RHODESIAN-PIONEERS-L Archives

From: "Carruthers home" <>
Subject: [RHODESIAN-PIONEERS] I Walked Rhodesia-Macloutsie and Matalusi
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 05:21:35 -0000
References: <KCEJIHJAIDBKJCBBLBJLKEHOCAAA.mike@ftconsultants.co.za>

Below are some refferences to Macloutsie River and Matalusi store

does anyone know where the "Matalusi store" was in relation to Belingwe & Doro Range ? Doro ranch is just off the Filabusi-Belingwe road on the East side of the start of the Great Dyke/Doro Range.



1891:-

"Our two day journey along the East side of the Limpopo was uneventful. We were some distance up stream when we eventually crossed at a drift known to my old friend Van Staden. It was seven to eight miles up from the Shashi/Limpopo Junction (since called Rhodes's drift). Mr Rhodes returned from Tuli to Pietersburg In 1891 by my route."



"After spending the whole day cutting our way through the dense undergrowth to the drift we had several interesting experiences, the wide sandy river was home to fifteen foot crocks, some over six hundred lbs. We pulled early through the 150 yards of sandy drift to the Bechuanaland West bank, setting up camp under a fringe of large Mimosa trees. Water was obtainable from just below the surface of the sand. It was around here we searched for Van Staden's brother's grave, we failed to find it. Soon after outspanning, Barrett and I rode back across the River to get in touch with a native Mazeba, at a small kraal known to my pal Van Staden. On the way, we went to where we heard shots from a rifle a few miles downstream, on the East side of the drift. As we emerged from the heavy timber, we rode out on a heard of Impala feeding. Jack Barrett wanted a Trophy so dismounted and shot a large bull. We covered it up with branches to collect on our return. Riding on another mile we came out on a tented wagon, brushed in for safety. The women folk were very perturbed when we broke into view. After greeting we were welcomed by Mrs Frikkie Greef, and her daughter Martha, with a Native herd boy in attendance. Mr Greef and Hans Lee (Of hunting fame and son of John Lee) were away chasing a wounded buck. After they had ridden away, Miss Greef had just shot a Lioness among the cattle. Many years later her brother met his death near Tuli, having been clawed by a Lion. He had Killed two, the third badly wounded sprang on him."



"I fortunately found that they had trekked down from Matabeleland, making away to the Transvaal owing to the likelihood of trouble with the Matabele on account of the Charter Column wanting to enter Matabeleland. We rode back and brought our wagon to their camp for the night. Barrett and I made back to pick up the kill, tying it on the back of his saddle. We had not gone very far when we pulled up to argue about the point of compass we were following. It was mid day and amoung big trees, a difficult problem in the circumstances. Barrett went off to the right. I kept to the same bearing, which brought me out two miles down stream of the wagon. Luckly, here I found a few stray cattle, wandering away quite lost. Only a few miles divided the two camps, I fired a warning to draw Barrett. He came in after dark on hearing my Dynamite charge, still carrying the Impala. He was very distressed, his hands scratched and his shirt in tatters, after an exasperating nine hours in the veld. The next morning we trekked into Grieff's camp. My trail would comfort him South to Pietersburg."



We in turn followed up their trail the next day along the Shashi River and made for the Tuli junction. We had to cross and re-cross the Shashi River many times. On the third morning again hearing shooting, I rode out to investigate and came upon a B.B.P. advance patrol under Lieutenant Hicks-Beach with my old fried Fred from '84. Fred Brennan, ex Lowe's Police, with twenty others, were patrolling the Northern Bechuanaland (Botswana) border. He was more surprised than I, when he learnt where we had come from. It had been hard going for our mounts, we had to often dismount and walk, scouting adead for a wagon trail. We spent the night at Fred's camp."



On reaching the Shashi crossing at Tuli, they found they were ahead of the column, which was still at the Macloutsie River. The force had moved from Camp Cecil to Fort Matlaputla on the same river for their final training.

It transpired there was a hitch between Lo-Bengula and Dr Jameson about the right of way. They dealt out what provisions they had to spare and started back to Pietersburg on the 26th May 1890. Jack arranged to take letters to Mr Rhodes and hurry up the grain and other supplies that could be sent on.

They made the Salt Pan by the eighth day. Mr Rhodes was pleased to hear Jack had opened the trail from the Transvaal to Tuli.



"We made several trips back the one hundred and fifty miles along my trail to Pietersburg with despatches from the Bechuanaland Border Patrol, together with my friend Doel Zeederberg and Tommy Tomkins. Making a journey by Cape Cart on one occation, to fix up a postal service from Tuli to Pietersburg. While driving back some few miles South of my drift on the Limpopo, Doel suggested that we should save the long round about route and make a short cut. What a troublesome business it was making a way through mopani country most of the time! We led the team through all sorts of difficult going and by nightfall we should have been far on our way to the Salt Pan. We were forced to make camp and comfort our team, nothing disturbed our rest that night. An early start brought us out by a nice fountain only half a mile distant from where we camped. I found a sjambok hanging on a tree nearby. From here we joined a trail that led us to the "Tatshani" waterhole. We reached Pietersburg without mishap but soon after three mules and one horse died of sickness, who's mate I saw in Salisbury many years later. Doel and I travelled back to Tuli with Ted Slater, Louis Susman and Panados Zaffre by the same route to Tuli situated thirty miles upstream of the Limpopo. Louis became the Proprietor of the Masonic Hotel in Salisbury.

The Tuli Laager was just being formed under Major Tye, on the South bank, 9th of July 1890, the Pioneers having arrived on the 1st of July."





