Pre-Bull 2008: Sleepless in Pretoria

Sleepless in Pretoria

In 1552 two Portugese ships, the St Jerome and the St John, ran into a storm off East Africa on their way home to Portugal. To avoid the hurricane they ran southwards. At the Umhlatuzi River (“the forceful one”), just south of present day Richard’s Bay, the St Jerome sank without any survivors becoming the first recorded shipwreck off the South African coast.

Dismasted and badly damaged the St John made it to the Mthamvuna River – the present day Port St John (aha that’s where the name comes from) – on the 8th of June were they were able to land most of the people and goods before, on the fourth night, another storm flung the galleon onto the rocks and 110 people drowned. Among the 500 plus survivors (the St John was the largest galleon in the Eastern trade – and 300 were slaves not requiring much room) was the captain, Manuel de Sousa de Sepulveda, his wife, Dona Leonora and their two small children and a whole bunch of rich bastards who apparently insisted on being carried until the masses came to their senses.

They decided to head north towards Inhambane in central Mozambique – a journey of some 1000 km. To get some perspective – this is part of the Transkei Wild Coast plus the entire Natal coast from Port Edward through Durban, Richards Bay, and St Luca all the way up to Kosi Bay - crossing dozens of rivers, mangrove swamps and wetlands without the benefit of any cafes, tourist resorts or 4x4’s on the beach. Then there was still almost half of Mozambique to go.

200, including the captain and his family, made it to the half way point in the Bay of Mozambique. Soon thereafter they ran into some xenophobic bother. Consequently only 22 of the original party made it to Inhambane where they were eventually ransomed to a passing trading vessel.

(Source : Roger Webster)

The question is : why did they not head south to East London?

BECAUSE IT’S BULL TERRITORY !

I discussed my insomnia with my trauma therapist. His reply was that men learn in three ways:

First there is the small – very small - group willing to accept instruction, then there are those who teach themselves by reading and finally there are those who insist on urinating on the electric fence. Which just about sums up the average AR male.

But what about AR chicks? Well unlike George Forder I shall not offer my opinion on this one. It would be safer, I believe, to go find an electric fence.

Having shared my concerns about the Bull I shall now shut up until we get to the start line. Sleep well.