Ambush at Middelpos Traditional Cache
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Size: 
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Alt. 1140m, close to historical site in the centre of Middelpos, in the grounds of the Middelpos hotel
Meddelpos- annual rainfall- 250mm. An obscure halfway station dating back to the mid 19th century, between the towns of Southerland and Calvinia. A wandering smous (merchant) decided to build a trading store at Middel post in about 1850. In 1954 the trading store became a hotel and a new trading store was built across the road. This road comes up from Sutherland in the S.East to Calvinia in the N.West.
As it's name Middelpos indicates it was a staging station for ox wagons and 'trekkers' migrating out of the Cape Colony.
During the 2nd Anglo Boer War -1899 to 1902, there was a night skirmish between the English forces and the boer commando lead by Gen. van Deventer.
Gen. van Deventer learned from scouts of a British Army supply caravan and troop movement passing through in the Middelpos area.
In a daring night raid on the 5th of February 1902, his commando's attacked the encamped Bitish, some 5 km outside Middelpos. Impossible to differentiate friend from foe in the darkness, the skirmish was confused and indecisive.
During the night, the boer commando's torched the supply wagons, routed the draft animals and in the random exchange of rifle fire, 3 boers succumbed to gunshot wounds and on the British side 3 officers, one seargent and 7 troopers of the 11th Imperial Yoemanry lost their lives.
After the war ended 4 months later, a memorial was erected for the fallen yoemenry outside the Middelpos general store.
This monument now falls in the garden of the Middelpos Hotel, run by Koos and Helena, who have an interesting article on the skirmish written from a very Boer perspective.
Koos or Helena will gladly let you visit the monument and search for the cache. Diesel fuel is readily pumped from tanks, while unleaded fuel is dispensed from 44 gallon drums. Middelpos has never risen above been just that- a half way station between two small Karoo towns, lying on the plateau with traditional Afrikaans food and friendly hospitality always at hand.
Contents- a logbook, Geocaching info sheet, pen, box of matches, magic dish towels, floating keyring.
I have received messages that the cache has been moved and will go out to the site and note the current location and edit this posting thereafter 24 April
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
tebhaq yriry haqre gur onfr bs na napvrag Oyhrthz gerr fghzc, arkg gb n sbjy eha va n Juvgr plyvaqevpny pbagnvare.
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