THOMAS ME1KLE, 1862-1939 The founder of the Meikle Organisation sailed from Scotland with his parents in 1869. The family settled in Natal where Thomas and his brothers John and Stewart gained their first farming ex­ perience. In 1892 the three brothers set off for Rhodesia with eight ox- wagons. Three months later they had completed the 700 mile trek to Fort Victoria. Here they opened a store made of whisky cases and roofed over with the tarpaulins that had covered their wagons. Progress was at first slow, nevertheless, branches were opened in Salisbury in 1893, Bulawayo and Gwelo in 1894, and in Umtali in 1897. From these small beginnings a vast network of stores, hotels, farms, mines and auxilliary undertakings was built up. These ventures culminated in the formation of the Thomas Meikle Trust and Investment Company in 1933. The success of these many enterprises was mainly due to Thomas Meikle's foresight and his business acumen, coupled with his ability to judge character and gather around him a loyal and efficient staff. His great pioneering spirit lives on: today the Meikle Organisation is still playing an important part in the development of Rhodesia. THOMAS MEIKLE TRUST AND INVESTMENT CO. (PVT.) LIMITED. Travel Centre Stanley Avenue P.O. Box 3598 Salisbury iii RHODESIANA Publication No. 32 — March, 1975 THE RHODESIANA SOCIETY Salisbury Rhodesia Edited by W. V. BRELSFORD Assisted by E. E. BURKE, M.L.M. Copyright is reserved by the Society Authors are responsible for their own opinions and for the accuracy of statements they make. ISSN 0556—9605 vi CONTENTS March 1975 Page THE BATTLE OF MASSI KESSI, BY J. C. BARNES 1 THE RETURN OF THE TRAPPISTS, BY HYLDA M. RICHARDS 27 JUMBO MINE: A BRIEF HISTORY, BY R. D. FRANKS 36 THE ZEEDERBERG COACH, BY C. K. COOKE 43 M. P. BOWDEN: PIONEER, AND H. W. M. PAULET: EARLY SETTLER, BY R. R. LANGHAM-CARTER 48 KINGSLEY FAIRBRIDGE: A REVIEW ARTICLE, BY HUGH FINN 54 THE CHISHAWASHA STORY, BY HEATHER JARVIS 57 SOME RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. COMPILED BY C. COGGIN 62 PERIODICALS AND ARTICLES OF INTEREST. A SURVEY BY R. G. S. DOUGLAS 66 NOTES 69 CORRESPONDENCE 75 REVIEWS 80 The cover picture is from a painting by T. Baines, showing his expedition on the market-square in Pietermaritzburg, 1869, prior to his departure for the Interior. An expedition by E. Mohr was there at the same time; the two explorers are seen greeting each other. vii The Rhodesiana Society Founded 1953 The Society exists to promote Rhodesian historical studies and to encourage research. It also aims to unite all who wish to foster a wider appreciation and knowledge of the history of Rhodesia. There is no entrance fee; the subscription is $4,00 Rhodesian currency ($7.50 U.S.A. or R4,40) a year, and this entitles paid- up members to those numbers of Rhodesiana issued during the year. There are two issues in each year, dated June and September. For further information and particulars concerning membership please write to: The Honorary National Secretary, Rhodesiana Society. P.O. Box 8268, Causeway. Salisbury, Rhodes'a. For information about Branch activities please write to: Matabeleland Branch, P.O. Box 1614, Bulawayo. Manicaland Branch, P.O. Box 136, Umtali. Mashonaland Branch, P.O. Box 3946, Salisbury. Manuscripts will be welcomed by the Editor. They should preferably be typed in double spacing and be complete with any illustrations. Copies of published works for review will also be welcomed. National Executive Committee Members G. H. Tanser, National Chairman R. W. S. Turner, National Deputy Chairman C. W. H. Loades, National Honorary Secretary W. V. Brelsford, Editor E. E. Burke, M.L.M. R. D. Franks Colonel A. S. Hickman, M.B.E. viii T. J. Kerr M. J. Kimberley B. W. Lloyd J. H. G. Robertson, M.L.M., Mashonaland Branch Representative L. W. Bolze, Matabeleland Branch Representative R. A. R. Bent, C.B.E., Manicaland Branch Representative Matabeleland Manicaland Mashonaland Branch Branch Branch Committee Committee Committee Members Members Members Chairman Chairman Chairman H. J. Vickery H. T. F. Went R. W. S. Turner Vice Chairman H. Simms Honorary Secretary Honorary Secretary Vice-Chairman B. Lovemore, O.L.M. Mrs. P. M. Brodie M. J. Kimberley L. W. Bolze R. Y. Armstrong Honorary Secretary E. T. Hepburn R. A. R. Bent, C.B.E. Mrs. Wendy Hedderick C. O. Liebold Miss A. Cripps W. Parry K. M. Fleming Honorary Treasurer Mrs. M. Waddy E. H. Howman Mrs. R. M. T. Barker G. Zacharias P. M. Hutchinson I. E. Mazorati R. D. Franks W. D. Gale J. M. Leach J. H. G. Robertson, M.L.M. J. G. Storry ix The Battle of Massi Kessi by J. C. Barnes The march of the Pioneer Column, which began late in June 1890, made a confrontation with Portugal, Britain's oldest ally, inevitable. There were two direct clashes; one