August Frederik Beutler
Encyclopedia
August Frederik Beutler was an ensign
in the employ of the Dutch East India Company
who headed an epic 1752 reconnaissance expedition lasting 8 months from 29 February to November, eastward from Cape Town
as far as the present-day site of Butterworth. Beutler wrote a comprehensive account of his pioneering expedition which was first published in 1896 by the historian George McCall Theal
and in 1922 by the Dutch historian Everhardus Cornelis Godée Molsbergen (1875–1940). The mandate of the expedition was to report on the tribes living along the route, the possibility of trade and on anything else that might be profitable to the Dutch East India Company.
That Beutler's expedition was no lightweight affair, may be judged from his records.
His diary lists two sergeants, four corporals, a drummer and 30 soldiers, a wagonmaster Pieter Clement, a surgeon Jan Hendrik van Ellewe, a botanist, a blacksmith, a wainwright, 11 wagons, and a boat for crossing impassable rivers.
In addition Beutler was accompanied by the surveyor and cartographer, Carel David Wentzel, Hendrik Beneke, the naturalist, and Carel Albregt Haupt, the official diarist. On their journey they crossed the Great Fish River
and following trails blazed by hunters and game, penetrated Xhosa country up to the Qora River. He erected beacons denoting possession at St. Francis Bay and Algoa Bay
in an effort to thwart suspected efforts by the French to colonise the coast.
On 14 August, coming across Bushman painting
s near present-day Cradock
, Haupt wrote:
"We noticed that in places here many pictures were found painted on the rocks, these being the work of the d'Gaua, who are called Little Chinese by our travellers. We went to a place about two hours from our camp to see these. Under the ridge of a kloof, in a kind of cave in which one could shelter from wind and rain, we saw pictures of wild horses, baboons and people in various positions, painted on the rocks in red, white and black. Some were rather well drawn, others not, the latter seeming to be the work of pupils. It is astonishing to find such things among such a coarse and ignorant people".
'Vaandrigsdrif' west of Swellendam
and 'Bottelierskop' near Klein-Brakrivier were named after Beutler, 'Bottelier' being a corruption of his name, and 'Vaandrig' being Dutch for ensign.
Beutler married Anna Magdalena van den Heever on 4 January 1750 in Cape Town. She was the daughter of Pieter Petersen van den Heever (1705 Husum, Schleswig-Holstein
- 1767 Cape Town) and Johanna Bockelenberg (c1708-) who were married on 23 June 1726 in Cape Town.
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the employ of the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
who headed an epic 1752 reconnaissance expedition lasting 8 months from 29 February to November, eastward from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
as far as the present-day site of Butterworth. Beutler wrote a comprehensive account of his pioneering expedition which was first published in 1896 by the historian George McCall Theal
George McCall Theal
George McCall Theal , was the most prolific and influential South African historian, archivist and genealogist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.-Life history:...
and in 1922 by the Dutch historian Everhardus Cornelis Godée Molsbergen (1875–1940). The mandate of the expedition was to report on the tribes living along the route, the possibility of trade and on anything else that might be profitable to the Dutch East India Company.
That Beutler's expedition was no lightweight affair, may be judged from his records.
His diary lists two sergeants, four corporals, a drummer and 30 soldiers, a wagonmaster Pieter Clement, a surgeon Jan Hendrik van Ellewe, a botanist, a blacksmith, a wainwright, 11 wagons, and a boat for crossing impassable rivers.
In addition Beutler was accompanied by the surveyor and cartographer, Carel David Wentzel, Hendrik Beneke, the naturalist, and Carel Albregt Haupt, the official diarist. On their journey they crossed the Great Fish River
Great Fish River
The Great Fish River is a river running through the South African province of the Eastern Cape, it originates east of Graaff-Reinet and runs through Cradock, just south of this the Tarka River joins it...
and following trails blazed by hunters and game, penetrated Xhosa country up to the Qora River. He erected beacons denoting possession at St. Francis Bay and Algoa Bay
Algoa Bay
Algoa Bay is a wide inlet along the South African east coast, some 425 miles east of the Cape of Good Hope. It is bounded in the west by Cape Recife and in the east by Cape Padrone. The bay is up to 436 m deep...
in an effort to thwart suspected efforts by the French to colonise the coast.
On 14 August, coming across Bushman painting
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
s near present-day Cradock
Cradock, Eastern Cape
Cradock is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, in the upper valley of the Great Fish River, by rail northeast of Port Elizabeth. The town is the administrative seat of the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality in the Chris Hani District of the Eastern Cape. The estimated population...
, Haupt wrote:
"We noticed that in places here many pictures were found painted on the rocks, these being the work of the d'Gaua, who are called Little Chinese by our travellers. We went to a place about two hours from our camp to see these. Under the ridge of a kloof, in a kind of cave in which one could shelter from wind and rain, we saw pictures of wild horses, baboons and people in various positions, painted on the rocks in red, white and black. Some were rather well drawn, others not, the latter seeming to be the work of pupils. It is astonishing to find such things among such a coarse and ignorant people".
'Vaandrigsdrif' west of Swellendam
Swellendam
Swellendam is the third oldest town in the Republic of South Africa, a town with 28,072 inhabitants situated in the Western Cape province. The town has over 50 National monuments most of them buildings of Cape Dutch architecture....
and 'Bottelierskop' near Klein-Brakrivier were named after Beutler, 'Bottelier' being a corruption of his name, and 'Vaandrig' being Dutch for ensign.
Beutler married Anna Magdalena van den Heever on 4 January 1750 in Cape Town. She was the daughter of Pieter Petersen van den Heever (1705 Husum, Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
- 1767 Cape Town) and Johanna Bockelenberg (c1708-) who were married on 23 June 1726 in Cape Town.