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View of the city (Windhoek) in 1908/09 in front of the Auas Mountains. • Photo: Dieter Voigts

As last we reached Windhoek or Jonkers place one Saturday morning, and found Mrs. Morris and her two children there. Mr. Morris having gone to the Bay on horseback to meet the vessel, and it was well that he did for they arrived in the Bay two days before him. Mr. Lawton[21] had sent a schooner and cutter with plenty of provisions and barter goods. Mrs. Morris’s waggon was drawn near Jonker’s house, as she had been left in his care. Our waggons were also brought there[22] with the usual firing of guns as a welcome and salute. During the day the Rhenish Missionaries, Mr. Kleinschmidt, Mr. Hahn and Mr. Bam, who had come there some months before to commence a Mission[23], came to our waggons to make our acquaintance, and kindly invited us to spend the next day (Sunday) with them, which we did. They only had a Hartebeast house erected in which they lived, and it was surprising how neat and comfortable they had made it inside. Their provisions were also nearly finished but in honour of our visit, they had made a pot-loaf of bread, which was a great treat as ours had been finished some weeks before. My poor mother especially suffered on the present diet having to nurse her baby[24] and not being very strong. In a few days time we left for Walwich Bay; Jonker[25] and about 40 of them accompanying us, as there was no waggon road made. Sometimes we had to outspan for a couple of hours or a day, while they cut down trees or rolled stones out of the way. Jonker and party generally went on ahead of a morning before the waggons and left a man on the road till the waggons came up then he went on again, and if there was a dangerous place father and Jonker waited to see us safely over it and then went on again. Of course plenty of game was shot to supply the party with food. It was rather a curious sight to see so many fires at night and the people cooking and relating their hunting adventures. They used to talk half the night sometimes and then their packing and saddling their oxen and starting. There were some comical and strange scenes enacted.

After a wearisome journey over the Narope flats we reached the Kusip River,[26] and one of the waggons got upset. It was rather remarkable after our long journey that this should happen just at the last days, after having gone through such dangerous places before, and no such accident happening. But it was fortunately only the pack waggon and no one was hurt or anything broken.

At last we got out of the sandhills, and on to the open plain with the fine large Bay in view. The vessels were still there but just ready to leave. There were two tents erected in which the goods were stored. The number of wild birds was wonderful. The beach of the lagoon was quite red for miles with flamingoes and other parts great flocks of pelicans. There were thousands of duikers flying in long strings morning and evenings. The mirage was simply indescribable. The Bay swarmed with sharks and porpoises. There was not a rock or stone to be seen, nor a bush or blade of grass only a small patch of sampire. A truly wild and desolate place with not a human habitation to be seen. Only sandhills to be seen in the distance and towards the north miles inland, the blue mountain which Captain Alexander named Kehorn[27]. Ours were the first waggons that ever reached Walwich Bay[28] and I believe the first white females that ever put foot there were mother, Mrs. Morris, my sister[29] and myself. Oh! what a dreary prospect all presented. In a few days Jonker and his men returned and we took up our abode in the tents till the next move was decided on, and which was that Mrs. Morris was determined to return to the Cape with the cutter, the other vessel having left some days before. Mr. Morris pleading his wife’s health as the reason for going and promising to return when she was better. Of course the vessel would have to return with further supplies. He and his wife and two children accordingly left, and we could not help feeling truly lonely. Father[30] went a short distance inland to examine the waters as there was no drink water in the Bay, and to see which was the best place to build a house. He decided on a place about three miles from the Bay, where there was a fountain, he gave the place the name of Sandfontain[31], which it still bears.

Father also went to the mouth of the Swacop River[32] and found near there the remains of a wreck. There were five cannon embedded in the rocks. They were plainly to be seen at low-water. The natives told him the old natives had murdered some of the crew of the vessel and the others had made a raft and gone to sea on it. Some of the old people still remember the circumstances. Father and the men who still remained set to work cutting poles and reeds to make a house. In the meantime we remained in the Bay.

Sometimes the native near the Bay would bring us wood and narras, a fruit which grows on the sandhills and on which they principally live in fact all living things there, eat it. Jackal, horse, dogs, monkeys, wolves and ostriches, etc. The latter were in great numbers on the plain and used to come down to the Kusip for the narras. The natives used also to come down to the Bay to catch fish mostly stingray or stakes, which they eat with a Koedo[33] Horn at the end of a long stick. They would walk in at low water up to their knees and stick them with the horn. They did the same to small sharks and had poles put up on which to dry them.

A few days after the cutter left she returned with the Morris family. It seems they got contrary winds and the accommodation being so small and bad and all suffering from sea sickness Mrs. Morris preferred to return so they put back. I don’t think the sailors were sorry to get rid of such cargo and they to be on land again. Mr. Morris went at once to assist father to make a house but as his wife was expecting to be ill[34] her house of course had to be ready first, which kept us some weeks longer in the tents and damp and foggy bay. In such a country and such a situation gives one the opportunity of finding out people’s true characters and it is wonderful how utterly selfish human nature can be.

One day we saw a vessel coming into the Bay and soon after anchoring a party landed and came up to the tents. They were all Englishmen and were all armed. Of course we were rather nervous at such a sight. As father was away one of the two men (Regan) was there. However, they were very civil and the Captain told mother they were in search of something mineral I think and went about searching different spots and not finding what they wanted, went on board again and the vessel left. Father was very sorry he did not see them. (They were at the Swacop making a fortune.)
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