Reminiscences of a South African Pioneer

Saving for a prospecting trip can mean making and selling tents, then moving into a friend's shelter until another tent is ready. W. C. Scully recalls such practical details in this autobiographical account of his early life and travels. First published in 1913, the book begins with family memories in Ireland and follows his experiences in South Africa during the opening of the gold and diamond fields. Mining camps, attempts at farming and trade, and encounters on the road give the recollections their varied shape.

At Pilgrim's Rest, thrift sits alongside a strong desire to explore. Scully describes walks above the mining settlements, steep ravines, forested plains and an unexpected meeting with nine elands near his morning fire. His colonial viewpoint calls for critical reading, while the close descriptions of terrain and the costs of daily life offer material for readers interested in travel memoirs and the personal experience of early mining communities.