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