at Mutasa's kraal on 15th November, 1890, the other at Chua Hill outside Fort Massi Kessi on 11th May, 1891. An outline of the Anglo-Portuguese conflict is necessary if one is to under­ stand the significance of the battle. The issue that arose between the British South Africa Company and the Portuguese was basically one of whether a particular portion of East Africa was to be seized by pioneers willing to estab­ lish a viable settlement or to remain the unimproved property of an exhausted nation. A question such as this however is not based on merits alone. European diplomacy demanded that Portugal's ancient claims be respected as long as they could be substantiated by facts. Portugal is undeniably credited with being the first European power to invade this part of the world: by 1520 she had displaced the Arab traders and gained control of the coast from Guardafui to Delagoa Bay. Military expeditions inland in the seventeenth century had all met with disaster. While a few trading posts did exist up country, no effort at government was made beyond the occupied coastal regions. Nineteenth century Portuguese maps still coloured the country west as far as Lobengula's kingdom (i.e. including the territory of Mutasa, chief of the Manyika people) as a Portuguese possession, but only late in the century, when they saw their opportunities fast disappearing, did the Portuguese make feverish attempts to infuse new life into their scattered outposts. During the 1880's, an energetic soldier, Major Paiva d'Andrada, endeavoured to increase Portuguese ascendancy over the interior. He obtained permission from his government to develop mineral and commercial schemes, though little came of this until December 1888 when the newly-founded "Companhia de Moçambique" edged its way up the Pungwe, thence across country to the Revue River where the Company's headquarters were established in a reconstructed fort associated with an old trading post called Massi Kessi (six miles north of the present town of Vila de Manica or "Macequece" and twenty two miles east of Umtali). d'Andrada, together with the local representative of the Companhia de Moçambique, Baron Joa de Rezende, to further Company policy, enlisted the aid of Manuel Antonio de Sousa, commonly called Gouveia. A half-caste Goanese "prazo de coroa" (crown estate) holder, he was renowned as a ferocious slave trader, terrorising surrounding natives and raiding petty chiefs who refused to recognise his authority. The Companhia de Moçambique found him useful as a "colonising agent" who coerced several chiefs into accepting the Portuguese flag. Gouveia claimed that in 1875 Mutasa had made voluntary submission of his domain to him in gratitude for Gouveia's having kept Makoni from attacking 1 his lands. Furthermore, Mutasa was regarded by the Portuguese as a feudatory chief under Gungunyana, whom they stated was himself a vassal of the Portu­ guese crown. To emphasise Mutasa's subjection to the Portuguese, d'Andrada in 1889 raised the Portuguese flag at Mutasa's kraal, "Binga Guru". October 1889 saw the granting of a Royal Charter to the British South Africa Company. The first clause of this charter defined the Company's area of operation as being in "the region of South Africa lying immediately to the north of British Bechuanaland, and to the north and west of the South African Republic and the west of the Portuguese Dominions". If this clause seems suitably vague and ill-defined it must be remembered that to lay down specific boundaries would have required an international agreement. In any case, were not the pioneers setting out with the intention of occupying Mashonaland only ? Rhodes, however, was fully aware of the necessity of securing land to the east of Mashonaland, if possible to include a corridor to the sea. Consequently, before the Pioneer Column began its move north, he instructed A. R. Colquhoun, the Administrator Designate of the new country, to secure by treaty with native chiefs as much of the eastern highlands as was possible. In August 1890, with the Pioneer Column well on its way, Britain and Portugal struggled to define their respective boundaries in East Africa by means of a Convention. Negotiations progressed rapidly and on 20th August the Convention was signed between Lord Salisbury, British Foreign Secretary, and Senhor Freitas, Portuguese Minister in London; all that was now required to make things final was ratification by both governments. The Convention had been signed over the head of Rhodes, and, whilst it was satisfactory to the 2 British in Nyasaiand, it was extremely unsatisfactory to the directors of the Charter Company. The Sabi River was to form the eastern boundary of Mashona- land in other words the whole of Manicaland had been ceded to the Portu­ guese.