"TREKKING" IN SOUTH AFRICA

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 6, 1 March 1900, Page 36

"TREKKING" IN SOUTH AFRICA

After this oar veteran tried South Africa, where he passed over some of the country now being rendered for ever memorable by the sacrifice of British and Colonial troops. Hill served till about 1861 in the "Hannibal" in the Mediterranean, returned to England in that vessel, and then joined the ship "Euiyalus," which was proceeding to China. " I ran away from her at Capetown," he told the writer, " and had a long spell knocking about away inland in Cape Colony. At the Cape of (-rood Hope I fell in with a trader, a

sort of regular ' Cheap-Jack' he was, selling guns, powder, brummagem, anything. He had a six-mule waggon, full of goods, and we started up country trading. We were out some weeks, and then we got to the Orange River. I stayed there a week or so, but I got enough of it. 'lhey were all talking Dutch, German, and that sort of thing, so I left the ' Cheap- Jack' and came back to the Coast with cattle. I got this job from a fellow bringing the cattle clown, and I was paid with ostrich feathers. I sold mine afterwards at Algoa Bay for £11. After some months travelling, I was back in Capetown again, and looking for a ship. The Aberdeen clipper ship ' George Washington ' was there, and 1 worked my passage in her to Algoa Bay, and then shipped in her for England."