Title: The Great Trek UNCUT
Subtitle: Escape from British Rule: The Boer Exodus from the Cape Colony, 1836
Author: Robin Binckes
Genre: South African History
Publisher: 30 Degrees South Publishers (Pty) Ltd. and Helion Company Ltd.
Pinetown, South Africa and West Midlands, England 2014
ISBN 9781920143688 / ISBN 978-1-920143-68-8 South Africa
ISBN 9781908916280 / ISBN 978-1-908916-28-0 United Kingdom
Softcover, 15 x 23 cm, 568 pages, numerous b/w photos and maps
The Great Trek UNCUT: Escape from British Rule: The Boer Exodus from the Cape Colony, 1836 is an easy-to-read modern interpretation of South African history up to the end of the Great Trek in which the author correctly portrays the role players, both men and women, black and white, as staunch, rough and determined pioneers carving out a future for themselves and their descendants in a harsh, hostile environment. Traditionally writers on the Great Trek have covered the event from a perspective not only of white history but predominantly of Afrikaner history. It has always been seen as an Afrikaner event. It was anything but.
As the Great Trek and the events leading up to it involved every section of the population, Zulu, Sotho, Ndebele, Xhosa, San, Khoikhoi, Coloured, British, English-speaking South African and Boer, it is time to portray the trek in that light, in the context of a unbiased, modern South Africa. Besides the fact that The Great Trek indicates that there is a basis for estimating that organic relations were formed among the indigenous people and the Trekkers in South Africa, in current times it is a call for South Africans, black and white, to engage and complete the unfinished business of reconciliation.
List of maps
List of illustrations
Acknowledgements
Author's note
Chapter 1: The Portuguese search for the land of milk and honey
San — PresterJohn — Batholomeu Dias — voyages of exploration — Khoikhoi — death of de Almeida
Chapter 2: British flirtation with the Cape
Secret route — English East India Company — trade with the Khoikhoi — Core — the Cape as a penal colony — Britain claims the Cape — Harry — the Haarlem
Chapter 3: Second chance for Van Riebeeck
Van Riebeeck arrives — starvation — Eva — slavery — Doman — free burghers — first Khoikhoi-Dutch war — Van Meerhof- — Trekboers — the Castle — Van Qaelberg — French annexation and European wars — second Khoikhoi war
Chapter 4: Reaching the land of the Xhosa
Simon van der Stel — establishment of law and order — exploring the interior — Stavenisse — land of the Xhosa — Rolihlahla
Chapter 5: The birth of the Trekboers
French Huguenots — Khoikhoi wars — Klaas — Willem van der Stel — trade restrictions lifted — Trekboers — clash of the Xhosa and Trekboers — corruption and privilige — Adam Tas — rebellion — smallpox — commando system — 660 men drown in Table Bay — death ofNoordt — Chief Phalo — Barbier's execution — loan farms — Tulbagh — Meermin — Van Plettenberg
Chapter 6: Corruption and discontent
Trekboers move on — shoot to kill — Van Jaarsveld — tobacco massacre — First Frontier War — boundaries pushed — Xhosa resistance — Maynier — abandonement of farms — Coenraad de Buys — Second Frontier War — Nationals — Graaff-Reinet revolt
Chapter 7: The return of the 'Bushmen of the Sea'
Little Paris — William of Orange — Patriots — British troops arrive — Gordon's death — Stockenstrom — Graaff-Reinet rebellion — Macartney — Lady Anne Barnard — De Buys outlawed — Ngqika — new boundaries — ill treatment of Hottentots — Vandeleur marches on Graaff-Reinet — Redcoats at the Sundays River — defiance of Chungwa — Lieutenant Chumney — attack on Boers — Boer unhappiness
Chapter 8: God's messengers arrive
