Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-29
NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN
Terrible Discomforts of Post Cart Travelling
in South Africa.
The Roads Were Bad and the Accom-
modatiOns for Passengers
Even Worse.
From South Africa.

From South Africa
In the old days, while in South Africa, the
traveller had to trust himself to the tender
mercies of the post contractor, and we did
so, as rule, in fear and trembling. There
were, as in all else, degrees in the various
services, but the man who could have
found pleasure in trip even on the best
| roads must have indeed possessed a DISPOSE
ton of which Mark Tapley might have
been proud In some of the services on the
principal routes from the Cape Colony and
Natal the carts were well horsed, the driv-
ers were thoroughly up to their work. and
the conditions were 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 passen-
ger, damned in between couple of other
unfortunateS, his knees compressed against
pile of bags and his back sore from COR
slant friction against the seat, would sit
in silent agony until his destination was
Ieached-the only relief obtainable being
when the cart stopped for the night and the
weary traveller could throw himself partly
dressed on a bed 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 six horses
would stand paving the ground 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 disappear in a cloud Of Dust in the
distance. On some lines this would hold
good at all the various stopping places,
but in others once the first halt was
reached and civilization left behind, a span
OF weary mules would be dragged re-
luctantly forth, and the travellers heart
would sink into his boots, and he would
glance reproachfully at the driver.
The mules would be inspanned and a.
fresh start made, and the drivers assistant
would bring forth his short 'sjambok'' and
prepare for business. Tender-hearted tray
elers would at first sympathiZe with the
mules; later on the sympathy would be
transferred to the wretched boy who had
to urge them on, by jumping down from the
cart every few minutes, and running
alongside the animals and beiaboring them.
After d time the travellers sympathy for
both would have vanished, and he would
mentally consign both to the neither world.
When the boy climbed on the cart at inter-
walls the passengers would draw deep
breaths. Everything comes to 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 better start made. Like the Irish
jarvey, the post cart driver firmly believed
in saving trot for the avenue and the
CodcH Woulu Nleei INTO the FftdSe III q
blaze Of glory, the driver awakening the
echoes with a shrin blast from his bugIe.
The village would turn out to see the
cart arrive. The postmaster would pull
himself together and assume severe judi
cial expression of one who had weighty
business on his hands and must not be
lightly approached The cart would pull up
at the post office and disgorge the mail, and
would then make for the hotel, and the
traveller would alight to be welcomed by
the host at the hospitabe portals. The
village would by this time be at the post
office clamorfng for their letters and pass
ing unpleasant remarks as to the dilatori-
ness of the postmaster, needless of the fact
that that official was working ike a galley
slave inside. The little window would at
length be thrown open and the public would
receive their mail, and the postmaster
would draw a breath of relief and retire
into the innermost recesses of his dwelling
and peaceful night would once more settle
down the village