"The advance Pioneer Column were across the Shashi Drift, getting their supplies across the half a mile of sand and preparing the road a few miles beyond, cutting Northward. My friend's followed on, well supplied and weapon wise. They were equipped with Webley 450 revolvers, Martini Henry breech loading rifles and hand axes. Most of the troopers in the column eventually made covers for their bandoliers to avoid the rounds falling out. The Tuli camp was situated on top of a small kopjie, I missed the first rugby match played on the Shashi, 4th of July between 'B' troop and the world. The world consisted of the rest of the pioneer corps. and 'A' troop of the police. Skipper Hoste, recalls the result was a draw, slightly in favour of 'B' troop."



Based on notes by Bob Carruthers

________________________________________________________________________________________________

1894:-

The small Trek small party consisted of my self, my father 'Pa' (James Carruthers), my Sister Marion and her Husband Arthur Botton with their four children, Hilda, Oswald, Vivian and Claude. A family friend Chris Sparrow and family were destined for Solusi mission. In addition a chap named Botha was got up to assist my brother Bob Carruthers at Matalusi where he had already established a native trading store in the heart of the Belingwe



On our arrival in Bulawayo, early July 1895, the country was still in a state, due to the Matabete War of '93. The rinderpest that spread throughout Southern Rhodesia left the country distressed. There were many who never recovered from their losses. I mention one, Cris Human who lost seven hundred head of cattle out at Borrowdale. Pa set up his Cobblers shop in Blackies building on the corner of 7th or 8th Avenue (Selbourne Avenue) and Abercorn Street. Uncle Bob Caruthers happened to be in Bulawayo at the time of our arrival and very kindly put at our disposal his small cottage in Wilson Street where we remained, for the next 18 months or so. Uncle Bob had erected another small "pondokie" on the same Stand. He would occupy this on his rather infrequent visits to Bulawayo from his trading station Matalusi, which was situated in a remote part of the Belingwe district. This trading store was quite a flourishing business, in the midst of a densely populated area of primitive people. The stock in trade mainly consisted of cheap cotton print material, blankets, beads and bangles, cheap stuff that appealed to the native inhabitants. Very little cash, if any was handled in transactions, the bulk of the trade was effected by a barter exchange of their grain crops, Maize, Sorghum, Inyouti, Beans, etc. and to a lesser extent, with cattle, sheep and goats. Because of his long association with the natives in the area, Uncle Bob was greatly respected by them and was known to all and sundry by his native name, "M-Bobo"(meaning rifle) Needless to say, he was a fine linguist of both their languages, Makaranga and Sindebele, and conversed with them as if to the manner born. This trading store laid the foundation of Uncle Bob's fortune - quite a considerable one, but, alas! With the passing of the years and due to a variety of causes this fortune dwindled to a very modest one. When he vacated the Matalusi trading station, and acquired Doro Ranch near Belingwe, he stocked his ranch with hundreds of cattle raided from the natives. His cattle roamed the countryside at will for months on end, without being rounded up and kraaled, many of the cattle and particularly the young stock turned wild. All Bob's efforts, assisted by his native herd boys and a score of dogs, could not bring the cattle to heel. This was known to the natives in the area so stock thefts and hunting of the calves with dogs at night became a common occurrence. Because of this Bob Carruthers was unable to state positively the numerical strength of his herd.



I spent my school holidays at the Matalusi store. I recall the amusing antics of the tame Baboon that kept his audience in fits of laughter. Inky was a tame turkey buzzard a bird not noted, particularly for his good looks and beauty of plumage but worth his weight in gold. If for no other reason than his penchant for killing off the snakes, rodents and vermin seemed to be plentiful in the precincts of the trading station, which was built on an elevated piece of ground with rocky outcrops and was in fact, the ideal snake park. Although Inky had a healthy respect for snakes he showed no fear and was always ready to join issue with them. To watch him in a duel with a large reptile of the Cobra or Rinkhals variety, was a fascinating sight and held one spellbound. Having found his quarry the fight was on and, exercising unlimited patience, Inky would prance around his foe much in the manner of a boxer, using his long wings as his main weapon of attack and just biding his time for the right moment to close in and come to grips with the snake. The encounter would continue for an hour or more then, taking advantage of the snake in an unguarded moment. Inky with unbelievable speed and agility, would move to close quarters and grab the snake behind its head, with his powerful beak, at the same moment taking to the air and soaring aloft to a height of about one hundred feet, when he would release the reptile and swoop down to grab it as soon as it hit the ground. He would repeat this procedure again and again until his foe offered no further resistance, after which Inky would strut off to seek another opponent. For the extermination of vermin of every description, commend to me a tame vulture whose fearlessness, in the face of danger, cannot be matched.



I remember when a rinkhals snake spat venom into one of Uncle Bob's eyes from which he suffered much pain. No doctor was within easy reach, but one of Bob's faithful old servants came to the rescue and suggested that the native method of cure be employed. He proceeded to suck the venom from Bob's eye, manipulating his tongue around and under the eyelid and removed all traces of the poison. Within a few days, the pain had subsided and the only visible sign of the mishap was an inflamed eye.



Bob's contemporaries and close friends, arrived at Matalusi for a three-week hunting trip, Bob fitted up two Scotch carts, each drawn by four oxen, and also supplied two native youths to act as herd boys, they used the vantage point of the Scotch carts to spot and shoot game. Our camp was set up near a single file, game trail. On this hunting trip I was in close daily contact with the two African factotums. In less than a week I was infested with their vermin. At the time it did not occur to me to wash my clothes, instead, taking my cue from the two lousy natives in question, I followed their method of riding my clothes of the unwelcome guests! They laid the seams of their garments on a flat stone and with a smaller stone applied some pressure along the seams, where the vermin mainly congregated, the result was 100% effective.

Based on notes by Oswald Botton.

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