Page 28 - Bulletin 20 2016

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a licensed hunter after leaving the employ of the V.O.C. rather than share the grant of land
along the Eerste River awarded to both him and Hennie Huysing after c. 1679?

Returning to Jurgen Schuster, he was granted the right to graze his stock from the west coast
and inland for at least 750 Rhynland roods in every direction (as was customary - but who
was going to check?) for an annual rent of 24 Rixdollars. It is not known exactly where
Schuster had his central point or ‘ordonnantie’. It was often the case for landholders to
establish their ‘opstal’ (homestead and allied farm buildings) at their ordonnantie - if this
designated landmark/central point was a source of fresh water. In Schuster’s case this ‘central
point’ was most likely near the coast where the present day Schuster’s River meets the sea
and where - being the lowest point in this valley - water collects for longer into the months of
summer drought at the Cape than anywhere else in this catchment area. Schuster was further
allowed to hunt game - excluding partridges, pheasants, eland and hippopotamus - for which
special licenses were needed. It seems likely that given the arduous journey overland to Cape
Town, Schuster must surely have supplied his livestock to ships in Simon’s Bay and, as in the
case with Frederick Russouw, in some sort of partnership agreement with Antoni Visser. It is
recorded that Schuster held Wildschutsbrand on loan from 1738 – 1742, most probably
managed by his brother, Marthinus, who arrived in the Cape in 1739 and was ‘loaned’ to his
brother as a farmhand until he acquired his own burgher status in 1747. This leads Cairns to
conclude that Schuster may have held Wildschutsbrand until 1747. Whatever the case,
Schuster’s memory is perpetuated in three natural features to the north of the reserve –
Schuster’s River, Schuster’s Kraal and Schuster’s Bay (33) .

Establishing Simon’s Town as a winter anchorage

It was in the winter of 1742 that V.O.C. Company ships began to utilize Simon’s Bay as the
official winter anchorage - as resolved the previous May. As had been no doubt anticipated,
there proved to be great difficulty and extra expense in supplying the need of these ships due
to the poor state of the road from Cape Town. This was overcome somewhat by using boats
to transport supplies from Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, thus shortening the distance of land

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