The Homestead.
In 1792, the
German "burger chirurgijn" Andreas Teubes bought the property here.
It soon became known as Tokay (named after a wine producing area in
Hungary). 3 Years later the gifted architect Louis Michel Thibault
designed the Manor House. It would soon be described as the most
outstanding homestead in the Peninsula. The Homestead was raised
well above the customary ground level, with a very high front
stoep, with massive round pillars, and two dramatic curving flights
of stairs. The Manor House was completed in 1796, in time for the
marriage of Alida Teubes, the daughter of Andreas. She was to wed
Nicolaas Roussouw, from the neighbouring farm Steenberg (now a golf
estate). Ultimately, the cost of building this splendid house
ruined Teubes financially, and he was forced into bankruptcy in
1799, and had to sell the estate.
The Eksteen
Family.
Jan-Frederick Herwig bought the
estate, who then sold it to Johan Casper Loos shortly there after.
In 1802, a new master, Petrus Michiel Eksteen acquired the
property. He was a gregarious spendthrift, who spared no cost in
hosting the finest banquets for the elite of the Cape social scene.
His parties were famous, his cellars was well stocked, and he had a
thoroughbred Arabian stud, which was the envy of the Cape.
Eventually in 1849, he too was declared insolvent, and had to put
the estate up for auction.
The Ghost of Tokai
Manor.
During a lavish New Year's Eve affair, the young Frederick Eksteen
accepted a wager from his father. The guests watched on
expectantly, as he mounted the precipitous steps of the Manor House
on horseback. They then circled the dining room table, with
clattering hooves, spurred on by cheers and laughter from the
revellers. Then, in full sight of the whole entourage of dinner
guests, descending the too-steep steps, horse and rider slipped,
and fell to their deaths. The eccentric young man broke his neck in
the fall, and was lying dead next to his horse at the bottom of the
steps. It is said that the Spectral horse and rider still canters
through the forest and sometimes, especially on New Year's Eves,
still tries to repeat their foolhardy bet. Over the years since
that tragic night, quite a few reports put this pair in the area
around the Manor House. Up to this day, without earthly
explanation, sometimes drunken laughter and neighing of horses can
be heard at night from inside the Manor House.
Upon
researching this cache, I spoke to an elderly man, who seemed to
have all his faculties together about his recent experience close
by. He works as a security guard in the area, and on his way to
work, walking down Tokai road before sunrise; he heard a horse at
full gallop behind him. He noticed that the rider wore clothes from
a bygone era, and that they were headed straight towards the old
house, and up the steps.
Truth or
Tale?
You decide. I spent two cold, dark nights out here waiting, and
watching, and I know…. I know….