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97 Martin Wintergerst
Translated from the 1932 Hague reprint of his ‘... Schwabe oder Reissbeschreibung ...’, Memmingen 1712. Nothing is known of the author beyond what he himself tells us, and this is summarised below.
He was born at Memmingen in Swabia, probably about 1670, and trained as a baker. In February 1688 he left there ‘from a lust to see distant lands’ and worked his way in his trade around southern Germany; in 1689 reached Venice, where he took service as an interpreter with the Master of a Dutch privateer. He now decided on a seafaring life, and served in various privateers, French, Dutch, Danish, Genoese, Dutch again, finding himself at St Malo (in prison after the capture of his ship), Plymouth, Lisbon, Marseilles, Gibraltar, Alicante, Genoa, Sicily, Malta, and Genoa again whence he went overland to Venice. Voyages followed in a Venetian merchantman, a Spanish warship, a Venetian warship (in 1692 as Gunner's Mate, rising to Master-Gunner before paid off in 1695), a Dutch merchantman, a Dutch warship (until the Peace of Ryswick in 1697), another Dutch merchantman, arriving in Amsterdam in December 1698. He was unable to find employment until May 1699, when at Zeeland he signed on in Zion of the Dutch East India Company, bound for Ceylon.
... We lay before Vlissingen until May 19 [as dr], taking on board there 7 families of poor folk totalling 32 persons, which were later one of the causes that we must suffer so great hunger. Then we sailed.... [Sighted Canary Islands; rationing; driven to Guiana; half-rations and no water but from rain].... This was as miserable a voyage as I ever endured in my life. The 7 poor families which we had taken aboard at Flushing were already so far gone in hunger and misery that they were glad if we only threw them something; but now we ourselves had not enough, and all on board began to sicken, and many to die.... [Equator, ‘already with more than 40 dead’; famine; scurvy.] At last with God's help we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, and soon after reached the coast of Africa and made landfall; but again with new danger to our lives since we came there before we had thought. Had we arrived but half an hour before dawn we should have run aground, and none of us would have been saved, although we were so wearied of our miserable life that we should have been indifferent to its loss.
Nevertheless we were glad to see land again, and thus in October of this year [1699] we arrived at the so-called Dassen Island, 12 miles* from the Cape of Good Hope; and there we were indeed regaled in repayment of all our misery, since this is such a lovely spot (though barren of mankind) that I wished then, and still wish, to have a good painter to hand who could properly depict such a lovely zoological garden. It would truly be as beautiful a picture as has ever been seen; and indeed God has shown here a
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lovely token and evidence of His Almighty Power, Goodness and Wisdom, which merits our praises: since as has been told we were all afflicted with that most dangerous sickness, and knew no way to help each other, 40 being already dead of it. Now God steered our ship to this island, where we found a certain herb in great abundance, by which we all became fit and well again; since as soon as we landed, some of us were ordered to see whether anything for our refreshing was to be found there, and among other things we found this herb, which we took (although ignorant of what it might be good for) and cooked as a green vegetable, and it proved a most excellent remedy for the said sickness [purslane, introduced].
But to tell something of the island which thus revived us, the same is not very large, but all the more useful. First we met there the so-called Begewind, or Indian ducks, or better said, they came to meet us. These are larger than our ducks, and somewhat smaller than geese, and walk almost erect: they came towards as many 1000 strong, and were so little afraid that we had to drive them away with sticks to make our way. Of these we took a good quantity, boiled them, roasted them, and hung them up to dry. And as we pushed our way through them, almost by force, we found many 1000 eggs in the sand, since at every moment our feet trod into holes in which the parents sat on their eggs, having made such hollows under the earth. Of these eggs we now took as many as we wished, boiled up a cauldron full of the abovementioned herb and broke 70 or 80 eggs into it, and found it a very tasty dish. These birds had a certain part of the island for themselves, almost exactly one quarter of it as we noticed; and when we came out of this somewhat higher up we saw no more of them, but instead all sorts of other wild birds, large and small, and of them truly many 100, as also eggs beyond numbering. We saw also that these birds came together in the early morning, and flew like a great army to the mainland, but returned to their quarters again in the evening in full force.
