenced in early 1836. He led his small party of emigrants, composed of seven Boer farmers, with their wives and thirty-four children & native servants, into

2150-551: Was a major engineering undertaking, with the intake at Oviston (an acronym, in Afrikaans, for Orange-Fish Tunnel). Oviston is on the shores of the Gariep Dam . A hydro-electric generating plant is placed at the Fish River egress, but is uneconomic and is not in use. Mixing of waters from two watersheds has been environmentally disastrous - much of the Fish River ecosystem is now taken over by Orange River flora and fauna. At

2200-480: Was appointed as field cornet for Smaldeel ward in 1825. He ostensibly had an uneasy relationship with the colonial authorities however, and agreed to rent grazing land from Xhosa chief Hintsa . In 1829 Louis sent his son Carolus to graze their cattle along the Black Kei River , then the northern boundary of British Kaffraria . In 1833 (or 34 ) Louis also crossed the neutral zone to join his son. Here

2250-843: Was estimated at 201,539 in 1903. Tregardt and his companions had been shown gold workings by the natives, and it was in this district in 1867–70, and in the neighbouring region of Lydenburg , that gold mines were first worked by Europeans south of the Limpopo . It is a highly mineralized area; next to gold, copper , found near the Limpopo River (where the Messina mine is located) is also extracted here. Louis Tregardt Carolus Johannes (1811-1901) Petrus Frederik (1819-1860) Louis Gustavus (1827-1891) Louis Johannes Tregardt (from Swedish : trädgård , garden), commonly spelled Trichardt (10 August 1783 – 25 October 1838)

2300-621: Was expending his ammunition excessively in his pursuit of ivory. Van Rensburg would not be seen again; he and his trek of forty-nine persons were killed in June 1836 by a troop of Tsonga at a ford in Limpopo River , after a night-long assault. Tregardt sojourned at the salt pan on the Zoutpansberg's western promontory from May to August 1836, where he was visited by Potgieter 's scouting party, who assured him that they would soon catch up and join his trek. Potgieter departed northwards in an unsuccessful search for Van Rensburg. In July, Tregardt took up

2350-466: Was however resolute in crossing the mountains, even if the wagons had to be dismantled and transported piecewise. They undertook their own reconnaissance of the increasingly rugged slopes fringing the Olifants, and found a passable slope leading to the summit, after crisscrossing the Olifants a number of times. The wagons, at times partially dismantled and hauled on branches, were taken over the crest of

2400-447: Was not written for publication or effect, but rather details his personal reflections on the social interactions and day to day experiences of his small community. In 1917 Preller 's version of it was the first to appear in print, followed by T. H. le Roux's more reliable text in 1964 that was supplied with a glossary and linguistic annotations. J. Grobler's annotated translation to Afrikaans appeared in 2013, which significantly improves

2450-478: Was the only Voortrekker leader to keep a diary of his trek, a valuable document in terms of linguistics and ethnology, besides his observations on the weather patterns, geography and the wildlife of the interior. The diary was commenced in July 1836 at the Zoutpansberg, and concluded in May 1838 at Delagoa Bay. Entries were added almost daily, and seldom more than two days after the events he described. The document

2500-608: Was to follow his trail. Tregardt started the northward trek with eight families besides his own, and was joined by the trek of Johannes (Hans) van Rensburg , another farmer living in exile. Tregardt and Van Rensburg were the first of the voortrekkers to pass near Thaba Nchu , where the Barolong tribe of chief Moroka II was resident. Upon reaching the Strydpoortberg in the current Limpopo Province , Tregardt and Van Rensburg parted ways, after Tregardt argued that Van Rensburg

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