Page 33 - Bulletin 20 2016

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Hurter means by “vergunning” or the conditions under which this was granted is not exactly
known but it is something that would eventually come to haunt Mrs Hurter as we shall see.

Also in 1788, the brother-in-law of Hurter, Arend Munnik, applied, in addition to his holding
in Simon’s Town known as ‘Constantin’, to be allowed to graze his horses and draught oxen
at the apparently now vacated, Schoesterskraal. He also requested to be allowed to construct
stables and kraals for the protection of his livestock along with quarters for his herdsmen (43) .
Meanwhile Barend Muller was petitioning the authorities to be allowed a fifteen year
erfpacht / quitrent at Wildschutsbrand. No record has emerged to cast light on what date this
area of 22 morgen and 166 square roods was actually granted to Muller but it appears to have
been in late 1808 or early 1809 as its location strongly suggests that its extent westward was
constrained by the half hour circle of land that encompassed Schoesterskraal and therefore,
must have been after Arend Munnik had taken up Schoesterskraal as a loan place. (See Fig.
10 earliest land grants.)

The next year another businessman from Simon’s Town, Jeremias Auret, petitioned for
grazing rights at the ‘Uiterste Hoek’ asking specifically for the loan place, ‘Buffelsfontein’
above the ‘Diemerskraal’. Under whatever conditions land grants in this area behind the
Swartkop Mountains from Simon’s Town may have been granted up till now, Auret’s
concession, at least, was subject to those governing a loan place as had been the case with
Jurgen Schoester. As the name infers, the ordonnantie selected was the Buffelsfontein - a
spring of water which to this day rises behind the Buffelfontein Information Centre / former
Buffelsfontein homestead. (Figs. 2.10 – 2.12.) Applying the half hour walk/750 Rhynland
rood rule from this point created a circle that took in a lot of the surrounding sea with the
result that the grant was 2,100 morgen (1800 hectares) in extent, rather than the maximum
allowable of 3,000 morgen. In addition to this, the low quality of the land for farming and
grazing soon became apparent (44) . Complaining that the water was “brak” and the grazing

insufficient for his cattle, Auret is on record in 1792 applying for a second loan place just to
the north along the banks of the Klassjager River and known as, Groot Smitswinkel Vlakte.
Auret was aware that it was highly irregular for the Company to allow anyone to hold more

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