These agreeable inhabitants of the island greatly amused us, but we met with no human beings; and seeking further found that these birds also had their allotted territory, since the third part belonged to the seals, and from them the island has its name [sic], ‘Seal Island’ or as they say ‘Dassen Island’. Of these again we met with many 1000, which came running to meet us, bleating like calves; but they did not seek to do us the least harm but on the contrary let themselves be caught by us, as many as we wished; and although they are not good to eat, their skins are good and usable by man. Therefore the folk from the mainland sail here, take some hundreds of them, and use the fat instead of oil for their lamps. There were also a few sea-cows, which we caught and butchered. The fourth quarter of this lovely zoological garden is inhabited only by rabbits [Dassies], or ‘Killen’ as they are called [his name not traced]. Of these also we took a good quantity, and so as to have meat with our green vegetable and eggs we stewed up these most tasty beasties with them, and satisfied ourselves with this, so that we regained much of our strength-since we were all so weak than otherwise I do not believe that we could have again raised the anchor.
Apart from this we met with nothing of note here, except that almost every evening
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we saw a fair-sized whale, about 50 or 60 feet long, come swimming thither, which swam around this zoo as if he were a watchman and kept an eye on everything, also trying each time to catch some 20 or 30 of those Begewind. We left 5 of our company dead on this island, and set out for the mainland, reaching Trop [Robben] Island after sailing 9 miles*, this lying only 3 miles from the Cape of Good Hope. Here we found a Sergeant with a guard to watch over those on the island who had committed some crime: since, there being always many soldiers stationed at the said Cape, there are always some among them who misbehave. These after trial are punished with the cutting off of nose or ears, or with branding, and sent to this island for 2, 3, 10 or 20 years, where they must daily gather a set number of baskets of seasnails, to be burned into lime for building, these being found here in untellable quantities. For the rest, no fruits or other provisions are to be had here, except for good water [sic]; also from time to time fish are caught, and large crabs, a foot and a half long and weighing 3 or 4 pounds, and good to eat. But for the prisoners provisions are sent from the Cape.
The Sergeant in command there had a farm with a few sheep, of which he gave us two, after he had greeted us by flying his flags. We pushed on to reach the Land of Good Hope, but were again held back by a contrary wind so that we were forced to anchor; but only overnight, so that soon after setting off again we reached the place, or better the Land of Good Hope, so long and so greatly desired. There we dropped anchor, and at once those who were still sick were sent for and brought into the hospital* of the East Indian Company; and we who were fit were given fresh bread and meat during three days on end, as is always customary when ships arrive there. Now we felt ourselves as being escaped from death, and got ready to go ashore; but half the crew must remain on board because of the many winds, the other half going ashore, and then relieving those on board.
But our voyage had been so long that we arrived only late in October [dr 21/10]; and it was now Spring there, since the sun was now south of the Equator and the nights began to be shorter than the days, and thus we got nothing of the fruits. Nevertheless we were glad to have reached this land, and soon had forgotten our miserable voyage.
Now something must needs be told of this African promontory, because it is a noteworthy place, and truly the best port of call for the East-India ships, as if God had diligently set up such a Treasury there from which seafarers could reprovision themselves.
But I will insist before all else that, as in my narrative thus far, I will set down nothing but what I have myself seen; and if that which any have written before me, or shall write hereafter, does not tally in all ways, I am not to be chastised for my falsehoods, since things so change in such places from time to time that anyone who wrote of them 30 years ago and should now see them again would not himself believe that it was still the same place; and I warrant that this would happen to me also.
Firstly, then, as to the nature of this land: this is so splendid that one could not wish for anything better, and it truly enjoys a benign Influence of the Heavens so that it can rightly be called one of the very best on the face of the earth. And this because the land
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is in itself very fruitful; and although it was never cultivated by its inhabitants, yet of late it has made such a show with its products than one might wish they had been cultivated many years ago. Also the air is so entirely healthy and temperate that I could not say what lacks there for bodily sustenance. In the beginning, when it was discovered, only some sailor's huts and a guard-house were to be seen there, but now it shows as a well-inhabited land. At first the Dutch had there only a poor hostel for the sick, but now they have a more than royal hospital*, cross-shaped in plan and able to take in some 1000 persons. Near it is also a garden*, an hour* across, in which all sorts of plants have been set; and this is divided into a kitchen-garden, a spice-garden, and a garden of medicinal herbs. There are also some cornfields, which are regularly cultivated by 42 slaves.
