Hand dug wells in the Karoo before borehole drilling machines

MidnightWizard

MidnightWizard

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I am looking for information on the way in which wells ( putte ) were dug in the Karoo in historical times before the arrival and use of mechanical borehole drilling machines.
Some places ( farms / towns ) had in the old days a good close to the surface water table

Windpumps ( windpompe ) were often erected over a well and the windpump was used to draw up and out the water in the well

I have seen a number of these many of which have been filled in due to safety concerns.

So far I have not been able to find any information about the old wells -- who dug them / how they were dug / to what depth and similar questions.
Also how many are still in operation and how they are maintained.

IF anyone has any links to articles / books / theses with the subject matter -- hand dug wells with particular Karoo theme please pass them on
 
There are a number in towns where the water table was shallow and water was present. Farms particularly.

In the -- far -off days the travelers and explorers ( including the Trek Boers ) would have used water points and natural wells / springs known to the indigenous peoples -- Bushmen / Khoekhoean / Griqua / Korana) This information could be found by careful reading of the many accounts of the early explorers -- a tedious task. I am not sure if any of these water points were expanded / dug by these early peoples ?

I am really looking for what happened AFTER the permanent settlement by the Trek Boers but before the introduction of borehole drilling machines ( even the primitive ones ) Although a comprehensive history of the human use of water resources in the Karoo would be great

I am sure there is documentary evidence somewhere -- I am just not finding it ?
 
Try contacting David Biggs Tavern of the Seas column Cape Argus, his family farms in the Karoo.
 
In the North of Namibia, A number of the native folk do exactly this, pull in family members and then hand dig these deep trenches until they hit water, in fact a mate of mine sent me a photo of his family members doing this last year, will see if I can locate said snaps....
 
Back then surface water was plentyful and clean enopugh to drink. Thanks to the ANC everything is eighther dried up or full of SHT!
 
They would have had slaves to do the digging for them
 
C4Cat said:
They would have had slaves to do the digging for them
Click to expand...
NO "slaves" in SA
Slaves in the Cape under the VOC
Slavery abolished by British in -- Slavery Abolition Act 1833
Abolished in the Cape on 01 December 1834

Can you please point out the time / date of the beginnings of permanent settlement of the Karoo ...
To grant you your point -- I am pretty sure the "Boers" were a bit too "large" to dig man size wells
I could of course be wrong ...:)
 
MidnightWizard said:
NO "slaves" in SA
Slaves in the Cape under the VOC
Slavery abolished by British in -- Slavery Abolition Act 1833
Abolished in the Cape on 01 December 1834

Can you please point out the time / date of the beginnings of permanent settlement of the Karoo ...
To grant you your point -- I am pretty sure the "Boers" were a bit too "large" to dig man size wells
I could of course be wrong ...:)
Click to expand...

You are right. The Great Trek only started in 1835. The same for the Dorsland Trekkers who mainly ended up in these dry areas. By then slavery was abolished and there were no such thing as slaves being used.

This is a common mistake made when they try to manipulate history.
 
This is how they do it in INDIA

jelly-in-recharge-well.png


Very Interesting

Towards water security: How to dig a recharge well
 
Gordon_R said:
Technology is not location specific, though the methods may vary. Basic information about the history of wells and boreholes is available online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well#Types
Click to expand...
Thanks for the links
Seeing as we recently purchased property in The Karoo -- with an old filled in well I am interested in the history associated with this particular area.
 
My house in the Little Karoo has a hand-dug well. It's 7.8 m deep and was dug in 1927. It always has water.

It was completely cleaned in 2010. We simply pumped out all the water and lowered in a volunteer worker on a rope.

Had the water tested in 2010. It's not really usable for garden irrigation owing to high sodium and potassium content.
 
MidnightWizard said:
NO "slaves" in SA
Slaves in the Cape under the VOC
Slavery abolished by British in -- Slavery Abolition Act 1833
Abolished in the Cape on 01 December 1834

Can you please point out the time / date of the beginnings of permanent settlement of the Karoo ...
To grant you your point -- I am pretty sure the "Boers" were a bit too "large" to dig man size wells
I could of course be wrong ...:)
Click to expand...
So slaves in everything but name. If you think slavery ended because of a piece of legislation, then I've a bridge to sell you.
 
Arthur said:
My house in the Little Karoo has a hand-dug well. It's 7.8 m deep and was dug in 1927. It always has water.

It was completely cleaned in 2010. We simply pumped out all the water and lowered in a volunteer worker on a rope.

Had the water tested in 2010. It's not really usable for garden irrigation owing to high sodium and potassium content.
Click to expand...
Is there not some form of filtration / chemical treatment for these trace elements ?
Maybe even extractable with a monetary value ?
 
C4Cat said:
So slaves in everything but name. If you think slavery ended because of a piece of legislation, then I've a bridge to sell you.
Click to expand...
The "apprenticeship" system was only abolished later

1834
Slavery is abolished in British colonies on 01 December, liberated slaves now falls into the category of Free Blacks, although the ‘freed’ slaves are forced to serve an extended four year apprenticeship to make them ‘fit for freedom’.
The Cape farmers faced prolonged weather conditions of drought.

Long March to Freedom

There is however a very pertinent distinction
Slaves are NOT "paid"

The law of slavery: The predicament of the slave community at the Cape
 
MidnightWizard said:
Is there not some form of filtration / chemical treatment for these trace elements ?
Maybe even extractable with a monetary value ?
Click to expand...
The only way is via R/O - reverse osmosis, sadly.

I have some pics. Right now I'm lying in a hotel room in Athens Texas at 03h47, so not easy to find and post.
 
C4Cat said:
So slaves in everything but name. If you think slavery ended because of a piece of legislation, then I've a bridge to sell you.
Click to expand...

Slavery ended. You do not have to sell anything. The rest of the stories is a figment of your and the ANC's imagination.
 
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