1948 The Standard Bank Limited, Victoria Falls 1968 .. , · ,,, , ,...h . -y - : ~ ' 70 years of Service 1899 - 1969 Seventy years ago the first train arrived at Salisbury from UmtaH on the 22nd May, 1899. Since then Rhodesia Railways has served the nation well by providing a vital transport network throughout Rhodesia. To mark the 70th Anniversary of the opening of the Beira-Salisbury line a commemorative issue of stamps shown on this page was issued by the Rhodesian Ministry of Posts on the 22nd May, 1969. RHODESIA RAILWAYS OUR YOUTH OUR GREATEST ASSET Pass Rhodesia's Literary Heritage on to your Family Through the Rhodesiana Reprint Library Facsimile reprints of rare and out-of-print Rhodesian books published at two­ monthly intervals in a matching, numbered series. Available on a membership basis from t he Books of Rhodesia Book Club. Already published in the Ubrary Series are four books by Baines, Sclous, Hyatt, and Pauling. Average price: 35s. each, plus postage, packing, and (in Rhodesia) sales t ax. Back numbers can be supplied to new members joining the Book Club now. See brochure and catalogue for membership details and future titles. P.O. BOX 1994 BULAWAYO ll KINGSTONS LIMITED thank members of the RHODESIANA SOCIETY for their support of the new publishing venture THE PIONEER HEAD. Due to this support it is announced that the COLLECTORS EDITION oft;he first facsimile reprint, AFRICAN NATURE NOTES AND REMINISCENCES by Frederic\ Courteney Selous, is Out of Print. However THE PIONEER HEAD advise thai: the ORDINARY EDITION, bound in full Buckram and with a pictorial dust jacket ,is now available and can be obtained from THE PIONEER HEAD, P.O. Box 591, Salisbury, or from Kingstons branches and booksellers throughout Rhodesia. Nevertheless, demand is expected to be heavy, and it is suggested that members of the RHODESIANA SOCIETY who have not yet placed their order for the Ordinary Edition should do so without delay. There will be no reprint of this edition. AFRICAN NATURE NOTES AND REMINISCENCES is 75s. per copy, plus·2s. 6d. Sales Tax and if posted an additional 2s. 6d. THE PIONEER HEAD P.O. Box 591 Salisbury iii 111111111►-► 111111•111►-► 111111111 Longmans 111111111 are proud to announce the publieation of: FABLED TRIBE by Clive Cowley 38/- This Is the record of the exciting expedition by a team of scientists from Wit• watersrand University to discover a legendary lost tribe of river bushmen, who, according to travellers' tales, had survived in the heart of the Okavango Basin in Botswana. The author, the expedition's only journalist, relates the difficulties and adventures of the search through dangerous crocodile and hippopotamus Infested swampland, tsetse fly and malarial mOlqulto infened areas, to their discovery, in the heart of the swamp, of a small group of fourteen fisherfolk, survivors of the Tannekwe people. They lived with and studied this small community and brought baek their findings to civilisation. THE AFRICANS by Basil Davidson Approx. 54/• (To be published November, 1969) The author of this book is well known to readers of African history. In this latest book he sets out to examine what is known about the ideas, political and social systems, religions. metaphysics, moral values, mag/cal beliefs, and arts of a range of African peoples, chlefly in tropical Africa in order to destroy the myth that Africa has no dvllisation worthy of study. He shows how, in fact, Africa had a civilisation of culturally distinctive totality, which was specifically African in nature. He considers the growth and change of African cultures and Institutional patterns up to the present day and shows the effects of modern times upon them. And as a sideline also leads us to reflect upon Western civilisation with new eyes. LONGMANS OF RHODESIA (PVT.) LTD. P.O. BOX ST.125, SOUTHERTON, SALISBURY Tel. 661474/660470 RHODESIANA Publication No. 20 — July, 1969 THE RHODESIANA SOCIETY Salisbury Rhodesia CONTENTS Page COLONEL JOHN ANTHONY SPRECKLEY, C.M.G. A SHORT BIOGRAPHY BY A. S. HICKMAN 1 DAVID LIVINGSTONE: TOURIST TO RHODESIA BY G. L. GUY 11 EARLY DAYS ON A SMALL WORKING BY H. J. LUCAS .. 14 JOHN NORTON-GRIFFITHS: A RHODESIAN PIONEER BY DICK HOBSON 23 THE DIARIES OF HAROLD COOKSON. PART 2. BY W. D. GALE 33 BUILDINGS OF HISTORIC INTEREST. NO. 2. THE OLD SALIS­ BURY HOSPITAL. COMPILED BY DR. R. C. HOWLAND .. 44 REV. PAUL NEL. A RHODESIAN PIONEER BY JANIE MAL- HERBE 49 RHODESIA'S FIRST PETROL DRIVEN TRACTOR: IVEL AGRI­ CULTURAL MOTOR NO. 140. BY G. L. GUY AND R. H. H. ORCHARD .. 