Four high mountains make a splendid show together at the shore of this promontory, the so-called Cape of Good Hope. Of these the first is called the Devil's Hill, because at various times a clattering is heard there and lights are seen, so that people have often thought to go there and find a treasure: below this hill lies the Fort, which is pretty strong. The second is the Table Mountain, thus called because of its shape: this, although very high like the first-named, has a large lake [sic] on its top, from which the most tasty water flows down, such as is not to be found in all the Indies, which is collected and drunk in abundance by the folk there, and especially by the seafarers: so also we, as soon as we had landed, at once filled 100 casks with this water and let them stand until we sailed, when we ran the water out and filled them again, since by this means it long remains good to drink. This is yet another marvel of Nature, ordained by God in such a well-situated place for the sake of seafarers, so that they may in truth enjoy the water to their hearts' desire and yet the source not run dry. The third hill is called the Lion's Head, on which there is always a guard on the lookout for ships. The fourth is called the Lion's Tail, and has this name because there is nothing special about it except that it completes the body of the Lion, so to speak, and helps towards the beauty of the scene.
I will later say something concerning the original inhabitants, but for the moment it serves my purpose to write something regarding those who have immigrated here, to wit that the region now belonging to the Dutch is occupied by many 1000 [sic] French, who were the first to awaken this naturally lovely land. And this because when in France the terrible Reformation [sic: he means the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes] took place the Dutch took in all the refugees and sent them hither, where they have made a sheer Paradise, both as regards all sorts of lovely plants and also well-made buildings. Where not long ago there stood only a few houses, there are now the loveliest villages, which after a little time can become great cities: where there was formerly almost nothing but a wilderness there now stand many 1000 quince and other trees (as also we brought in our ship [sic: from Holland?] some 100 coffee-bushes to be planted there): whereas formerly wine and grain had to be brought with much toil and cost from Holland to the Indies, now the finest wine can be made here, and exported to Batavia in great quantities - in fact because of its abundance they have ceased to plant vines here and gone over to growing grain, so that this also can be exported thither in great quantity like the wine.
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There is great abundance of animals, and, like Africa in general, so also this seacoast has in this respect the advantage over all other parts of the world, not only as regards tame but also wild beasts. There are very many lions and tigers, which often do great damage; but since the Dutch now hold this part of the country, and maintain certain ‘Lion-Guards’ who are given 10 Rxd. for each one [shot], there is not now the same danger from them. There are also many elephants, but of quite a different sort from those of the Indies, since they are entirely wild and neither to be captured nor otherwise tamed; but these have their enemies, namely the rhinoceros or so-called ‘Nose-Horn’, of which indeed I saw a dead one stuffed [see Museum*] but none alive. There are also a fair number of wild or ‘Forest-Asses’, which are truly beautiful beasts, shaped much like an ass but having on their ass-grey skin the loveliest long black stripe, about the thickness of an average nut-tree, which makes them very handsome. Other animals such as we know are also there in great quantity, except that no wolves are found, which is also a wonder.
There is also an untellable abundance of tame beasts there, especially sheep and cattle, to such an extent that many a farmer among the French immigrants has up to 3 or 4000 head, whereas he arrived there a few years before penniless: since the Dutch have the custom that when such a one arrives they provide him with a waggon and 8 oxen, and for 3 years free him from taxes, so that he must be a dissolute wretch if during that time he does not come to something considerable.
These sheep are unusually large, in general up to 60 pounds, and very fat and tasty; but the skins and wool are little value, and of little use; and it is again a marvel that these sheep (which can go hidden in the grass, since this grows as high as our barley) can eat themselves so fat, whereas on the other hand the oxen usually serve for transport, and remain in general quite thin and scrawny. There are few pigs, in fact they form the least part of the tame animals.
