Ou handelsvoetpaaie en wapaaie in Oos- en Noord-Transvaal.
Abstract
• Opsomming:
Verskillende faktore het die roetes van die Voortrekkers bepaal, onder
meet die topografie van die binneland, die onbevolkte streke van die
Vrystaat en Transvaal, die vlak bolope van riviere en standhoudende
fonteine. In baie gevalle kon hulle gebruik maak van eeue-oue handelsroetes wat van Delagoabaai en Inhambane na die binneland lei. Heelwat
navorsing is reeds oor hierdie roetes gedoen, onder andere deur B.H.
Dicke en W.H.J. Punt. In hierdie artikel word 'n oorsig gegee van die
Belangrikste roetes, ondermeer die roetes van Delagoabaai na Mashonaland
en van Inhambane na Soutpansberg, die roete langs die Oostelike
Valskerpte, die roetes van Elim na Pafuri, Inhambane en Delagoabaai,
van die Zimbabwe bouval na die Messinakopermyn en die Rooibergtinmyn,
die roete langs die Sandrivier op en van Soutpan na Tshivhase,
die wapaaie tussen Ohrigstad, Delagoabaai, Lydenburg en Pelgrimsrus
en van Ohrigstad en Lydenburg na Schoemansdal en Albasini. • Summary:
Various factors determined the routes taken by the Voortrekkers.
Amongst these were the topography of the interior, the unpopulated
Areas/regions of the Orange Free State and Transvaal, the shallow upper
reaches of rivers and the perennial fountains. In most cases they could
make use of old trade routes that led from Delagoa Bay and Inhambane
to the interior. A good deal of research has already been done on these
routes, amongst others by B.H. Dicke and W.H.J. Punt. In this article
an overview is given of the most important routes: those from Delagoa
Bay to Mashonaland; Inhambane to the Soutpansberg; those along the
eastern escarpment; Elim to Pafuri, Inhambane and Delagoa Bay; from
the Zimbabwe ruins to the Messina copper mine and the Rooiberg tin
mine; the route up the Sand River and from Soutpan to Tshivhase;
the wagon roads between Ohrigstad, Delagoa Bay, Lydenburg and
Pilgrim's Rest, and from Ohrigstad and Lydenburg to Schoemansdal
and Albasini.