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and attend what was called the “Slaamse Skool” where they would be taught the
Islamic faith.

The living areas

Everyone lived as close as possible to where their craft were beached, and so the
mixed community first lived on the hillside at the foot of the mountain in small wood

and corrugated iron structures. This area was called “Die Land” which suggests that
it was some sort of plain. (Fig. 3.25). At the top of the rows of cottages was an

elongated wooden structure that I was told used to be a big stable. Whose it was or
what it really housed I have no idea but I do know that it was called “The Palace” –

probably because of its dilapidated state.

Then there were a number of houses on the right-hand side of Windsor Road behind

the King’s Hotel where my late father was born in 1900, and where I too was born. I

would assume that those houses, which are still there, could be at least 100 to 120
years old. I believe that fishermen lived at Windsor House, opposite King’s Hotel,

although it could have been a guest house originally. This area was known as “Die
Middel Dorp”. Many Moslem built their homes above and around the mosque on

Quarterdeck Road where the wash-house used to be. This area was called “Die Dam”
or “Wasdam”.

The fishing grounds

The location of the fishing grounds was governed by the habitats of two types of fish:
the bottom or bank fish and the surface feeders. The bottom fish such as hottentot,

roman, red stumpnose, dageraads, pangaas, 74s, silverfish, steenbras and others, feed
on the things that grow and live on rocks or banks like crabs, crustaceans, mussels,

red bait, and so on and are equipped with powerful jaws and teeth for that purpose.

There is even a species not really found in False Bay called a mussel cracker for that
is exactly what it does. Roman Rock lighthouse is built on a rock off Simon’s Town

and the area around it is a huge area of rock under water, and for obvious reasons it