Besides the birds which we have here there are many ostriches in this land, and their eggs are eaten in great quantities: these are so ‘small’ that once 7 of us ate our full from one of them, since it was so huge that it would hold about one and a half quarts. This we beat up into a paste, and since it was somewhat rank and bad to eat we did not finish it off. There are also especially many turkeys [sic] and canaries here. But so that this lovely land should lack something, God has not given it much wood, and this is very dear there: the slaves must collect roots for burning, and one can readily carry 24 Kroner worth in one's arms. Yet there is a compensation thereto, in that although at times the winds blow pretty cold, yet no frost ever falls [sic].
The original inhabitants are sufficiently well known from other books of travel. They are in general called Hottentots, being by nature a coarse, wild people: their clothing is for the most part an undressed skin which they bind round their middles, and another hung over their shoulders. The greatest pride of their women is to ornament their ankles with blown-out sheep-gutn; but apart from this they have neither neatness nor manners. In eating and drinking they are so coarse that even one of our pigs could not be worse:
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they are black-skinned and have the custom of smearing themselves with everything fat, so that they stink and shine horribly. Their buildings are indeed very poor.
They know nothing of any special religion, and have neither churches nor priests. Their greatest observance is that they come together on a hill at each new moon (which they indeed know exactly, and hit upon without any reckoning of time) and carry on all the night a shrieking and yelling so that it is a torture to hear them. But by nature they know so much, that there is a Divine Being, whom they call their Great Captain; and when any die, they bury him leaning up in the grave so that he can at once go to meet this Great Captain when he comes. Otherwise there is so good as nothing to be done with them in matters of religion, and thus must remain of the same nature as they were born. Their language can no more be understood than learnt, and they hold so fast to their inborn customs that they are in no way to be brought from them: this has been tried by taking children from their mothers and educating them into other manners, but as soon as they come to maturity they abandon the good life and continue in the uncivilised ways of their parents. The great and famous General Reh [van Reede] took such a Hottentot into his household, taught him Dutch, and dressed him in red clothes embroidered with silver; but as soon as he got back to his compatriots he threw these clothes from him, hung a sheepskin around him, and again lived like any other Hottentot. All that he kept was a wide silver collar, which he wears, and calls himself ‘Captain Peg’, and the others all gladly obey him.
Nevertheless these poor pagans put many of us Christians to shame, exceeding us in many respects. Firstly, they are frugal, and well content if they have enough to eat for the day, however bad it be. Then also they are very serviceable, and let themselves be used in all manner of work for very little, a kreutzer or a small piece of tobacco or such-like. Thirdly they are neither proud nor lustful, as is alas the case among us; and here one must justly wonder with St Paul at the unknowable Ordinance of God, and without dispute it must remain unknown to us in what manner and by what means the ever-loving and impartial God seeks to bring these poor heathen to Him, so that they may be without excuse on that [last] Day.
The Dutch now rule this land up to 20 miles* from the coast, where there are none but such poor black Hottentots. Indeed a few years ago [1685] they made a trial, by sending 200 men further inland, since they understood that the so-called ‘Prester John’ had his capital there; but they returned without success, and although indeed they met with quite a different sort of folk, white of skin, and both far more intelligent and far richer [Namaquas], yet otherwise they attained nothing, and the matter has rested there until now. Also further exploration has been hindered by the fact that it is very toilsome and dangerous to go inland, since the aforesaid 200 men had great toil to cross over the highest mountains, which are covered with salt as are ours with snow, and they must take apart the waggons they had with them and carry them over the mountains, to be able to use them again on the plains [van der Stel in 1685].
After we had been about 6 weeks there, and had replenished both ourselves and our
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ship, we took on fresh hands so that we were now 100 in all, also 36 live sheep, two oxen, and other provisions including 6000 pounds of rice; and set sail [dr 20/11]....
Driven off course; Mauritius; Ceylon from end of January 1700 to end of December 1703. At Cape again homewards in 1704, arriving in August. Outwards again in 1705, again touching at Dassen Island and the Cape. Then Ceylon, Cochin, Batavia etc. until January 1709, touching at the Cape homewards to Middelburg. Thence on foot through Germany to Memmingen and again on foot through Italy and back, settling down at Memmingen as a baker. |
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