Hi Heather Thanks for this interesting account of the History of Rondebosch - could you please give us your source? Thanks and regards Sharon View 1800s SOUTH AFRICAN PASSENGER LISTS at http://www.sagenealogy.co.za/DataArchive.htm SCRIBES PUBLISHING for Colonial Books on CD - visit http://www.sagenealogy.co.za/Scribes.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Heather MacAlister" <heather@ancestors.co.za> To: <SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2004 6:15 PM Subject: [South-Africa-Cape-Town] Rondebosch - a bit of History Part 3 > SOME EARLY VISITORS TO RONDEBOSCH AND THEIR IMPRESSIONS > > > > For more than 300 years-even before the Free Burghers settled on the banks > of the Liesbeek River-travellers have followed one route from the Castle to > Rondebosch. In his book "Old Cape Highways", Dr. Mossop has established that > "it is now beyond doubt that when we travel the Main Road to the suburbs by > Sir Lowry Road, Observatory and Rosebank, we are-as far as the hillock at > Rondebosch, now dominated by the Church of St. Paul-upon the very waggon > road of Van Riebeeck's wood-cutters". > > > > Along this road have come through the centuries a vast multitude of people. > In this article I have selected a few of the more famous of this multitude > who have fortunately left behind them their impressions of Rondebosch and > its environs, or whose visits have been recorded. Of necessity only those > who visited Rondebosch up till the middle of the 19th Century have been > included. > > > > These visitors came for a variety of reasons and made a variety of > observations. It was the age when the traveller frequently put down his > observations in book form, and we are fortunate that many of the impressions > of these early travellers have been recorded in books which have become > classics of our Africana. > > >From the fascinating pages of their books it would seem that the majority of > visitors journeyed to see the Company's Gardens at Rondebosch and Newlands. > The village is barely mentioned before 1811, and the official visits of > inspection were to see the conditions under which the Free Burghers were > farming. It was for this purpose that Commissioner Rykiof Van Goens, > Governor-General of Batavia, visited the settlement on the Liesbeek in March > 1657. He improved the conditions and made provision for one of the settlers > to be a burgher councillor. > > > > Nine years later, in December 1666, the Admiral of the French Fleet, > Monsieur de Monde Vergne, was one of the first of a long succession of > visitors who were entertained at Rustenburg, the Company's Country House at > Rondebosch in the Gardens. He is said to have referred to it as being > "well-built and very sumptuously furnished". > > > > The German, Peter Kolbe(n) who had been sent to the Cape to make > astronomical observations, and who remained there from 1705 till 1713, has > left a quaint description of the gardens at Rondebosch which deserves to be > quoted in full. "Several beautiful country seats, vineyards and gardens are > to be seen on almost every side of the Table-hill. The Company has here two > very spacious, rich and beautiful Gardens. In one of 'em stands, erected at > the Company's Expence, a noble Pleasure-House for the Governour, and near it > a beautiful Grove of Oaks, called the Round-Bush from which this Garden > takes its Name, being called the Round-Bush garden. The other Garden which > is at some distance from this is called Newland because but lately planted. > Both these gardens are finely watered by the Springs on the Table-Hill and > the Company draws from 'em a very considerable Revenue. > > > > "Between these Gardens and contiguous to the foremention'd Stable, lies a > lovely estate, called on Account of its Fertility, Bread and Wine. Between > those Gardens likewise stands Lonwens famous Brew-house, erected by Jacob > Lonwen who together with his family was transported to the Cape, at the > Company's expence, for this very purpose." > > > > Some thirty years later another German, Otto Mentzel arrived and left a > justly famous description of the Cape of Good Hope. Of the Company's gardens > on the other side of the Devils Berg he says: "The first of these is about > two hours or one German mile distant from the town, and is named the 'Ronde > Boschje' from a circular plantation of young oak trees in the neighbourhood. > My own opinion is that the garden has obtained this name from its own > somewhat round appearance, for owing to the action of the South-East wind > the branches of all fruit trees standing on the boundary lean towards the > passerby. Within this garden there is a summer house of modest designe for > the pleasure of the Governor and other prominent persons." > > > > Mentzel was extremely impressed by the success of the pomegranate which grew > in the gardens, and has some pleasant remarks to make about the climate. > "These gardens are watered by a stream, that flows from the Table Mountain > and enters the Salt River. They are more attractive than the one in the town > because they provide a finer view, and purer air. The neighbouring mountains > cast cooling shadows and the frequent cloud coverings on top mitigate the > heat of the sun. The prevailing summer winds are not so vehement nor so > sudden in their onslaught as in the town." > > > > In 1769 Rear-Admiral John Splinter Stavorinus, who was in the service of the > States-General of Holland, visited the Cape on his way to the Far East. He > described the gardens "on the acclivity of the Devils Mountain, one of which > is called Newland, and the other Het Ronde Bosch (The Round Grove)". He > found both "adorned with shady walks and planted with a great number of > fruit trees". At Newlands he was greatly impressed by an apricot tree "which > was so large and had spread its branches so wide that more than twenty men > could be sheltered under them, and it produced very good fruit at the same > time". Stavorinus was almost alone among the visitors in remarking that "it > is a great pity that these pleasant country seats are so subject to the > violent attacks of the furious south-east winds which continually sweep down > the mountain". Other travellers remark how comparatively sheltered this area > appeared. > > > > About the same time Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, the famous French author of > Paul et Virginie visited Cape Town, and mentioned that although the price of > board and lodging was very high, one