Listen to 'Ver in die ou Kalahari' Afrikaner "Boers In Angola", 1881 - 1975 an all too familiar story of rugged individualism stifled by state bureaucracy The Dorsland Trek (the Thirstland or desert journey) Less than 50 years after the great trek from the Cape to Transvaal in the 1830s, another great trek took place, this time to Angola: the Dorsland Trek (the Thirstland or desert trek), when Johannes Marthinus van der Merwe sold his place in Rusfonteijn in 1874. It took many a Boer (farmer) through the dry Kalahari desert and left many dead of thirst, including many precious children and cattle. Those who managed to arrive in Angola were hit by the malaria mosquito and the Tsetse fly. Fewer than than half made it. The treks continued past the 'English wars' (aka the 1st and 2d Boer wars of 1880 and of 1899 - 1902, a result from the British coveting independent Afrikaner Republics and their rich minerals), until the Portuguese refused to allow any more Boers into Angola in 1907. A typical trek might consist of 500 people with 2000 oxen and 500 horses and many smaller farm animals like sheep and goats, dogs and chickens. The first three groups of trekkers, having traveled for many years, arranged on 18 September 1880 with the governor of Mossamedes in Angola for land grants of 200 hectares per Boer family in the largely unpopulated southern part (Humpata near Lubango in Huila province) of Angola. The first Boer settlement was founded there in January 1881. Some later settled n the central highlands, around Kibala and Mombola in Cuanza Sul, and in Bie provinces The good relations did not last long. The Portuguese had decided to settle the same highlands with Madeirans in 1884, who interestingly shared a similar distaste for remote government with the Afrikaners, having come from a distant island. Europe's scramble for what was left of Africa was on. The Madeirans were supposed to farm, but preferred trade and transport, having learned cattle breeding, driving and marksmanship from the Boers. During the drought of 1913-15, food was taken from the Boer farms without recompense by the Portuguese authorities. During the Great War of 1914-18 the Portuguese government commandeered Boer wagons, never to be returned. The Portuguese then tried to forbid use of Afrikaans in schools and to force Catholicism on the deeply Protestant Boers. This went counter to the agreement, and did not sit well with those who had left the Transvaal in part because of liberal policies forbidding their own religious education in schools there. The Portuguese also resented the control the Boers developed over means of transport and farming in Southern Angola, with their sturdy oxen wagons (ossewae). Citizenship and proper ownership of farms by the Boers was never achieved. Finally, in 1928, 2000 of the Boers decided to leave Angola for South West Africa (which South Africa had captured from the Germans in 1915 during the Great War (WW1)). They had to leave everything behind again, and start over in SWA, not 50 years after arriving in Angola, and not 100 years after arriving in Transvaal. Some stayed on in Angola, but were forced out not 50 years later in 1975, also with the loss of homes, land and cattle, These stories and pictures are a tribute to the Afrikaner Dorsland Boer endeavors, and their rugged individualism, the last true pioneers! Afrikaner Boers in various parts of Africa: British East Africa, Portuguese West Africa, and German South-West Africa the Dorsland Trek shown on a SWA stamp Afrikaners in Angola, verhaal van de Dorslandtrekkers met fotos meer Dorsland Trekker verhalen site with some interesting Afrikaner Boers oxen transports in Angola from 100years ago 1888 - 1988 Centenary SWA stamp Boerewa(gen) / Boerwagon site with pictures of where Afrikaner Boers use to live in Humpata, Angola besoek aan Lubango en Dorsland Monument Brian du Toit on Afrikaners to Argentina 1903-1909 Richard Davies on end of an era for Afrikaners in Argentina 1903-1939 A brief description of Boer transports around 1900 in German East Africa (from 'Met Hagenbeck naar de Wildernis' by C Schultz) : "Some Boers from Arusha with their particular Boer wagons pulled up to the hotel 'zum Blauen Affen' ('in the Blue Ape') where we stayed. They manage all freight from Buiko (where the Usambara-railroad ends) and Arusha (almost 300km). The Boers well understand the art of leading their oxen with word and with whip. A typical Boer wagon is pulled by at least 14 oxen. Each ox has its own name and knows it well. The driver has an exceptionally long whip, made of giraffe hide, and calls each animal that is not pulling its weight by its own name, and if necessary accompanies the calling with a crack of the whip. One of the Boers had shouted himself hoarse, and could not make himself heard anymore, which led to my discovery of an interesting cure for hoarseness. The Boer consumed a few spoonfuls of petroleum with sugar, and assured me that the remedy which all freight drivers use works well." Books, Stories and Pictures of a bygone era Read about 'Boers in East Africa' by Brian du Toit Read excerpt from p124, Boers repatriation in 1928 from Angola ("Boers in Angola") Read online a wonderful early Dutch settler account ("Rhodesia past and present", 1895, 218 pages) a short history of Boer settlement in Angola, Dorsland Trek 1859 Oxen vs Mules comparison, by RB Marcy in the 'Prairie Traveler' (US) 'The Story of South Africa' by Ridpath, Ellis 1899 References to Angola in 'The Story of South Africa' by Ridpath, Ellis 1899

A century of Afrikaner Boers in Angola, 1881 - 1975 Buy at B&N 'the Boers In Angola' by N Stassen Buy at Amazon 'the Boers In Angola' by N Stassen

Afrikaner Boer transports in Angola (Portugees Wes Afrika) early 1900s (various sources) 1900s Lubango, Boer wagon crossing the river Caculovar 1900s Mossamedes, Boer caravan in city streets 1900s Angola, Boer wagon crossing the Cunene 1900s Mossamedes plateau, Boer wagon crossing the Caculovar 1908 Boer wagon in city streets 1910s Lubango, Boer wedding 1910s Mossamedes, Boer wagon - Ossewa 1910s Mossamedes, Boer transport 1910s Angola, Boer oxen wagon 1910s Michael Wilhelm Prinsloo (aka Giel Prins) died 25Feb1925 Mombolo, husband of Martha Cath. du Pree 1910s Print by Serpa Pinto in 19th century of Boer wagon as used in Angola 1910s Humpata, Boer passenger wagon 1910s Boer wagon at a mission station 1900s Constructing a Boer wagon at the mission school 1912 Humpata, group of Dorsland trekkers 1914 Mossamedes, Boer wagons commandeered to haul war goods 1900s Angola, World War 1 use of a Boer wagon 1914s Angola, Boer wagon near the Kavango river 1900s Benguella, Boer wagon 1920s Lubango, 6 span Boer oxen wagon crossing the Cunene 1900s Boer wagon with oxen 1920s Mossamedes plateau, Boer transport 1900s Humpata, Boer dwelling 1926s Angola Ds DG Venter besoek/visit Mombolo in Cuanza Sul 1928 Swartbooisdrift, Boer wagon crossing the Cunene 1928 Swartbooisdrift, first evacation of the Angolan Dorsland Boers 1928 Boers repatriating 1953 Dorsland Trekker Monument in Humpata, Angola 19th century picture of the marketplace in Kimberley, showing oxen wagons