Slaves — the slave lodge — sex and the slaves — Cupido — famous names —
free blacks — Afrikaner — the first missionaries — Van der Kemp — De Buys and Ngqika — Ndlambe — Stuurman — Cape under Batavia — Third Frontier War
Chapter 9: The wheel turns
Split of the Xhosa — France and Britain at war — return of the British — Britain takes the Cape — Caledon — Andries Stockenstrom — Xhosa cross the line — Ndlambe refuses to budge — Cradock — Fourth Frontier War — end of the Fourth Frontier War
Chapter 10: Execution at Slagtersnek
Chain of forts — words rather than deeds — quitrent system — Booy and Bezuidenhout — anger mounts — Slagtersnek — the role of the prophets — Somerset — Spoor Law — Battle ofAmalinde — Fifth Frontier War — attack on Grahamstown
Chapter 11: Lambs to the slaughter: 1820 Settlers
1820 Settlers — a long way from home — Somerset — Piet Retief- — shoddy work — bankruptcy and financial ruin — newspapers — new boundaries — London Missionary Society — Anti-Slavery Society — Commissioner General of the Frontier — Ordinance 50 — expulsion of Maqoma
Chapter 12: Going ... going ... going
Feelings of uncertainty — Louis Trichardt — poverty and ruin — Slavery Abolishment Act — Retief plans to leave — Uys — Potgieter — exploratory treks
Chapter 13: "The land is dead!"
Journey to Natal — Hintsa — Sixth Frontier War — Boers on the move — d'Urban; Maqoma's frustration — slave compensation — invasion of the Colony — panic and fear — Salem and Gush — Xhosa attack Bathurst — enter Colonel Harry Smith — attack on Tyali —
Boers drafted into the army — bush war — Cape Mounted Rifles — soldiers or herders? — across the Kei — the Mfengu — demands on Hintsa — the Mfengu become British — Queen Adelaide — the murder of Hintsa
Chapter 14: Bitter is the aloe and bitter are the Boers
Sarili — illegal arms trade — missionary rivalry — Select Committee on Aboriginals — South African Commercial Advertiser — troop reinforcements — peace signed — land given to Mfengu — Lord Glenelg — Boer anger at Stockenstrom — slave compensation error — Glenelg disenchanted with d'Urban — rumour sweeps the frontier — the Voortrekkers; Trichardt and Van Rensberg — Cilliers — crossing the Orange — Thaba 'Nchu — Glenelg rejects occupation of Queen Adelaide — Retief takes up the cudgels — Matabele — Mfecane — Griqua — Archbell
Chapter 15: The scattering of the people
Moving north — search for Van Rensherg party — return of Stockenstrom — Cape of Good Hope Punishment Act — murder on the Vaal — Battle ofVegkop
Chapter 16: Revenge at Mosega
Maritz — Maritz treks — Reverend Smit — Retief s manifesto — Maritz elected governor — attack on Mosega
Chapter 17: The trickle turns into a flood
Potgieter and Maritz clash — arrival of Retief — Retief becomes governor of the United Laagers — Potgieter plans another attack — Trichardt's journey — over the mountains
Chapter 18: Quo vadis?
1820 Settlers saddened — north or Natal? — conflict between leaders starts — after effects of the Mfecane — Waterboer — treks divide; Pretorius — Battle of eKapain
Chapter 19: British at Port Natal
Sekonyela — promised land — British welcome the Boers — Biggar and Gardiner — Gardiner and Dingane — Port Natal becomes Durban — Gardiner made chief — Owen — William WoodJr — Gardiner returns
Chapter 20: When worlds collide
Retief travels to Dingane — Umgungundhlovu — festivities — "Recover my cattle" — crossing the Drakensberg
Chapter 21: "Who can fight with you? No king is your equal"
Retief plans — Retief tricks Sekonyela — Dingane makes ready — expedition to Dingane — the commando leaves — clash of cultures — negotiations
Chapter 22: "Kill the wizards!"
