good morntnfi - historical papers, wits university · good morntnfi * good morning, me^ry sunshine,...
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GOOD MORNTNfi
*Good morning, me^ry Sunshine,Where have you been all night?We love to have your sunbeams,We love to have your light.You've been to other lands, we know,But now you're back again,Good morning, merry Sunshine,Where have you been all night?
Here is my head, and here is my nose, Here are my knees and here are my toes. Here are my fingers and 1, 2, 3 (Child's name) come shake hands with me, Good morning, Qood morning.
* * *
Good morning, merry Sunshine,How did you wake so soon,You scared the little birds awake,And shined away the moon.
* * *
Here is the way we wash our hands,wash our hands,
wash our hands,Here is the way we wash our hands so
early in the morning.(Repeat as for other actions)This is the way we go to clubs, go to
clubs, go to clubs, This is the way we go to clubs,
so early in the morning.
SONGS ABOUT ANTMAT.S
Horsie-Horsie, don't you stop,Just let your feet go clippety-clop,Your tail go swish —And the wheels go round —Giddy up, we're homeward bounds.
Donkey
I've got a little donkey,But he wouldn't go,Do you think I beat him?Oh-no-no.I put him in a stable,I keep him nice and warm,The best little doneky That ever was born.
v ; \
Horse
I've got a little hammer,I've got a little nail,I've go a little wooden horse That Hasn't got a tail.I 'l l take my little hammer,I 'l l take my little nail,I ’ll make my little Wooden horse A little wooden tail.
- a - —
Dog.
Oh where, o where, can my little dog be?Oh where, oh where, can he be?
l lth_hls ears so short, and his tall so long.Oh where oh where can he be?
(Children pretend to look for lost dog,then whistle and child who is lest dog hiding awav,comes to be petted.) ’ '
Whale
Have you ever, ever, ever, ever, ever _ " . " " " seen a whale?For if you ever, ever, ever, ever, ever If you ever, ever see a whalte.You must never, never, never, never, never,You must never, never stand upon his tail.For if you ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.I f you ever, ever stand upon his tail.You will never, never, never, never, never You will never, never sea another whale I
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Hippopotomns
Oh the hip, hip, Hippopotamus Is the cleverest of the l fc of us.He can stay, so they say,Underneath the water for a half a day.Oh the hip, hip, hippopotomus,Is a clever fellow in his way.But the whole jolly lot of us Can beat the Hippopotomus,He can't say hip, hooray.
Bird
Little bird you are welcome,What news do you bring?From you mother at hime dear,Come tell us a song,Tra-la-la-la, la-la-la,
" , " " " " " " through song, while"little bird" with another child, others clap hands.
10 Little Squirrels Finger-Plav
L0 little squirrels, sitting in a tree,These 2 (thumbs) said "What can we see?;"These 2 (2nd fingers) said "A man with a gun!"These 2 (3rd fingers) said "Lets all run."These 2 (Ring fingers)said "Let ’s hide in the shade." These 2 (baby fingers) said "We're not afraid."Bang went the gun,And away they all run.
10 little gentlemen, standing ina row (all fingers up)Bow little gentlemen, bow down low (bend hands- from wrifets) Walk little gentlemen, walk across the flcor,And dont foget, gentlemen, to please shut the door.
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dances
5 little mice came out to play,Gathering crumbs up on their way,0ut came pussy, sleek and fat,and four little mice went scampering back.
*+ little mice came out to play,3tc. etc. 3 little mice went scampering back.
(and^so on until no little mice went scampering back,
actions°as wo?dS)ehl" a ba° k ’ ml° e are 5 flngers on ° th” hand,
Club Leaders,
^ discuss bciefly, the weather each day?
Wha£ weather are we having today? What does the sky look like. How can we tell there is a wind? We see signs — smoke, trees, we feel it on our faces.
What month of the year is it?
2) What day of the, week is it?What season of the year?
3) Discuss colours of children's clothese, surroundings.
W B a n n qSa S e r w e t f a ^ . ° P P 0 S l t e S ’ e ’ g ’ h a r d ’ 3 0 f t > M g > s m a l l > r 0 U Ild
Children should be encouraged in self-expression and observation.
*
GAN A CHICKEN SWIM?
1* Chicken was one of a family of ten and their mother vjas called Mrs Hen*
Duckling was one of a family of eight, and their mother was Mrs Duck*
2 . Chicken and Duckling often played together, but Mrs Hen often told
Chicken that she must not play with ducklings, as the way they played was
not always good for chicks*
3* One day Duckling said to Chicken, "Come to the dam* My brothers and
sisters have gone ahead, but we can catch them. ’1 Of oourse, Chicken did not
know what a dam m s like, but she did not intend to let Duckling think he knew
more than she did , and so she went along*
4* They soon overtook the other ducklings, and when they reached the dam all
of them except Chicken walked into the water. ’’Come along Chicken,” said Duck**
ling. "She cannot swim," laughed the ducklings, "for she is only a chicken, and
she is afraid to get her feathers w et.”
5 . Chicken made up her mind not to be afraid , and she walked into the water*
"Just swim like th is ," said Duckling* Chicken tried to swim. She did not know
that her feet were not like the feet of a Duckling, and so she began to sink in
the water*
6 * "Peepi peept peepi" cried frightened Chicken* ” l do not like this
cold water, and I know I shall go to the bottom of the dam in a minute* Peepi"
7 . Duckling and his brothers and sisters were now frightened at what had
happened to Chicken, and they did nob know what to do* The good dog Sibi had
watohed them from the side of the dam, and he jumped into the water to save
Chicken*
8 . Sibi dropped her on the dry grass* He looked at her and said, " I saw
you running to the dam with the ducklings, and I knew you would get into trouble,
for you cannot swim*" " I am quite sure now that I cannot swim," said Chicken,
’’But I thought I would try*"
9* When Sibi and Chicken reached home Mrs Hen was clucking loudly for her lost
chick* "Here she i s ," said Sibi* "You should watch your family, and take care
of them* This one was trying to swim in the dam when I found her*
10* Mrs Hen trembled with fright, but there was no need for her to watch
Chicken after that, for she told her brothers and sisters never to go near the
dam*
QUEST IOHS *
1 * Tell us how Sibi saved Chicken*
2 * lhat do you think the ducklings said after Sibi and Chicken went home?
