Set in southern Namibia, Great Namaqualand, ‘Bittersweet Karas Home’ is the story of three families, the Hills, Walsers & Hartungs, whose lives merge and intertwine in a semi-arid land that presents both hardship and blessings. Over the next few months, we would like to share this bittersweet saga with you from the (as yet) unpublished book.
CHAPTER TWO (cont . . .)
A proper wedding
Carl Wilhelm Walser and his brothers-in-law returned from their hunting expedition well before Carl and Margaret’s wedding day. It was an intimate ceremony with Hill family members, neighbours and friends. There was a letter from Switzerland awaiting them. The Walsers offered to pay for their future grandchildren’s education in Switzerland. Pastor Fenchel conducted the ceremony without much pomp but displayed his friendly disposition to bride and groom with kind words and friendly gestures.
The following day when the newlyweds prepared their wagon for their journey to their new home at Heiragabis, they met a travelling party led by the Swiss botanist, Hans Schinz. They communicated in English until they realized that English was neither party’s mother tongue. German-speaking Swiss were rare, making this meeting of countrymen a memorable occasion. Hans Schinz was younger than Carl but had already achieved a reputation as a scientist. He was on an expedition financed by Adolf Lüderitz. Schinz referred to Margaret as ‘liebenswürdiges Ehegespons’ (adorable spouse) in his travelogue. The obsolete term ‘Ehegespons’ implies good-natured irony and endearment. Schinz considered the couple likeable and well-matched.
In Heiragabis, Carl carried Margaret across the cottage’s threshold. Although she was pleased with the simple house, Carl was apologetic, promising to build her a better home in the future.
The difficulties of farming on contested ground
When Carl, Margaret and Ludwig Dominicus talked about the prospects of Heiragabis, they were continually reminded of the risks. The Afrikaner Oorlams and the Bondelswarts competed as indigenous lords of the land. The British in the Cape Colony considered the land to be theirs and now the Germans, with Adolf Lϋderitz’s land acquisitions and Germany’s official sanction, were also declaring sovereignty. Margaret and the Hills hoped for British annexation, Ludwig favoured the Germans because he expected preferential treatment and Carl felt that he was neutral but optimistically expected any government to be fair and secure peace among its citizens. Unfortunately for them, the various powers would clash. Their quest for official sanction was fraught with difficulties.
The Warmbad leaders, Captain Willem Christian (1869-1901) and his deputy captain, Timothy Snewe, were, as a rule, reliable negotiators but were less so in the case of Heiragabis. The first problem occurred when a Bondelswarts man, Klaas Matros, was given grazing rights for Heiragabis. In 1886, the Warmbad leaders had also run up a sizeable and partly alcohol-related debt with the trader, Charles George Wheeler, and in payment for these debts Wheeler was given ownership of Heiragabis. The 51 800-hectare farm was handed to Charles George Wheeler for £550.
Walser and Dominicus were forced to accept defeat and to give up Heiragabis. They looked for alternatives. Dominicus opted for Stolzenfels near Schuitdrift while Walser opted for Arris, Ukamas, Zoutpütz, Gapütz, Nakop and Swartkop a few miles east of Heiragabis. The land was chosen even though it was too flat to evoke memories of Switzerland and did not provide the sheltered atmosphere of Heiragabis. Why Carl linked his and his family’s life with these specific dunes and plains was something he could not really explain, emotionally or rationally.
In 1886, Carl signed a contract for ten years with Captain Willem Christian and Timothy Snewe, a contract that would have to be confirmed by the new government. On 7 December 1902, he would sign another contract with the new German rulers and pay in full a sum of 20 000 Reichsmark.
(Join us every Sunday to take a step back in time and follow the interesting, sometimes sweet, sometimes heart-wrenching tale.)