Dr. Wangemann (the Director of the Berlin Mission Society) came via Lydenburg and found the Steelpoort river in flood. My father went to meet him at Burgersfort. Native Aron Bolale with his sons, who were good swimmers, swam across the Steelpoort to bring Dr. Wangemann’s luggage. They went about 50 yards up river so that the current would take them down to the drift. Dr. Wangemann, who was a powerful swimmer, also went up river and jumped into the water, but he almost swam straight across and came out among thorn bushes and reeds. He stayed a fortnight and went back. (Dr. H.T. Wangemann het reeds in Julie 1866 13 maande in Suid Afrika deurgebring en in 1885 tydens ‘n verdere besoek tot sy ontsteltenis verneem dat sy kleinkinders nie Duits kon praat of verstaan nie, Johannes August het dit nie as belangrik beskou dat sy kinders Duits moes leer nie (Zöllner & Heese). My pa was dus ongeveer 2 jaar oud tydens hierdie besoek en moes dus die insident van sy pa verneem het – C.T.W.)
True Stories of Life and Hunting in Sekukuniland in the old days
The memoirs of JPD Winter