3* Why did Sibi follow Chicken to the dam?
4* TShat lesson did thicken learn?
5* Why can ducklings swim and chickens not swim?
L. Iho ostrich is an African bird, and is the largest bird in the world,
It has very long legs, a long neck, but very short wings. Its wings are so
short that it cannot f ly , but its legs are so long that it can run faster than
a horse•
2 . The male ostrich is black in colour, but it has long white feathers
hidden under the black feathers in the wings and t a i l . The female has grey
feathers, which are nob so valuable as the white feathers of the male.
3 . In many parts of Africa wild ostrichcs may be found; in the Cape
Province of oubh Africa farmers have tamed them, and keep them in camps
just as they keep goats and shocp.
4 . ^hc farmer cuts the wing feathers every nine months. ■'■hey arc sold
in ^urope and America, where they are used to trim ladies hats and drosses.
5* The ostrich does not build a nest like other birds, but it digs a
hole in the ground by means of its very long, strong toe . From a dozen to
fifteen eggs are laid , and theso take six woeks to hatch.
6 . The female sits on tho eggs all day. She is grey, the same colour
as the desert sand, and cannot be easily seen. She usually stretches her
neck out on the ground. ■Lho male bird sits on the eggs at night.
7 . It is not safe to approach the nest during the day-time, for tho
father bird is on the watch, and he will attack any one who comos too near
the nest.
8 . A Bushman has a very clever way of catching the ostrich. He dresses
himself in an ostrich skin, and puts a long stick through the skin of tho
nock to keep the head in position* Then ^ l k s slowly tawards a group of
ostriches. ftion near enough one of the birds falls a victim to the deadly
aim of his poisoned arrow.
QUESTIONS
1 . TJhat is the name of the biggest bird in tho world?
2 . Tell us what an ostrich looks like .
3 . fihat is the difference in colour betwoen the feathers of the male and
female ostrich?
4« For what arc ostrich feathers used?
5 . Tell us something about the ostrich ’ s nost and eggs.
6 . How docs a Bushman catch an ostrich?
7. Lot ue try' to make) a bow and arrow.
8 . Why is it safe for the female ostrich to sit on her eggs during the day?
John and Ifery watchod a honey boo at a flower* Tho busy littlo insect was
crawling all over the flower*
WI know what it is doing," said John* "It is collecting honey for food for
itself and tho young ones in the hive*''
"Yes, and i t ’ s collecting something elso as w e ll ," said his father* " I f you
look closely you w ill see that it is getting yellow dust from the flower* This
yellow dust sticks to the hairs on the boo’s body as it crawls about in the flower*
Now, watch what it does when it loaves the flowor."
Soon the bee flew into the air but it did not fly away at onco* It hovered
in the air just in front of?.the flower . ,
"Do you see how it is brushing tho yellow dust off its body with its hairy
legs?" tho father asked* "That yellow dust is called pollen* The bee coll
ects it carefully and carries it back to tho hive on its hind legs* Look, you
can see a yellow lump on each hind log into which it packs the sticky yellow dust*
There it goes - back to the hivo, with a stomach full of honey and a load of poll
en on each hind leg*"
"ti/hat do the bees do with the pollen. Daddy?" Mxry asked*
"Hpnoy and pollen are the only food the bees and their young ever eat ," said
her father. "They get all tho food from the flowers. The nurse boes inside the
hivo mix tho honey and pollen together and prepare it in such a way that it is a
perfect food for tho grubs, or young bees. But I *11 tell you more about that
another time when wo opon one of tho hives and take out somo of the honey for
ourselvos•"
"The gum tree outside my bedroom window is in full flowor now and I can hoar
the bees humming there when I wake up in the morning," said Mary* "And they aro
still working at those flowers after tho sun has sot* Bees work very hard, don’t
they, Daddy?"
"Yes, they do indeed," her father agreed. "A worker beo only lives for
about six weoks in the summer. It works without stopping from dawn to dark every
day until it is worn out by hard work* Then, when it feels woak and its end is
near, it does not go back to the hive as a rule* It settles on some flower or
leaf and dies all alone, far away from its follows* You soe, it docs not want to
givo tho other boos extra hard work by dying inside the hive. If it did that,
tho other boes would have to drag its body out and carry it away."
" I think that’ s vory sad," said Mary*
" I don't think so ," said hor father. " I t ’s tho bee’ s way* And tho busy||little insects seem happy enough amid the sunshine and flowers*
QUESTIONS.
1 . Have you over scon a boo?2 . Can you tell us something about it? (Its sting is very painful, its usually
rathor fat ,.it .m akes.a buzzing sound - bzzzz . . . e tc .)
3* Triihore do boes live? (In a bee hive)4 . Name some of tho different kinds of bees in a hivo. (Nurses, workers, grubs.)
5 . Tihoro doos tho honey boo collect honey and pollen? (From flowers)
6 . whore docs it carry the pollen? (In littlo bags cn its hind logs.)
7 . Tell us something about the worker bee. (It works all day; lives only for
about six weeks; dios on some flower away from tho h ive .)
The history of Russia begins many hundreds of years ago in the plains in the south of the country.
Many of the Russian leaders joined together to fight against the enemies who were making war upon their homes| they were united and had the people with them, and they managed to overcome their enemies so well that the people asked them to rule over the country and help keep it in peace. This brought together the whole of Russia under one king and his followers who made Kiev their chief
town. In the year 988 Christians came to Kiev from Europe and brought with them a new religion. The Russians liked the idea of Christianity, and took it as their religion. So the Russian Church began.
For a long time, while Kiev was the chief town, the Russian people were well- ruled and happy. They had chosen their king, and were as free as they wanted to be 5 not for another thousand years were they so well off again.
But after 1100 the enemies of Russia in the south became stronger and stronger, and soon they overcame the Russians and drove them back from Kiev and into the forests in the north. For years fighting took place all over the country! there was no law, no fixed government. When at last one town became stronger than the others it was not Kiev, but Moscow. The leaders of Moscow ruled over Russia, not because the people had chosen them, but because there was nobody as strong as they were. The church, no longer the people's church, gave them its helps and the tsars of Moscow (as they called themselves) governed the whole country for the next 500 years. A few of the tsars ruled well, but many of them were cruel rulers whom the people hated. They had become kings by force and often ruled for their own good, not that of their people. Here are the names of some of the most famous of these tsars.
Ivan the Fourth was the man who really made the tsar the king of Russia.He was one of the cruellest of all the tsars, and his name was long remembered and hated by the Russian people.
Peter the Great ( 1672-172 5 ) spent part of his life in Germany and France, and when he came back to Russia he tried to make his people more like those of the
Western countries. He made them shave off their beards and wear clothes like those of Europe. But he found that many of his people did not like this at all.
He built the town of St. Petersburg (it is called Leningrad to-day) to join Russia more closely to Western Europe.
Queen Catherine II started with the same ideas as Peter. She wanted Russia to be joined closely to the rest of Europe, and she was friendly with most of the famous men of France and Germany. She tried at first to rule her people well and to make Russia a bigger and stronger country than ever. But after some years she
became less and less interested in the good of her people, she led an unsteady life
herself and this made her government unsteady. Before she died this queen had become one of the worst of Russian rulers.
From the death of Catherine in 1796 t ill 1917 the history of Russia is the story of how the tsars became steadily weaker and weaker, while the people shouted
for fooi and clothes and freedom. The rich ladies and gentlemen did not trouble much about the sufferings of the people. The people suffered very much, especially the peasants, the poor people on the farms. The first socialists (men who believed that all the people should own everything together) were sent to Siberia; but more and more socialists came to f i l l their places and many times the tsar was almost
killed or driven out. At last, in 1917> while Russia was fighting against Germany, a revolution came. The people rose up and killed the tsar and his family. They chose as their leader a socialist called Lenin.
LENIN
Lenin was born in I 87O and went to school in Russia. He wished first to learn law, and he did start to earn his living as a lawyer in I 892. But he spent most of his life writing books and calling on the people to rise and throw off
their masters and fight for freedom. Lenin believed that instead of working for bosses who paid them, the people should themselves own all the factories they worked in. He was sent to prison a number of times by the Russian government, and once was sent to Siberia for three years.
Lenin did not work in Russia only. He was forced to leave his country for many years. But he did not waste these years. He spent a lot of time in other European countries trying to bring the workers together to fight against their
masters. When the war began in I 914 Lenin tried to show that it was not a people's war, but that the people of all countries were being killed because of the cruelty
of their governments. His purpose was to call to all the workers to stop the war, but he did not succeed in this.
/While
While Lenin was working in France and Ita ly , the Russian people suddenly
woke up. They would not work or fight for their government any longer, but in
all the big towns of Russia crowds walked through the streets asking for bread.
As soon as Lenin heard about this revolution he hurried back to Russia to
lead the people. There were two chief socialist parties at that time, those who
wished the peasants and the factory workers to follow the leading men of the towns,
who would give them what they wanted through parliament5 and those, led by Lenin,
who thought the people should throw off all their leaders and rule the country
themselves. Even after the tsar had been thrown out these two parties had a long
fight for leadership| and only after many hard months of fighting and trouble did Lenin s party win. Lenin became leader of all Russia.
RUSSIA AFTER THE REVOLUTION.
Now came a time of great hardship for Russia. A ll the other countries of
Europe sent armies against her, and she had to fight her enemies from outside
and hunger and cold inside . For another few years Lenin was leader of the country,
until sickness stopped him from doing any further work. He died in 1924, and the whole country showed their sorrow at his death.
Since those first hard years after 1917 the Russians have been trying to build up their country once again. They have taken as their flag a red cloth
Wr hammer and sickle on i t . This is to show that Russia is now the country oi the people - the factory workers, who use the hammer, and the peasants, who use the sickle.
In 1928 the Russians started what they called the Five Year Plan. The
socialist government saw that there were three chief jobs in front of them in
trying to put Russia on her feet . Factories had to be b u ilt , farming had to be
made better, and the people had to be educated. They drew up a plan of how much
they wanted to do in five years, and then all the people of the country started
to work to make a new and better Russia. The workers themselves earned very l it t le ,
so that more money could be used to build up the factories. The small farms were
joined together to make big farms and the peasants shared the work between them.
They were helped by the government with ploughs and other farming machinery. To
educate the people schools were started all through the more backward d istricts , and grown-up people also were taught to read and write.
All this meant great hardship for the Russian people, but they worked hard
because they knew they were working for themselves. In 1933, when the five years
were up, they st ill had many troubles, but they had almost finished their Five
ear Plan, and new factories, mines and towns began to grow up a ll through the
country. IJhen the Germans started the war against them in 1941 the Russian people
all united to fight for their country, and the Germans have been driven right out
of Russia. The Germans made a great mistake in attacking her. The Russians believe
that their country is worth fighting fo r , and they have built up a strong nation.
Russia was the first country to have a socialist government. A new and interesting
civilisation is growing up in that country. We a ll watch with great interest what is happening in Russia.
1. What was the first capital city of Russia?
2 . Which city later became the capital?
3. How did the leaders of Moscow come to rule over all the people of Russia?
4 . Who was Lenin and when did he live?
5. Describe what happened in Russia in 1917.
6 . What system of government do the Russian people have to-day?
*
It can .be,said\:£hat.theYhistory of our land as. far as it touishes the
Europeans, began with an accident* Three hundred years ago a Dutch ship,
called the Haarlem, was wrecked in Table Bay. This was in the year 1647*
It was one of a fleet returning from the East Indies, or Spice.Islands. The
sailors ma: aged to get ashore by making rafts (planks fastened together) and
took with them some food, seeds and tools.
They landed on the wild shore and made their way up the mountain slope,
where trees gave shelter, and a stream of fresh water was flowing. There they
quickly built a little fort, and sowed their seeds to start a vegetable garden.
They soon came into touch with the Hottentots and gave them things they managed
to save from the wreck in exchange for cattle.
The Hottentots came from North A frica . They were a race sprung from the
union of north African races and Bushmen. They trekked first to Central
Africa - where the great lakes are - and then turned to the West and went dowii
the West Coast of Africa, leaving tribes behind in the land we now call South-
West A frica . ^ome went on to the Cape and beyond. They moved along the
highland because there they found the best pasture for their cattle* The
land in South Africa rises in huge steps, that are called terraces, the
further from the sea, the higher tho land, t i l l the central plain of the High
Veld is reached. These Hottentots were great cattle-breeders.
New the leaders of the Haarlem sailors were Jansen and Proot, and they
must have been wise men, for their little party did w ell. For about a year
they stayed in their settlement, until a Dutch ship, the Princesse Royal, came
into tho bay* With great joy the men prepared to leave for home and their
fam ilies. The ship ’s captain could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the
great flock of sheep and herd of cattle belonging to the sailors* Best of all
he could obtain plenty of green vegetables which would save the lives of those
of his men who had scurvy*
Scurvy is a sickness of the blood from which people suffer if they d o ^ t
oat enough fresh food* In those old days the ships took months to go from
place to place because they had only sails , not steam engines, as they have
now* so they had to take salted meat, and soon finished the fresh food*
No one keeps well without fresh food and tho sdilors often fell ill before
the end of the voyage. The sick sailors were given "scurvy grass", wild
mustard and sorrel and leeks, which grew on the shores of Table Bay* Two
thirds of the people on the ship died of scurvy* As the usual number of
sailors in a ship carrying fifty passengers was 250, at the close of the
voyage there were often only a hundred living souls on board*
When the ship that rescued tho crew of the Haarlem reached Holland, Jan
sen and Proot made a report to the men at the head of the Dutch East India
Company* In this they suggested planting a vegetable-garden in Table Valley,
and protecting it with a fort with about sixty men. By this means, they said,
the lives of hundreds of sailors, sick with scurvy, could be saved*
They told of the rich soil where very kind of fruit and vegetable would
flourish and of the cattle and shoop that could be got from the Hottentots by
barter (exchange of goods). The D iroctors of the Dutch East India Company
received this report, discussed it , and said at last that they were in favour
of establishing a "Halfway House" at tho Capo* This meant a placo about
halfway between Holland and tho Indies, where the ships could touch and give
their crows somo time on shore*
/The Dutch
I 'J
2.The Dutch East India ^ompany was a great company of Traders. Tho Com
pany sent out the ships and the Dutch sailors found their m y to India and the
rSpico Islands.1 They brought back not only spices to make the food tasty,
but silks, china and tho handiwork of tho people of the East. Every town and
province in Holland co-operated in sending out these ships and shared in the
profits made.
At tho head was the Council of Seventeen, who managed all the businoss,
and even acted as rulers of the lands which the sailors had seized overseas.
They could even declare war and conclude pea.ee. Thousands of people, includ
ing whole families, worked for the Company. One of tho first families to
become famous was the van Riebeocks.
Johan van ffieboock was the son of an official in the Company. Ho went to
the East as a young man, where tho Company had many trading stations. His
first post was in Batavia, the capital of the big island of Java* he was so
usoful with his knowledge of all sorts of things, including medicine, tanning
hides, getting oil from seals and whalos, and so on, that he rose to be one
of the principal men in tho placo*
Then he made the mistake, like many others of those brave pioneers, of
wanting to get rich, and began to trade for himself.
"Back you come to Hollandl" said the Company. But Johan van Rioboock
was too useful a man to set aside* In 1651, when he was without wor!£, he was
offered tho post of Commander at the new Halfway Houso at tho Cape, and he
accepted.
This really can be regarded as the end of the first Chapter of European
History in South Africa*
QUESTIQMS.
1 . From what country did the sailors of the Haarlom como? (Holland)
2 . Tell us something about tho Company that employed them. (The Dutch East !■-
India Company owned ships which were sent to India and the Spice Islands. She
Company was very powerful. It could wage wars, make peace, and govern the
lands which its sailors conquered. At the head of the Company was tho Council
of Seventeen, etc etc .)
3 . lhat is scurvy and what did they use to cure it? (A deseaso of the blood
which the sailors got from oating salted meat and bocauso they did not havo
fresh meat, water and vegetable. They used leeks, sorrel, "scurvy : grass"and
mustard to cure i t .)
4 . Tell us something about tho Hottentots. (They came from a union of races
of North Africa and the Bushmen. They had cattle and sheep and tradod these
with the sailors of the Butch East India Company.)
5 . Tell us something about the story of tho Haarlem. (It was a Dutch ship
which, three hundred years ago, m s wrecked at the Cape. The sailors, led by
Jansen and Proot established themselves at the Cape and bartered with tho
Hottontots . • etc. etc .)
6 . Tflay did Jansen and Proot suggest to the Council of Seventeen that the
Dutch should establish a Halfway House at tho Cape? (So that the passing
ships could stop there and got fresh water, vegetables and meat for the
sailors. This would help to prevent scurvy.)
7 . T/ilhy do you think sailors don*t got scurvy these days? (Ships move faster
and journeys don’t take as long, but mainly because food is kept frosh in
refrigerators - tho ships don't havo to salt moat to keep it from going rotten.)
8 . What is the name of the famous man who was sent out to tho Capo to
establish the Halfway House? (Jan van Riebeock.)
(This story must follow
THE STORY OF VAN RIEBEBCK. after "The Story of
South A frica .)
Wo will now go on to the story of tho man who came to make a garden at tho
Capo •
Three ships, tho Dromedaris, Roygor, and C-ocde Hoop, arrived in Table Bay
from Holland on April 6th, 1652s with Van Riobeock in command. Hc was then a
man of thirty-throo, with a wide knowledge of many countries.
The men with him wero all servants of the Company and their first task
was to build a fort largo enough for eighty men, which would keep them safo
from wild animals and EcttentotSo
A fort is a strong building, or a place with a big fenco round it , from
which one can shoot, and in which one is safe from an enemy outsido. Van
Riobcock found a good position for the fort, on tho very spot whoro tho old
Post Office in Capo Town now stands * The stream flowing down from tho mountain
could be led into a moat (or deep wido ditch) around i t . This stream still runs
but it is a prisoner fr. pipes beneath tho buildings in a big street in Capo Town,
and it escapes into the sea0 ^ho fort was square and had block houses on tho
corners. -ho sidos were 83 yards long and tho walls were mado of earth, which
had to be dug out* This wqs very tiring work, as tho soil was dry and very
harde ■‘•he Capo is not like tho rest of our lando There the rains fall in
the winter, and the summer is often quito dry, with no rain at all#
Van Rieboeok and his men landod at tho end of the hot dry season and they
found tho wind very tryinge "ho rains must have come too lato that year to
turn tho dry grass green, and make the ’‘scurvy grass'' shooto
Var/.Rio'^c^triko’ .t'- a., diuily bocord of hi? experiences. On Juno 10th 1652 he
wrote in his diarys "about forty men at work - tho rest all i l l , nourished them
with wino and sor.o greens grown from our Dutch soeds. Since our arrival not
more than ono ccv; and a calf havo boon ob ained - life is growing a misery, one
after another falls i l l . and many die - poor prospects for the works. We trust
in ^od • s mcrcyai! Tney were ill from scurvy, and no scurvy grass had yot grown
on tho mountain, and the poor men's bowels were sick too*
A4nothor piece from Van Riebceck^ diary says: ’’July 20th* Sowod some
wheat, barley and peas and likcwiso other seeds0 It is delightful to see how
beautifully tho peas, large beans, radishes, beet, spinach and rthor gardon
vegetables spring up*n But three days after this happy entry in the diary so
much rain foil that a flood camc down and washod away the crops*
nBut the brave ommonder kopt up his courage* 'Let us plant again, 1 he
said* 'Bettor results next timei* The men worked hard at tho fort, which was
completed by the end of the winter a ^hor j were now plenty of vogotablos but
no moat«
One day in October, when Van Riebceck was speaking to one of the men in the
courtyard of the fort, ho raised his eyes, and what did ho see?
"hore was an ox coming through the gatc and on its back was a Hottentot I
lie was dirty and covered with grease, but the Commander was so pleased to see
him that he ran and throw his arms round him* Later ho noticed that his suit
of clothing was ruined and it was his best toot But this meant that the
Hottentots with their flocks and hords had come down from the interior to the
coast and now there would be fresh moat and milk for alio
As the brown non wore timid, this was tho way in which the trading was
conducted: tho flocks and herds for sale wo re driven into a certain open space
and their driver ran away0 i hc Dutchmen then brought thoir copper,'tobacco,
ornaments and other commodotios and put them in a line on tho ground. They
drove off tho stock and soon the Hottentots ran out from the bush, grabbed the
articles on the ground and were soon lost to sight again*
Soon Van Riebceck could writo in his diary: "Provided tho ships with cattle
shoop, cabbages, carrots, milk0" Wo must remember that he had boon sent to the
/Cape
Cape to do this for the ships calling there on their way to and from India.
His garde nova’s a great delight to him. The first cauliflower grown at the
Cape had a special entry in the diary. Next he wrote: "The horse-radishes
grow well, glory be to Godt" "The finest heads of lettuce," was another entry.
"■4ie first cherry grovjn at the Cape" was noted, and then "This day the first rose
was plucked at the Cape." And one day in 1657 "To-day wine was pressed for the
first time from the Cape grapes and the new wine fresh from the tub was tastedV
But as time went on, things were not at all easy for Van Riebeeck* He had
two big troubles - first the Hottentots and then the problem of getting workers.
The Hottentots were very well treated and no-one was allowed to quarrel with ■;
them, but one day it was found that they had murdered the Dutch herd-boy, David
Jansen, and taken away forty-four head of cattle*
It seemed that the Hottentots were growing afraid . They saw that the first
rough buildings had been replaced by strong stone one3; the good grazing fields ,
where once they had pastured their cattle, were now used by the white men.
Then they began to steal cattle and this became so bad that Van Riebeeck made war
on them in 1659.
Little blood was spilt, as the Hottentots were easily frightened. There
were a few threats and alarms and the enemy fled to the mountains, whence,however
they came down and attacked the settlement on rainy days, for they had learned
that the powder in the guns of those days would not fire when it was damp.
Peace was concluded in 1660, but the Hottentots lost their fields along the
Liesbeek River for ever.
Van Riebeeck wanted workers, bat the Hottentots would not work for him.
Sometimes they could be coaxed with tobacco and vri.no to do a little but they were
not prepared to do regular work.
So the Dutch East India Company looked elsewhere to find labour for the Capcj.
Ho wanted to import Chinese labour, but the Company would not allow th is . Next
he asked to be allowed to make slaves of some of the Hottentots and force thom
to work, but the Company again refused. The only plan, they decided, was to
bring in slaves from another lando
At this time very few people had even begun to see how wrong it was to buy
and sell human beings and force them to be servants.
The first slave ship arrived in 1658 full of slavos from Tibst A frica . By
this time Van Riebeeck had decided to release some of the Company*s men from
their service to become farmers* They wcrs very pleased about th is , for now
they wore to be known as the ’’Free Burghers" (Farmers).
Nino men were given small farms along the Liesbeek River, which runs along the
valley at the foor of Table Mountain and there they planted wheat. Their lives
soon became very hard; they had no wivos to cook for them and nobody to help in
the work of the farm. Wild animals came at night and attacked the stock. Even
when they had managed to grow some wheat, the Company paid very little for i t .
At last they went to Van Riebeeck and laid their complaints before him, asking
him to put up the price of wheat to "ton gulden", which is about ton shillings
a bage Money was worth two or three times as much in those days as it is now.
Van Riebeeck promised to raise the price, and in the end these farmers succeeded.
Those little farms and the hom^p on them were the beginning of the CAPE
COLONY,.
/Questions •
QUESTIONS.
la Tilhat m s the first thing Van Kiobeeck and his men did, v/hen thoy came to
Table Bay? (They built a fort. It had to bo big enough for o:\rhty men.)
2 0 Vftiat is a fort? Tell us something about the fort that Van Kiebeeck built .
(A fort is a strong building from which one can shoot - it protects one from
enomies on the outside* Van Riobeeck’ s fort was in a good position, and had
a moat around it* The fort was square and had t&ock houses around i t . . . . . etc0
6 »
7 .
3 . ’what where some of the difficulties that Van Kiobeeck and his men first
encountered? ( The soil was hard and it was difficult to build the fort-, a
number of men had scurvy and the scurry grass and ether green plants hadn t
grown yetj they had no moat . • . • etc, etc#)
4 . Tnhat were some of the pleasing things thoy experienced? (Eventually tho
vegetables did grow and they had enough for themselves and for the passing
ships $ tho Hottentots arrived and they wore able to barter for cattle and
other livestock . • .etc, etc .)
5 . Toll us how tho bartering was done. (The Hottentots led their
stock into an open space and ran away, as they wore frightened. The Dutchmen
then put down their goods and wont away, leaving the Hottentots to take what
thoy wanted.)
flhat goods did thoy barter for livestock? (Copper, tobacco, ornaments e t c )
Name some of the vegetable and other plants van iiiebccck mentioned in his
diary. (cauliflower, roses, grapes, spinach, beans, peas, horsh-radishe ,
cherries etc . etc .)
8 . ’why do you think the first Hottentot war broke out? (The Hottentots became
afraid when they saw tho fort and other signs of power and strength ; they
also saw the White men taking their grazing fields away from them; they
murdered a Dutch shepherd and stole some cattle; all this means that the
relationship between the new settlers and the old inhabitants of tho country
did not remain a good one - this lead to war.)
9 . ’«<hat happened as a result of tho war? (The Hottentots lost much of their land
for evcro)
10. Jlho did Van Rioboook got to work for him? ( S t a . trouEht in from .fast Afrioa)
11 . Toll us haw tho Ccipo Colony was started. (Van Eicbceok roloosod somo of
the men from the services of the Company. These were given land and uhey
became the Frco Burghers - the first Europeans-in *»outh Africa who wore not
servants of the Dutch East India Gompany, etc. etc.J
Note: In this and other history stories, tho answers given . 1bo.questions;given as &oguido-tolgroup leaders. They should not be taken to be the only
answers to the questions, or as complete answers - hence the etc. s)
move nh ,„fL! ! U3t3 are 6fassh°PPers that live in swarms and X L 5 f one parfc of the country to another. Pour
wor s t of f°lfld in Africa* The commonest andworst of these are the brown locust and the red locust.he brown locust is found in the drier regions, whilst the
1i V6S in th0Se parts the country where the ainfall is heavy. Both kinds may do a great deal of
harm to crops and to the grass on the veld.
, , , T1 e br °wn locust is about two inches in length.
V, L y“srown 11 ha3 four wings, six legs, of? paJr are larSe and strong for jumping, and
it io brown in colour. It has two large eyes on the
fion? 3 J?6a5 and three tiny eyes' like beads, on thefront of the head. The female has four hard, hornypoints on the end of her abdomen, whilst the male hasa smooth, round tip to his abdomen, with a pair of vervsmall feelers on it . Brown dots can be seen alongthe sides of the abdomen, one on each side of each ring.These are the breathing holes. Like all other insects,the locust does not breath through its mouthj it ha3 no^ n6s • has fine tubes which branch in all directionsthrough its body, and air is drawn into these through theholes in its sides. The male locust makes a chirpingsound by rubbing its hind legs against its wings.
cho t?e female locust is ready to lay her eggsshe digs a hole in the ground, about two inches deep and just wide enough to take her abdomen. Although her abdomen is not much more than an inch long, she can stretch it out to two inches or more when she is laying her eggs.The hole is dug with the help of the four, hard, horny points on the tip of her abdomen, and when it is ready she lays a few dozen sausage-shaped eggs in it , filling it almost to the top. Then she covers the eggs and completely fills the hole with a slimy substance which soon hardens and plugs the hole. The female locustmay lay four or five lots of eggs *ike this before she dies.
The eggs may take a long time to hatch, or they may hatch in two or three weeks - it all depends upon the weather. I f the weather is dry or cold the eggs do not hatch. They need warm weather and rain. In some parts of the country where the brown locust lives there may be long droughts and the eggs may lie in the ground ior three or four years, or even longer, without hatching.As soon as the rain comes and the weather is warm, however, the young locusts hatch out. The warmth and rain that cause the eggs to hatch also cause the grass to grow, andS,°4- ? little insects find plenty to eat when they creep out of the hole in the ground. I f they hatched out in cold or dry weather, they would find the land bare and they would starve.
The young hoppers are wingless and they are black in colour. They soon gather together in swarms and move ? , across the country, eating grass and other green-stuff
In !:he evenin6 , when the sun begins to go down, the little creatures creep up on bushes and sleep there in dense masses during the night. Next morning the rising sun rouses them. They make their way down to the ground and move off again in their search for food. In this way they go on day after day, moving slowly across the country, feeding by day and sleeping on bushes at night.
The young locust grows quickly. When it is a few days old it has grown so much that its akin is stretched tightly and the insect feels uncomfortable.It stops feeding and rests for'a time, clinging to a blade of grass or to a twig. Then its skin splits along the back and the little creature wriggles out of the old skin. It now has a new skin, a new suit one size larger than the old one, as it were. Its appetite has returned and the young locust feeds again for three or four days.Once more It grows so quickly that the new suit soon becomes too small in its turn. -£gain the insect feels uncomfortable and again it rests. The second skin splits down the back and it creeps out, clad in a third suit, still larger than the second. So it goes on throughout its life ;§.11 the time it is growing. The locust eases its skin five times altogether before it is fully grown, and each time there is more or less change in the colour of the body. First It is black, and then black and red, and then black and red and yellow, and finally it turns brown. After the skin Is cast for the third time, four little buds appear on the locust's back. These are the future wings. ' They are much bigger after the skin is cast the fourth time and finally, when the skin is cast for the fifth and last time, they grown out and form the large flat wings of the adult locust. The insect does not grow any more after this and it does not cast its skin again.
It takes about a month for the locust to grow up, from a baby to an adult, and it may live for two or three months as an adult. The winged locusts can fly long distances, helped along by j he wind. They spread far and wide, devouring the grass and the crops in their path. After a time the swarm settles down and the females set about the important business of egg-laying. Often the warm slopes on the side of a hill are chosen for this purpose. After the egg-laying is finished, the insects d ie .
QUESTIONS
1. * Have you ever seen a locust?
2. If so, where and when did you see it?
3. TeU. us what the locust look like.
4. How does the locust lay her eggs?
5. Tell us about the hatching of her eggs.
6. Wftat do you know about the baby locusts?
7. Describe to us how the locust changes its skin.
3. Why is the locust harmful to us?
The turtle dove is one of the commonest wild birds in the^country. It is met almost everywhere and we all know it by its neat blue-grey coat of feathers with
"blcok band round its neck. Its cooing call is also we11—Known to all of us. Some people say that the call of the^ nock bird, when he is courting his mats, sounds as if he 13 saying "Ask father! Ask father i" with the "fa" sound in ''father" long drawn-out sad rather lower than the other notes. You should listen to tho birds and near if the call does sound anything like "Ask father."Other people say the call sounds like "Oascarai Cascaral" with the second syllable long drawn-out and lower in tone than the rest. (in Afrikaans „Werk stadigl Werk stadig.")
Turtle doves do not migrate - that is to say, they do not move from one part of the country to another, as swallows do and as the flying locusts do. If there are any of these birds living near your home, you will find that they remain with you throughout the year. Nor do they fly about In flocks. As a rule, you see them in pairs, except when a number of them gather to feed at a place where there is plenty of seed and grain. They feed chiefly on the seeds of wild plants and do no harm, but they will feed on wheat and maize grains if they get the opportunity, and they will also take some of the grapes when they are ripe. On the whole, they may be regarded as birds that do no good and no harm; in payment for the few grapes and maize grains they may take, they help to keep down certain weeds by feeding on their seeds. We should welcome them because of their beauty and their pleasing call.
The cock and the hen birds are alike, but you can tell the male birds by the way in which they behave. They are tho ones with the loud voices that cry "Ask father I Ask father!" from the trees. You can see them bending low in front of their mates on the ground, whilst their throats swell and they coo softly. The females usually walk about and take no notice of the cocks and they make no sound; they are too busy looking for food. You should notice that the doves do not hop; they always walk on the ground*It is difficult to say why some birds walk and others hop.
You should also notice the way they fly . When they first rise from the ground you hear their wings knocking together, but when they get well into the air you don't hear this sound. The bird has to make a great effort when it first leaps up into the air . It has to raise its wings as high as It can and then bring them down as far as It can below its body. This means that the tips of the wings strike together on the up-stroke and again on each down-stroke, and that causes the flapping sound you hear. But when the bird is well in flight it glides along more easily and its wings do not rise so high or sweep so low when they move up and down. The tips do not strike together and the flight is silent, except for the swishing sound made by the wing feathers as they sweep through the a ir .
If you watch a dove when it flies from a tree to the ground you will see that It flaps its wings a few times to give it a start and then it glides the rest of the way, with its wings outstretched and not moving up and down. Sometimes you will see a bird fly to a fair height above the ground and then glide slowly and gently downwards In a slanting direction. The doves seem to enjoy this form of exercise. When they like, they can fly very swiftly
and it Is said they can reach a speed of fifty miles an hour or more.
