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Published: March 25th 2021
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http://www.heygo.com Cape Town - Arrival of Europeans
The first European to anchor at Table Bay and climb Table Mountain was the Portuguese navigator António de Saldanha. He encountered a few hundred indigenous inhabitants, After Saldanha’s visit, European ships continued to put in at Table Bay to take on fresh water, meat, and other provisions. Survivors of the Dutch vessel Haerlem, wrecked in Table Bay in 1647, brought back such glowing reports of the region that the directors of the Dutch East Indian Company ordered that a station to supply ships rounding the Cape be established there.
In 1652, the company’s representative stepped ashore to select sites for a fort and a vegetable garden.
In 1657 the company began to release men from its employ so that they could become free citizens and farmers, and in 1658 the company began to import slaves.
The importation of slaves, the introduction of political exiles from the Dutch East Indies, and marriage and cohabitation increased the population, but at the beginning of the 18th century the town, known as De Kaap (“The Cape”), still consisted of only 200 houses. Its growth was accelerated by rising international tensions
and growing appreciation of the strategic importance of the Cape.
During the Seven Years’ War (1756–63), which involved the major European powers, many French and British ships called at the port, which from 1773 onward was referred to by the British by as “Cape Town”.
A British fleet sought in 1781 to occupy the Cape, which directors of the English East India Company described as “the Gibraltar of India.” A French A fleet, however, reached the Cape first and established a garrison there to help the Dutch defend it. The French presence brought prosperity and gaiety to Cape Town and initiated a surge of building.
Castle of Good Hood - In 1682 the gated entry replaced the old entrance, which had faced the sea. A bell tower, situated over the main entrance, was built in 1684—the original bell, the oldest in South Africa, was cast in Amsterdam in 1697 and weighs just over 300 kilograms. It was used to announce the time, as well as warning citizens in case of danger, since it could be heard 10 kilometres away. It was also rung to summon residents and soldiers when important announcements needed to be made.
The fortress housed a church, bakery, various workshops, living quarters, shops, and cells, among other facilities. The yellow paint on the walls was originally chosen because it lessened the effect of heat and the sun.
During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), part of the castle was used as a prison, and the former cells remain to this day.
The Castle acted as local headquarters for the South African Army in the Western Cape, and today houses the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regiments.
Grand Parade is where slaves were sold and punished; and where crowds gathered to watch Nelson Mandela’s first address to the nation as a free man after 27 years in jail, made from the balcony of the Old Town Hall. Nearby Drill Hall, dating from 1889 is where Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 21st birthday which has been sensitively restored and turned into the city’s library.
City Hall is made up of components from all over the world. The honey-coloured stone, which makes up its façade of limestone, was imported from Bath in England. The tower houses a clock and a number of
bells, modelled on the famous Big Ben. The clock strikes the hours and chimes the Westminster quarters, which is a particular chime originating from St Mary’s Cathedral in England. The faces of the clock are made from four skeleton iron dials filled with opal.
In front of the Slave lodge in Adderley Street, is the “new” statue of the Statesman, Jan Smuts, unveiled on the 26thJanuary, 1974. Field-Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts was born in 1870. A Barrister by profession, he played an active part in the Boer War. He distinguished himself as a Guerrilla leader and took a leading part in the peace negotiations. He became a Cabinet Minister in the Union Government and resumed his role as a soldier in the First World War. After a distinguished career, including becoming a member of the British War Cabinet, he returned to South Africa and, on the death of General Botha, became Prime Minister. A varied political career followed until the Second World War, when he became Prime Minister once again and, was a close collaborator of Winston Churchill. He once again played an important role in the war. He was defeated in the General Elections of 1948
and died in 1950.
A very interesting tour with a very knowledgable guide.
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