The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-04
SOUTH AFRICA TRAVEL.
As 1t Was Before Railroads Began
Their Work of Civilization.
From South Africa.

FROM SOuln AFRICA.
To the ordinary traveller or tourist
who now visits South Africa the word
travel will have little more meaning
than what il invokes in other lands.
The railway now runs to most parts
of the country, and a more or less
tedious journey in comfortable COM
partment will carry him to his des-
tination. Such was not, however, al
ways the case, ana il iS not so long
since those who through pleasure OF
necessity We're forced t. travel had to
avail themselves of the facilities Of
fered by post carts or transport
wagons. 1t is true that in some re-
mote dorps in the TransvaaI and Free
State the scream of the railway whistle
has never hsSn heard, and probably
never will be; but these places are out
of the way of the ordinary traveller,
and rarely visited by him. In the old
days the traveller who had to trust
himself to the tender mercies of the
post contractor did so as a rule in fear
and trembling. There We're, as in all
else, degrees in the various services,
but the man who could have found
pleasure in a trip even on the best
roads must have indeed possessed a
disposition of which Mark Tapey
might have been proud.
In some of the services on the prin-
cipal routes from Cape Colony and
Natal the carts were well horsed, the
drivers We're thoroughly up to their
work, and the conditions We're made
as desirable as was possible under the
circumstances. But the carts had been
built to suit the roads, the space was
strictly limited, and the mails would
absorb a considerable quantity of this
space, and the unfortunate passenger,
jammed in between a couple of other
unfortunates, his knees compressed
against a pile of bags and his back
sore from constant friction against the
seat, would sit in silent agony until his
destination was reached-the only re-
lief obtainable being when the cart
stopped for the night and the weary
traveller could throw himself partly
dressed on a bod to snatch few hours
sleep before the drivers call at the
earliest dawn warned him that the
dread hour had arrived for him to
again take his seat in the cart.
The start from the town was always
of the same nature. The four or six
while a couple of Hottentots would
hang on TO their heads, the driver
would gather up the reins and crack
his whip, the boys would spring to
one side, and the equipage would dis
appear in cloud of dust in the dis
tance. On some lines this would hold
good at all the various stopping places.
but in others once the first halt was
a span of weary mules would be
dragged reluctantly forth. ard the
travellers heart would sink into his
boots, and he would glance reproach-
fully at the driver. The mules would
be inspanned and a fresh start made,
and the drivers assistant would bring
forth his short jambok and prepare
for business. Tender hearted travellers
would at first sympathize with the
mules later on the sympathy would
be transferred to the wretched boy
VINO had to urge them on, by jumping
down from the cart every few min
utes and running alongside the ami
mails and belaboring them. After a
time the travellers sympathy for both
would have vanished. and he would
mentally cOnsign both TO the neither
N"ilp' NHell tlle poy flllnDvu on the
cart at intervals the passengers would
draw deep breaths, Everything comes
10 him who waits" and at length a
stage would be reached on the confines
of civilization, whore a span Of horses
would be produced and a better start
made. Like the Irish jarvey the post
cart driver firmly believed i'm "sav-
ing a trot for the avenue" and the
coach would wheel into the village in
blaze Of glory, the driver awakening
the echoes with shrill blast from his
bugle.