Page 71 - Bulletin 14 2010

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“Every thing being in order on board my ship, and my presence not being further necessary, I
th
made an engagement, on the 14 of July, with three gentlemen, to ride to the Cape.
We set off about one o’clock; the road first led along the beach, the sea being on our right,
and a high ridge of mountains on our left, which hung over us. After riding for about an hour, we
came to a place, which is called the Welzand, or Quicksand.
The mountains here take a large bend inland, and form a sandy valley, which extends to the
seashore, and is peculiarly dangerous for travellers, as it does not unfrequently happen, that
people ignorant of the circumstance, getting into the loose sand, are in great danger of sinking
into it, and being buried alive, if speedy assistance be not at hand to extricate them.
Two days before I passed here, an Englishman, who belonged to one of the ships in the bay,
got into this place with his horse, in the evening, and he would most probably have lost his life,
had he not instantly, as soon as he felt his horse sinking under him, sprang off and got away,
while the animal was presently swallowed up in the sand, and stifled, without his rider being able
to give him any assistance.
As I did not find anyone, who had been inclined to examine this part with accuracy, or who
could give any reason for the phenomenon of the sand being so loose, as to swallow up those
who attempted to pass over it, and my own time, and opportunity, would not permit me to use my
poor abilities for this purpose, I am wholly ignorant of the causes to which these circumstances
are to be attributed.
The surest means of avoiding the danger of this road, which is about a quarter of a Dutch mile
long, is by riding close down by the sea, or even through the surf, where the ground is hard;
though here, likewise, prudence must be used; for if one rides too far through the waves, there is
no little danger of being carried away by them.
A too great fear for the Welzand, had nearly cost my second lieutenant his life; for riding too
far through the water, he got out of this depth with his horse, and the animal swam away from
under him; fortunately he was an adept in the art, and he saved his life by swimming, reaching
the shore at the same time with his horse.
Nothing is produced in this sandy valley, but in some places, a few green bushes, which
somewhat resemble the broom that grows upon our downs.
Besides this Welzand, there is another smaller passage, which is equally dangerous, from the
same circumstances, and lies about halfway between this and Simon’s-Bay.
Having passed this dangerous spot, at full gallop, in order to run the less peril of sinking in,
we came, a short half hour afterwards, to a place called Muizenbergh, which is a post of the
Company, who keep two or three men constantly on the look-out here, for the purpose of sending
immediate advice to the Cape, of the arrival of ships in False-Bay, or their departure from it.
There are stables here belonging to the company, which were erected, in the years 1775, and
1776, for the cavalry of the country, who, upon the alarm of an enemy attempting to land in the
neighbouring Kalk or Lime-Bay, must instantly repair thither, with some light artillery, to prevent
their landing; or, if they have landed in some of the other bays higher up, their passage farther
must be here disputed, the place being of that nature, that fifty determined men, may stop the
progress of several thousands, for a considerable time; for the road is very narrow, with high
mountains on one side, and a precipice of upwards of forty feet on the other, the bottom of which
is washed by the sea. The chain of mountains, which half incloses False-Bay, likewise terminates
here.