The Outspan: Tales of South Africa

by J. Percy FitzPatrick

A vivid collection of South African camp-fire tales that capture danger, humor, and the lure of the veld.

These stories braid life in the bush with sharp-eyed memory and lively storytelling. Set against the vast South African landscape, they sketch friendships, close calls, and the stubborn cheer of men and women who live where the wild holds sway.

Around the camp-fire, the pace slows to the rhythm of night sounds and shared yarns. The narration blends adventure with reflection, offering a window into the passions and loyalties that shape men on trek and in the field.

Experience risk, resilience, and resourceful problem-solving in the face of wilderness and danger. Meet a cast of characters—from prospectors to drivers—drawn with warmth and grit. Feel the social fabric of veld life unfold through candid dialogue and quiet moments. Enjoy accessible, story-driven prose that invites both entertainment and reminiscence. Ideal for readers who love rugged adventure, historical tales, and stories told with affection for a bygone frontier.

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published December 3, 1897

About the author

Sir James Percy FitzPatrick, KCMG, known as Percy FitzPatrick, was a South African author, politician, mining financier and pioneer of the fruit industry. He authored the classic children's book, Jock of the Bushveld (1907).

The Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town was named in his honour.

Motor trails in the eastern part of South Africa follow the trails used by Fitzpatrick and Jock in their travels between the gold mines and the harbour at Delagoa Bay in Mozambique. The most well-known of these are those in the Kruger National Park.

Reviews

[Dianne]

This is a digitised reissue of a book by BiblioLife who are aiming to produce books of cultural or historic importance published before 1923. Outspan was published by Heineman in 1897.

I really enjoyed this series of short stories set in the main in Barberton and Swaziland in the 1890s. It is written in a lively colloquial style encapsulating the slang and attitudes of the period. At the time Barberton was the centre of a gold-rush, goods were transported by ox-wagon and 'roads' consisted of trails through bush and over mountains. A railway through the Kaap valley was being built. Sir Percy was a transport driver until he lost his oxen to sleeping sickness and had to take an 'office job' in Barberton, writing a weekly column for The Barberton Herald on the side.

Sir Percy is a good raconteur, and these are campfire stories, some based upon lightly disguised real individuals. For example Sebougwaan, the Englishman dressed in a towel and a monocle, the subject of the first story, did live in Swaziland. The first three stories are excellent, although not politically correct. They are authentic in period, place and people. The last three are more contrived. There is some romance, and a thriller designed to chill. Sir Percy has a very soft spot for children and one Child's utterances would have had the paedophile police descending upon him. Yet this reflects a rather twee Victorian attitude to childhood, which makes me feel rather uncomfortable. I have the same reaction to his dedication in his classic children's book 'Jock of the Bushveld'.

Overall a good light read. It has particular resonance for me as my great grandparents emigrated to this area at that time.

[Steve Mayberry]

Is there anything more charming than a racist, sexist, smug, early-20th-century British gentleman?

[Andrew]

Having read a number of historical books particularly set in Africa which I found interesting I really couldn't get into this one. I found the writing disjointed, to such an extent that I wondered if it was me rather than the way it was written. Of course there were the dated references to the native peoples which are shocking to read, but I should emphasise do not constitute a large part of this work.