The Project Gutenberg EBook of Adventures of Hans Sterk, by A.W. Drayson

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Adventures of Hans Sterk
The South African Hunter and Pioneer

Author: A.W. Drayson

Illustrator: J.B. Zwecker

Release Date: May 27, 2010 [EBook #32559]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ADVENTURES OF HANS STERK ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

Adventures of Hans Sterk, by Captain A.W. Drayson, R.A..

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
ADVENTURES OF HANS STERK, BY CAPTAIN A.W. DRAYSON, R.A..

PREFACE.

In the history of colonisation there is probably no example on record so
extraordinary as that of the emigration from the colony of the Cape of
Good Hope, in 1835, of nearly six thousand souls, who, without guides or
any definite knowledge of where they were going or what obstacles they
would encounter, yet placed their all in the lottery and journeyed into
the wilderness.

The cause of this emigration was to avoid what the emigrants considered
the oppression of the ruling Government, and the object was to found an
independent nationality in the interior of Africa.

These emigrants, shortly after quitting the neighbourhood of the Cape
colony, were attacked by the chief of a powerful tribe called the
Matabili, into whose country they had trespassed. Severe battles, in
which overwhelming numbers were brought against them, were fought by the
emigrants, the general results being victory to the white man.

Not satisfied with the situation which these victories might have
enabled them to secure, a party of the emigrants journeyed on towards
the east, in order to obtain a better position near the present district
of Natal. This party were shortly afterwards either treacherously
massacred by a Zulu chief named Dingaan, or were compelled to fight for
their lives and property during many months.

It is mainly amidst these scenes that the hero of the following tale
passed--scenes which brought out many cases of individual courage,
daring, and perseverance rarely equalled in a