Execution or murder? — Owen fears for his life — Venables and Brownlee — Hulley returns — Owen flees
Chapter 23: Blood stains at the place of weeping
Zulu attack — massacre — the aftermath — orphans — Maritz organizes
Chapter 24: A hero dies and a hero falls
Planned revenge — the locust army — Uys and Potgieter ride out — Uys trapped — Uys dies — Potgieter's men retreat — Modderlaager — Maritz the leader
Chapter 25: Port Natal burns
Grand army of Natal — Zulu crush the Grand Army — arrival of Trichardt in Delgoa Bay — Zulu attack on Durban — Comet
Chapter 26: "We have seen the Promised Land but only one of us was chosen to live in it"
Natal population grows — Stockenstrom investigated — Landman annexes Durban — Napier wishes to occupy Durban — plans to avenge Retiefs death — attack on Gatsrand — attempts to curtail the Boers — death of Maritz
Chapter 27: The river ran red
Pietermaritzburg — apprentices — Napier plans troops for Durban — news ofPretorius — The Vow — Battle of Blood River
Chapter 28: Final closure
After the battle — Umgungundhlovu revisited — Boers tricked — the trap — Battle of Umfolozi — the British size up the Boers — Pretorius seeks help — Church of the Vow — Dingane turns to the British — Jervis — Pretorius appointed Chief Commandant — Dingane repulsed by the Swazis — Volksraad — Stockenstrom returns
Chapter 29: Betrayal and murder
Mphande meets Volksraad — Mphande istalled as king of emigrant Zulus — Dingane reneges on cattle debt — Natal Association — British depart — Beeskommando — execution ofTambuza — death ofUmhlela — death of Dingane
Chapter 30: Dark clouds of war
Boer Republic — Potgieter seeks seaport — Potchefstroom — Volksraad clips Pretorius's wings — the Bhaca — more trouble from the missionaries — British camp at Umngazi River — Russell instructs Napier — Boers "not British" — Pretorius resigns — Pretorius re-instated — troops march from Umngazi — arrival of the Brazilia — Smellekamp
Chapter 31: Boer vs Brit in Durban
Smellekamp arrested — Smith's troops arrive — negotiations fail — Volksraad instructs Pretorius, "Drive out the British!" — Battle of Congella — Dick King's ride — the Conch — plight of the British troops — truce signed
Chapter 32: "Barefoot over the mountains to die in freedom"
Boer defiance — faction fighting — Potgieter scorns Pretorius — Henry Cloete —
return of Smellekamp — Zulu refugees — Suzanne Smit — Mocke's planned annexation — troops return — patriots — Volksraad buckles — Boer marriages — Natal incorporated into the Cape Colony
Chapter 33: Enter the Griqua and Basotho
Moshoeshoe — Union Flag at the Orange — Adam Kok — Griqua prepare for war — British troops move again — dividing up the land — meeting of the chiefs
Chapter 34: North of the Vaal
Andries Ohrigstad — Sekwati — Potgieter and Volksraad clash — meeting in Lydenburg — departure of Cloete; Location siting for Zulus — Pretorius meets with Stockenstrom — Pretorius snubbed by authorities
Chapter 35: Arrogance and humiliation
Klipriver Boers — West — return of Sir Harry Smith — insult ofMaqoma-British Kaffraria — Smith and Moshoeshoe — Smith meets with Pretorius-Smith shocked — Smith breaks his word
Chapter 36: Orange River Colony
Pretorius lobbies support — Orange River Sovereignty — Warden — Pretorius in Potchefstroom — death of Christina Pretorius
Chapter 37: Battle of Boomplaats
Troops cross the Orange — the battle — rebel execution — rebellion — Hendrik Buurman — Potgieter and Pretorius vie for power — Volksraad of Ohrigstad
Chapter 38: Dividing the cake
The Basotho and Tlokwe fight — meeting of Warden and the chiefs — border proposals — Boers fight for the British
Chapter 39: Peace at last
In search of allies — Pretorius expresses desire for peace — outlawing of Pretorius annulled — Pretorius the peace negotiator — meeting planned for Sand River — Sand River Convention — Pretorius and Potgieter reconciled
Notes
Bibliography
Index