could always spend some days at his > landlord's country house at "Driekoppjes or Rondebosch" without extra > expense. It seems that some of the ordinary citizens of Cape Town already > had country seats at Rondebósch. > > > > In 1772 the famous Swedish professor of Physics at Stockholm University, > Andrew Sparrman, visited the Cape and stayed for some time at Alphen. He > found a rare animal vivera putorius (probably a kind of genet) at "Mr > Dreijer's farm at Rondebosch, situated nearer to the Cape than Alphen". > > Even old Rondebosch residents will no doubt be surprised to hear that in one > of his "excursions between Alphen and Rondebosch near a marshy place in a > dale", Sparrman came upon an animal with which he was totally unacquainted > and realised that it was a hippopotamus or sea-cow, which had probably > strayed from Zeekoe Vlei. > > > > Sparrman's Swedish colleague, Charles Peter Thnnberg, Professor of Botany at > Upsala University, visited the Cape at about the same time, and as a > botanist his impressions were largely related to plants and fruits. He > refers to Rondebosch which he visited on the 30th June 1772, as "a villa > belonging to the Governor", and says: "On this Eastern side, along Table > Mountain, the South East wind does not blow so hard as at the Cape, for > which reason both trees and shrubs grow here. Among other trees the pine > (pinus sylvestris) was conspicuous by its elegant crown. Wild vines made a > distinguished figure at this time with their red berries which resembled > cherries and were eatable". > > > > Thunberg again visited Rondebosch in 1774 and remarks that the Governor has > country houses at Rondebosch and Newlands "to which he may retire at > pleasure, and unbend his mind when oppressed with the cares of state". > > On the 15th September 1795, Rondebosch received two famous visitors when the > Cape was surrendered to General Craig and Admiral Elphinstone at Rustenburg. > > During the first British Occupation we have a description of Rustenburg by > the famous Lady Anne Barnard. "At Rondebosch," she remarks, "is the > pleasantest country house belonging to Government, four miles distance from > the Cape." In one of her letters she writes: "All is sweet you know that > grows in the neighbourhood of Constantia and Rondebosch." > > Also during the first British Occupation Robert Semple in his delightful > book "Walks and Sketches at the Cape of Good Hope" describes a visit through > Rondebosch to the Brewery of Mr. van Reenen. "A mile from Cape Town we > passed the lines, a range of redoubts and blockhouses . . . Having passed > the lines the road winds further to the right and in about half an hour > brought us through an avenue of trees to Rondybosch the seat of the > Lieutenant-Governor of the Cape. A little beyond Rondybosch we ascended a > small rising ground towards the right and eontinuing to approach still > nearer the hills, arrived at the Brewery, the estate of D. van Reenen, as > well known and as famous at the Cape as that of Constantia; and here we > stopped to take some refreshment. > > > > The house of Mr van Reenen though not yet compleated, is by far the most > elegant of any building public or private in the whole colony. It was > planned by Thibault a French engineer." > > Ten years later, in December 1811, the great English naturalist William > Burcheil visited Rondebosch and left us a most charming description. > "Rondebosch (Round-wood) is an assemblage of villas and gardens, distributed > along the first part of the road; and here many of the inhabitants of Cape > Town have their country seats. A little farther on, we crossed the > Liesbeecks river, a plentiful streamlet, at a place called Westervoort > Bridge. Hereabouts the country becomes exceedingly beautiful, every where > shaded with groves, and large trees of luxuriant growth, between which are > interspersed vineyards, gardens, and many handsome buildings. Turning to the > right or westward out of the Wynberg road, we followed another equally broad > and good, and delightfully shaded by large oaks. This led us by Nieuwlands > (Newlands) at that time the seat of General Grey; but which has since become > the official country residence of the Governor. Near this place is a > beautiful spot called the Brewery where in the midst groves and plantations > stands an elegant mansion built after the designs of Mons. Thibault, the > government architect and surveyor." > > Rondebosch residents will perceive a familiar note when Burchell mentions > that at Roodebloem "we felt the symptoms of an approaching hot day; but at > Rondebosch, owing perhaps to a cool and more open situation, the thermometer > fell to 73". > > Some years later, in 1838, Rondebosch began to assume its present character. > Charles Bunbury, foreign secretary of the geological society, describes a > drive to Muizenberg. "Our way," he writes, "lay at first along the foot of > the Devils Mountain, and skirting the flats past the pretty little village > of Rondebosch; in this part, the broad level road, bordered by high hedges, > and shaded by oak or fir trees, the neat cottages and gardens by the wayside > and the public houses with English names on their signs, put me much in view > of my own country." > > > > A curious visit was paid to Rondebosch by Andrew Geddes Bain the great road > engineer; when in search of coal he put down a borehole on the "Rondebosch > Flats to test the lignite found there". > > A frequent visitor in the middle of the nineteenth century was Thomas > Bowler, the artist who gave drawing lessons at "Bishops". Three of the > pictures of Rondebosch subjects he painted at this time are illustrated in > this booklet. > > Rondebosch has come a long way through the centuries from the days when Van > Riebeeck settled the Free Burghers on the banks of the Liesbeek. It has not, > however, lost the early charm and individuality which made such an appeal to > these early travellers. > > More still to come > kind regards > Heather > > > Visit South Africa's Premier Genealogy Web Sites www.ancestry.mweb.co.za and > www.familytree.co.za > > Join the Cape Town Family History Society > www.ancestors.co.za/society/socweb.htm > > > > ==== SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN Mailing List ==== > FamilyTree.co.za.......it's the place to hang out and do your Family Tree > > ============================== > OneWorldTree - The World's largest family tree. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13971/rd.ashx > >