In the nineteenth century the Eastern Frontier of the Cape Colony was the stage on which a hundred years of conflict between Briton, Boer, and Xhosa was played out, fed by competition for land and mutual cultural incomprehension. The consequences of that conflict are still playing out in modern South Africa.
Britain's motive in establishing the British settlement of 1820 was to set up a buffer on the border between the Xhosa on the east of the Great Fish River, and the Colony on the west. The motive of those who braved the journey was to find a better life than that offered by Britain after the Napoleonic wars.
This is the story of some of them, including:
Robert Hart – The first British settler. Soldier. Pioneering farmer. Patriarch.
Edward Driver – Smuggler. Daring elephant hunter. Trader. Guide to General Sir Harry Smith. Always close to trouble but emerging unscathed.
The Thackwrays – Pioneers, traders and explorers. Father and two sons each died violently, trying to make better lives for their families.
Joseph Walker – One of a group of merchants and entrepreneurs who made their fortunes on the frontier.
John Forbes Cumming – Missionary. A man combining deep religious conviction with romantic dreams and great courage.
They became joined by family ties. Their stories include tales of murder, gunfights, war, massacre, and unrequited love, and are interwoven with the historical narrative. The material is extensively researched using a wide range of primary sources.
The protagonists influenced and were influenced by those they encountered. This also the story of all those people – Xhosa kings and commoners, Boer farmers and adventurers, South Africans to-be with different languages and cultures.
The book epitomizes Carlyle's observation: History is the essence of innumerable biographies. It is a gripping account of the history of the Eastern Cape Frontier as experienced by some who lived there.
