The Great Trek (3 of 10)

User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

The Great Trek

If there is a single iconic image that defines the Great Trek of the mid 19^th Century it is surely that of the great trek wagon with its span of up to twenty oxen. Struggling through the wilderness, bearing all the hopes and dreams and meager possessions of the family it carried, these incredible vehicles bore the brunt of everything the harsh terrain and climate could throw at them. Ironically, this image so completely embedded in the culture of the Afrikander/Afrikaaner, was only made possible by the wain-wright (wagon builder) industry that had sprung up in Grahamstown to support the British military during the Border Wars.

Very much like the Complete Knock Down car kits that were built at Motor Assemblies in Durban: wheels, axles and all the forged metalwork for the “ossewa” were shipped from factories in England by sea to East London and from thence were transported to Hill Street in Grahamstown; an absolute hive of activity due almost completely to the Dutch Farmers’ insatiable demand for wagons to trek away from the yoke of British imperialism.

In consequence, Grahamstown became largely the starting point for most Dutch Families’ Great Trek: their route taking them from there and through Hell’s Gate to Bedford, on to Cradock and finally Colesberg where they faced a choice:  To follow the established but long and grueling trail to the Orange River crossing at Hopetown or pay old John Norval the very large sum of One Pound for a safer and faster river crossing at Norval’s Pont, a shortcut that shaved up to three weeks off the journey to Bloemfontein or Kroonstad.

Realizing that the Voortrekkers were as keen to hang on to their pounds as he was to separate them from them, John and his sons carried out a plan to convince the undecided waggoneers that their pont was the best option. With a gang of workers the Norvals set about fixing the road that led from their pound-a-time crossing all the way back to Craddock – 170 miles – and very soon, few trekkers bothered with the Hopetown route at all. The Norval’s Pont road was fast and as comfortable as it could be made to be for the cumbersome wagons, with a much lessened likelihood of accidents or breakdowns, and soon a small settlement started to spring up around the ferry point where travellers were offered all manner of goods and services. When, in 1857 old John’s sons erected a single stone building by the wayside to serve a cooling drink of beer or brandy and a bed for the night a tradition of Bo Karoo hospitality was established that has continued to this day, and that still carries the name it was given in honour of the ferry that literally floated customers to its door: The “Glasgow” Pont Hotel, much changed and expanded but still going strong after over a hundred and fifty years.

Next time: Disaster at the Pont!

Article courtesy of Rod Mann, Owner of the 'Pont, 2005 - 2010