Page 73 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

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1870 and 1874
In the year 1870 the diamond field was discovered near Kimberley and that became the market for farmers in Transvaal and the Free State. But everything had to be brought there by ox wagon on journeys of one to two weeks. The old Missionary Backeberg had purchased Berseba near Bethanie for ₤ 800 and worked as a missionary there.
On this farm he also had the opportunity of large-scale agricultural activities as an aside and he planted wheat and tobacco. Because the good prices in Kimberley were tempting he decided to take two wagons full of wheat and tobacco there and my father gave me his span of oxen and a wagon to take one load there against payment. Backeberg was my godfather and I really wanted to see the diamond field. So, I loaded one load of tobacco roles and drove along. The journey led us over Maquassi and Christiane. In Kimberley a bucket of water cost 1/- and to let oxen drink at a rain water dam cost 2/6 per span. Backeberg got ₤ 3 for every bag of wheat flour and 10/- for small roles and ₤ 1 for large roles of tobacco, all in all about ₤ 300 in gold for the two loads. Eggs 2/6 per dozen. We lost one ox. The journey took us four weeks. We saw the first big open hole from which the earth was pulled up on wires by horses and at the top it was sorted. Kimberley was a large village of brick houses. At the time one ordinary plough cost ₤ 9, today ₤ 1.10 etc. etc.