60 RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES. COMPILED BY C. COGGIN 70 PERIODICALS AND ARTICLES OF INTEREST. A SURVEY COM­ PILED BY ALISON MCHARG 73 THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1969 75 NOTES .. 79 CORRESPONDENCE 86 REVIEWS .. .. 89 THE RHODESIANA SOCIETY : CONSTITUTION 107 PUBLICATIONS 111 The cover picture is from a map of southern Africa of 1590, by Filippo Pigafetta. (National Archives) vii The Rhodesiana Society 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 £1 10s. Rhodesian currency ($5 U.S.A. or R3.30) 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 July and December. For further information and particulars concerning member­ ship, please write to: The Honorary Secretary, Rhodesiana Society, P.O. Box 8268, Causeway, Salisbury, Rhodesia. For information about Branch activities please write to: Matabeleland Branch, 13 Clark Road, Bulawayo. Manicaland Branch, P.O. Box 136, Umtali. 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 H. A. Cripwell, Chairman Col. A. S. Hickman, M.B.E., Deputy Chairman M. J. Kimberley, Honorary Secretary Miss C. von Memerty Honorary Treasurer W. V. Brelsford, Editor E. E. Burke B. J. M. Foggin, M.B.E., M.V.O. Dr. R. C. Howland R. Isaacson D. T. Low, Matabeleland Branch Representative Rev. E. L. Sells, Manicaland Branch Representative G. H. Tanser R. W. S. Turner, Membership and Advertising Matabeleland Branch Manicaland Branch Committee Members Committee Members ' P. B. Gibbs, M.B.E., Chairman Rev. E. L. Sells, Chairman D. T. Low, Honorary Secretary Miss. A. Cripps, Honorary Secretary F. V. Clarance F. O. Bernhard D. C. Mason Dr. D. G. Broadley C. W. D. Pagden P. G. Deedes, C.M.G. Dr. O. N. Ransford P. Hutchinson viii Col. J oho Aothooy Spreckley, C.M.G. (National Archives) X Colonel John Anthony Spreckley, C.M.G. A Short Biography by A. S. Hickman (This was the winning entry in the literary competition sponsored by P.E.N. International and the Rhodesiana Society. See under Notes.—Editor) "Jack" Spreckley was born in 1865 at Fulbeck, near Lincoln, a son of George Spreckley of Derby and his wife Emma Georgina, but I can not trace the actual date of his birth. His father was a well-known auctioneer and estate agent, a partner in the firm of Messrs. Ault & Spreckley of Bridge Street, Derby. Jack attended Derby School at the age of 13, was cox of the school boat, and a member of the football XI in 1880. He left in 1881 for South Africa to work for four years on an ostrich farm at Fish River, 28 miles from Grahamstown in Cape Colony, at the same age and in the same sort of employment as Henry Borrow, his close friend of later years. Then he went to the Transvaal and was on the Witwatersrand at the time of the famous discovery of "banket" gold. In 1885 he joined the Bechuanaland Border Police but took his discharge the following year, when with four companions, Frank Johnson, Maurice Heany, Henry Borrow and Ted Burnett, he set out for Bulawayo to try for a concession from Lobengula, chief of the Matabele, to prospect for gold. On the way through Khama's country a concession was obtained for the same purpose and was eventually floated as the Bechuanaland Exploration Company. It was in 1886 that the group began negotiations with Lobengula, who at first refused permission to go to Mashonaland because in Spreckley's own words ". we should all die. He, (Lobengula), added that when we were all dead he should receive a long letter from the white Queen (Victoria), asking where he had put the white men, and he should get into serious trouble which he wishes to avoid." When he was told that the party would carry effective medicines he was persuaded to let them go, and give them two guides, one of whom unfor­ tunately died of malaria in spite of treatment and the other returned to Lo­ bengula to report the incident. There were conflicting views as to whether the party should go on to the Mazoe, as they believed had been agreed, and they consulted the famous hunter, Van Rooyen, who happened to be camped near them. He advised them to go on if they were assured that Lobengula had agreed. They had considerable trouble with the thirty Africans they had with them, who refused to carry on, and the white men were left to drive their wagons and livestock. When they had travelled about six miles, six of the servants came to join them and continued with them to the Hunyani River. Here they left the wagon and some Africans 1 and marched on foot for the Mazoe River with pack-donkeys.