Letters From Gervas

Vol. 3, 25 Oct, 1931 - 18 Nov, 1931

The letters are trascribed using dictation software, so there WILL be mistakes.  Please report any that you may spot - Click >here< to do so.

CONTENTS:

1931 March - Tour Report - Chiluwe

1931 April 5 -  Luwingu - Eland hunt, Boat

1931 April 11 - Luwingu - Finance, Mamba

1931 April 18 -  Luwingu - Hippo, presents, birthday, exams

1931 April 26 -  Luwingu - Vaughan Jones

1931 May 2 - Luwingu -  Visitirs,  red ants, his house,  eland, golf, car, Derby, leprosy

1931 May 9 - Fruitless hunt, suicide, lion.

1931 May 17 - Golf, social.

1931 May 24 - Social

1931 May 30 - Exams, golf, raffle, Wemba pedigree

1931 June 6 - Golf, missing calf found, money, binoculars, photographs, pointer bitch, Livingstone-Learmonth, Chiwemba, crowing snake 

1931 June 20 - Income Tax Return, health, tour to Ipusukito, 100-year-old Chipalo, mutilation, Kasonka, puff-adder, Derby, Tungati, Chishi, Mbalala, Chungu, buying meal, brickmaking, William Whitaker Maitland, signature.

1931 June 27 - Books, poetry translation, visitors, engagements, tenancy agreement translation, broken golf club, wireless, Vol. III

REPORT ON A TOUR MADE BY G.C.R. CLAY

I. RANK . . . . . . . . CADET
   STATION . . . . . LUWINGU

2. LEFT LUWINGU . . . . . . . . MARCH 11TH 1931.
    RETURNED LUWINGU . . . MARCH 25TH 1931.

3. MILES TRAVELLED
     BY CARRIER . . . . . . . 200
     BY CANOE . . . . . . . . . .46
                            TOTAL 246

4. DISTRICTS VISITED
     CHILUI ISLAND. {2016, now called Chilubi Island) 
     CHIEF MATIPA AND 57 OF HIS VILLAGES.

5. VILLAGES
These were good on the whole. Several of the older villages were given permission to move to new sites.
One village – Malizawa – has recently come from the Fort Rosebery district, owing to the fact that a lion killed a child there. As these natives are away gathering their crops near their old village, it was not possible to census them. This, however, could be done at a later date, when the government camp at Muchinshi is next visited.

6. VILLAGE PATHS.
CHIEF MATIPA, on his own initiative, has had what might perhaps be termed a by-pass road made in order to connect villages on different sides of the island. These paths are at least 12 feet wide, and avoid the village gardens as far as is practicable. Though very rough at present, they could become excellent at a later date.
There are now over 200 native-owned bicycles on the island, so that the natives themselves are realising the value of good roads.

7. FOOD.
The great majority of the island is now under cassava cultivation. The crops appeared to be entirely satisfactory.

8. HEALTH.
This appeared to be uniformly good.
Enough care is not taken by natives to avoid coming into contact with those suffering from leprosy. In one case a woman and two small children, none of whom were affected, were found living in a hut with a leper at some distance from the village. In a second case, two lepers were discovered sitting among the natives in the village while the census was being taken, the excuse given was that they had come in to see the official. The chief was told to deal severely with any natives found in leper’s huts, and to hold the headman responsible in cases where a leper had entered a village. As the island is a small one, it might perhaps be practicable to form a village out of the 27 lepers thereon, and to impose a heavy penalty on anyone found entering or leaving it.

9. Labour.
No. of taxable males at work in          this territory . . . . . . . 257
  “    “       “         “       “    “     outside   “        “      . . . . . . . . 22
  “    “       “         “     not at work, seen or visiting          . . 1563
Total No: of taxable males in villages visited        . . . . . . .1842
Many natives were given passes to Ndola to seek work.

10. LIVESTOCK.
The following were counted: –
Sheep . . . . 620
Goats . . . . 99
These statistics show a further reduction of over 200 in the number of sheep on the island since last year, said to be due to disease and the depredations of hyenas. There are no lion or leopards on the islands, so that there should be no difficulty in exterminating hyenas also, but the natives do not appear to possess enough initiative and organisation to EFFECT this. As there is a ready sale for sheep, it seems a pity that a really effective round-up is not held.

11. NATIVE TAX.
£33 – 3 – 6d was collected. There are still some 200 1930 taxes outstanding, but the natives in arrears are all said to be at work at the mines.

12. GENERAL.
The following chiefs and divisional headmen visited me: – Chief Kalimankando, sub- chiefs Mulengro and Mwoshi, acting-sub- chiefs Baamba, