SOUTH AFRICA

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 80, 2 October 1933, Page 4

SOUTH AFRICA

TRAVEL TALK FOR BOYS

ALL BLACKS' 1923 TOUR

The Travel Club of Wellington College held a pleasant and instructive evening on Thursday,, wheni a lecture on South Africa "was given by Mr. W. P. Hornig. Mr. Hornig's knowledge of South Africa covers a very wide range, and his experiences as manager of the 1928 All Black'tour of the Union and Bhodesia enabled him to give a comprehensive and ' interesting - description of the. country. ' The interest was greatly enhanced by a number of photographs and lantern slides provided by Messrs. Dalgety and,Ox, Ltd. Mr. Quartormaiiie, the club's president, thanked Mr. Hornig, and at the request of the club secretary, Mr. Ken ■Frazer, the 8111(16111 members ■of the Travel Club showed their appreciation by giving cheers for 'all who contributed to the success of the. evening. In the course of his. remarks Mr. Hornig took the boys for. a tour over the same ground as was traversed by the All Blacks, commencing at Cape Town, going on to Kimberley, Johannesburg, Kroonstad, back to Natal, PietermaTitzburg, Durban, then to Bulawayo, tho visit to Cecil Khodes's grave in the Matopos, the Victoria Falls, back to Johannesburg for the second Test (which New Zealand won), Pretoria, Bloemfqntein, Burgersdorp, Aliwal North, Easj; London, and Kingwilliamstown (where tho team encountered tho first rain they had seen during their three months in South Africa). Port Elizabeth, the manufacturing town, came* next, and ' Oudtshooru, tho "Deserted City,'/ centre of the once thriving ostrich feather industry. A visit, to the Cango Caves followed, and Mr. Hornig said ho thought these were somewhat spoilt through being lit with coloured electric lights. Mossel Bay came next, then Cape Town again. Mr. Hornig remarked with apparent relish that Mossel Bay was the only place in South Africa \that produced oysters. ..■..', A WASH—AND DIAMONDS. Mr. Hornig mentioned that for the match.at Kimberley, a special, ground had to be prepared. ','« After washing the soil which it was necessary to'remove in i the; process,' it was found that sufficient diamonds had been' discovered to pay the entire cost of the ground, leaving a handsome margin besides. Whenever a house was built, the custom was to wash all soil on the section for diamonds. Three matches, including one Test, were played at Johannesburg, and, as evincing something of the interest taken byvSouth Africans in Eugby football, he said it was interesting to recall that 38,000 spectators attended the Test match at this thriving town, which had been built up by the famous Kand goldmines. Visitors came from as far afield as Kenya Colony. 'The minimum charge for the Test match was 7s 6d, and 4000 special seats were sold at two guineas each. Kroonstad Mr. Hornig described as "mud and mealies" (maize). At Potchefstroom tho ground was so hard that the All Blacks had to insist on having it treated before the game. To Mr. Hornig's surprise, next inorning ho found that the ground on which they were to play the following day had been ploughed, and when further protest was voiced by the Now Zealanders tho authorities asked what could be done. It was i stated that the only possible way to mako tho ground playable would be to rolldt and roll it and roll it again, so the prisoners from the gaol wero put to work. They rollod all night, and the match was played according to schedule. , , ; . , Natal was stated to bo moro English in aspect and had moro trees than elsewhere in South Africa, which1 was describod as bring a particularly treeless country. Durban, the largest town in Natal and tho favourite wateringplace of South Africa, was a great attraction to the inland folk, who came down in great numbers during July and August. The All Blacks had a wonderful shoot on the second visit to Kimberley, bagging 60 to 70 buck. The falls wero described- and tho Pretoria Administration; and 'Mr. Horuig concluded his address "by appealing to those present who had. tho opportunity to show every possible hospitality to the Springboks when they next visited New Zealand. "It was utterly impossible," ho.'saia,. '.'for the South; Africans to do,enough for our boys. The hospitality was almost, overwhelming, but there was nothing that a touring team grew so weary of as hotel meals, and, conversely, nothing they appreciated so much as an invitation to dine at a private home." >