Port St. Johns

Port St. Johns (Port Saint Johns) is a town situated at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is thought to have been named after a Portuguese ship (the São João),[1] which was actually wrecked at Port Edward.[2] Later seafarers mistakenly identified the mouth of the Umzimvubu River as the site of this wreck.[1] The town was established in the 1880s by the British, after negotiations with local Pondo chiefs for rights to the banks of the river and adjacent territories.[1] The river mouth was used as a port, however this activity was abandoned in the 1940s due to siltation, which caused the river to become too shallow for vessels.[1] The town is now mostly a tourist destination.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e van der Merwe, E. and Costello, K. Port St. Johns, "Paradise in Pondoland" (2nd edition).
  2. ^ About.com African History: 8 June 1552 – Portuguese Ship São João Wrecked off the KwaZulu Coast: http://africanhistory.about.com/b/2008/06/08/8-june-1552-portuguese-ship-sao-joao-wrecked-off-the-kwazulu-coast.htm, retrieved 17 August 2011.