Page 168 - KBHA Bulletin 10

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Fredrik also built a palatial house in Exeter road Wynberg that stood for many decades.
The area declined and the house, being too large for present day families, had to make

way for a block of flats. Mrs Auret here present still lives in the house he built in
Lakeside.

After vacating his house to make way for Muizenberg station, Abraham Zacharias built
a boarding house close to the Alexandra Hotel.

Lime-burning

On days when they didn’t fish Abraham would arrange to have the broken sea-shells

collected from the beach. These would be carted to an onshore site where the shells

were fired to make lime for the building industry. (Fig. 5.6). Anticipating the building
of the railway in the 1880s, Abraham had stockpiled about 90 bags of lime but

unfortunately a competitor had secured the contract.

Then Abraham noticed that the railway engineer had fitted himself out with a new

fishing rod and tackle. Down on the rocks he was preparing to enjoy his fishing. He
watched as the man started casting, but it soon appeared that he was quite a novice and

was not having any success. The master of this part of the ocean made of himself a
gillie and humbly approached the engineer. “Sir, allow me to bait your hook.” Then he

told the angler exactly where to cast and said that he would tell him when to strike. The

lovely fish was safely landed with the help of the gillie. Once again he baited the hook
and told the man where to cast and when to strike. Again a sizable fish was landed. The

engineer was beside himself with joy and gratitude.

“What do you do? What can I do for you?” he asked.
“I burn lime,” said Abraham.

“How many bags do you have?”

“Ninety.”
“Will you deliver them tomorrow? I am fed up with my current supplier. In future you