Page 297 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

143
1910 – 1935
Here I briefly want to describe our life on Waaikraal from
1910 – 1926. Nowhere have we lived so beautifully and freely were as undisturbed as on Wilhelmsruh on our portion of Waaikraal!!! It was 1200 acres of land, fenced on two sides and on the western side the river Sterkstroom as border. On these 1200 acres I alone was boss. There we had the large, spatious house with outbuildings. Water supply through a wind pump from the Sterkstroom to our house and flowers and a vegetable garden, as well as fish in the river. Dr Bornebusch once caught an eel there that weighed 14 pounds. We had quite a few vines with really nice grapes. We harvested enough maize and had many fields of good cotton. I had a nice herd of cattle and we had more than enough milk and butter and could sell cream. In addition, a herd of goats and Persian sheep that gave us enough meat. Furthermore, a herd of about 40 donkeys that I could sell. Then about 30 wild ostriches on the farm that did not yield anything. On free afternoons I often went hunting because I had duikers, impalas, hares, guinea fowls and pheasants on the farm and let nobody shoot there. Then I had two horses for the carts and three dogs and one riding horse. After 30 years 1880 - 1910 in a kaffir village in