When spring comes and the weather gets warmer the doves set about the important business of nest- building. The nest is an untidy structure made of a few sticks placed across one another in tho fork of a tree. It Is so poorly made that you can nee the sky through^boles in it if you look up from below i t , it is not lined with feathers or dr5 ,j. grass or anything like that and it seams to be an uncomfortable home for the nestlings. Doves are among the most careless of nest- builderse Both the cock and nhe hen share in the work of building the home and it is socn finished. The hen then lays two white eggs in it . She sits on them for fourteen or fifteen days, keeping them warm by pressing her hot breast against them. He helps her by taking a turn at sitting now and again, but she sits most of the time.
At the end of fifteen days the young birds hatch. They are blind, naked and Ugly. Their heads seem to be much too large for their thin necks and their skin is a \dull grey in colour. But the parent birds seem to be very proud of them. They watch over them carefully and the hen sits on them to keep them warm if the weather is cold and wet. Both the parents feed the helpless young one3 and they do this in a rather strange way. The birds swallow the seeds and partly digest them for the nestlings. The soeds are softened inside the crop of the parent bird and the lining of the crop gives off a kind of milky liquid. When one of the babies is fed It puts its head right inside its parent's beak and receives the mixture of milky liquid and digested seeds. If you watch a dove feeding one of its young on the nest you may think at first the pgrent is trying to swallow the baby.
The nestlings grow very quickly and soon they are so big and fat that they bulge over the sides of the small, untidy nest and seem to be in danger of falling. But they sit quite still , side by side, and do not fall out.At first they are clothed in grey down but soon the feathers begin to grow and within three weeks they are almost as big as their parents and they have all their feathers.. They are now able to leave the nest. They stay with their parents for a little while after this, but, by the time they are a month or five weeks o ld ,th e y are able to fly out into the world and make their own way in life ,
QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever seen a turtle dove?
2. If so, tell us where and when you saw it .3 . Make a sound like a turtle dove.
4. Does the male or the female do the cooing? (The male)5. Do turtle doves frly from country to country? (No)6. Tell us something about the way they fly.7. Tell us something about the nests of doves.
8. Tell us something about the eggs and baby chicks of the doves.9. How does a turtle dove feed its young?
5
5'
)
Long, long ago, 'before the time of the great Chief Mosheshue, there lived in the mountains of the Lesutho a brave and wise Chief whose name was Manoe, He ruled over many villages and was greatly loved. Chief Manoe had a young wife who was beautiful as the sun at morning. So dear was she to her husband that his*'heart was filled with sorrow when she fell sick of a strange sickness, the like of which had never been known before in the Leloaleng country. Many doctors and wise women were called to minister to her. Even from the far country “beyond the plains Manoe sought for one who could cure his beloved wife, promising to give the fortunate one the finest of hia herds and flocks as well as much grain. But none was found wise enough to
cure her, ^nd day hy day, the sickness became worse, until all men sawtnat she must surely die. Then the brave heart of the young Chief became as water within him and he bowed his head in sorrow. When the women came to tell him that the end was near, Manoe went out intothe evening greyness and lay down beneath a large willow tree, there to await in fear and grief, for the old women to break into the death chant.
As the light faded in tho evening sky, an old, old man came slowly into the village and asked to speak with the Chief. At first tho poople refused to take him to where their Chief lay, stricken with his great sorrow, but the old man continued to plead until a youth came forward and said he would direct him where to find Chief Manoe, Approaching so quietly that Manoe never heard him, the old man raised his hand in greeting and said:
"Morena, (lord), I greet you, I have heard of your trouble and know the fear which 1b eating into your heart, and I have come to help you. Your beautiful wife is ±11 of so great a sickness, that she must surely die unless you can get a tiger's heart with which to make the medicine which alone can cure her. See, I have here a wonderful stone which will help you, and here is some medicine for you to drink. Now wrap yourself in this tiger skin so that no man will know you. The medicine will make you so wise that you will understand and be able to speak to the tigers in their own tongue, and they will look upon you as their brother, ’//hen you have drunk this medicine, which you must do quickly before the last daylight is gone, you must take this stone in your hand and set out on your journey. Do not let your heart be filled with fear, your wife will not die before you return, but you have far to go and the need for haste is great. Yfaen you come to the home of the tigersyou must live with them as though you were indeed one of themseves until you find yourself alone with the youngest and finest tiger of them all. Then slay him quickly before his brothers return home. Directly he Is dead tear out his still warm heart taking care not to break or injure it in any way, for it holds your wife’ s life in its blood. Then throw away your tiger skin and flee to your home, taking the tiger's heart with you, '"/hen the other tigers return and find you have gone, they will follow to kill you in revenge for the death of their young brother. If they cometoo close, throw down this stone in front of you and jump quickly onto it. As soon as it touches the ground it will become a groat rock from the sides of which fire will dart forth like the lightening, and will destroy whatever touches it. This will frighten the tigers away, and when they are far enough from the rock to make it safe for you to jump down, then you must do so and quickly pick up the stone which will have become quite small again. Then continue your journey with all speed, In this manner you will be saved from the tigers and your wife will be restored to health,"
With a greatful heart Manoe did as the old man directed, and set out to seek the home of the tigers. He journeyed over mountains and' across wide plains into fertile valleys beyond the Maluti Mountains, and there he found the home of the tigers. There were five of them, beautiful great animals, and they welcomed him as a brother, all except one, the youngest and most beautiful of the five. He held back, baring his teeth and snarling as he muttered: "This is no tiger but a man with strange medicine to blind our eyes. He will surely bring misfortune upon us. Let us slay him before he does us some harm,"But the other brothers only laughed at his fears.
Early the next morning four of the tigers went out hunting, le aving Chief Manoe alone with their still angry young brother. Long and patiently Manoe waited for an opportunity to k ill the beautiful
2/animal
Collection Number: AD1137
FEDERATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN 1954-1963
PUBLISHER: Publisher:- Historical Papers Research Archive
Location:- Johannesburg
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