Hunting in the Sneeuberg, 1856

In mid-July 1856, Robert Bain of Quagga’s Valley (one of William Southey’s farms), and George Murray of Naudesberg (in the Sneeuberg north of Graaff-Reinet), with his youngest brother Walter, rode over the mountains to the extensive flats around Cephanjes Poort, Kolhoek and Zaayfontein, to hunt mainly wildebeest and springbok. According to The Graaff-Reinet Herald of July 26, they were most successful, and in three days shot 88 springbok and two wildebeest, or gnus, which were nearly all in excellent condition. “Many of the springbok were as fat as such game can be. The strong wagon they had taken was so heavily laden with these 90 carcasses that some difficulty was experienced in getting all this quantity of venison back to the home of the hunters. Nothing, however, was left behind or lost. The weather was cold; and residents of the area proclaimed that fresh meat would keep for a month in such conditions without any salt.” Bain and the Murray brothers made plenty of biltong. A friend, R. Wilson, who was to have been part of the hunt, suffered a bad accident on the first day. His horse lost its footing as it started to gallop and fell. The stock of his rifle was smashed and he was obliged to retire.

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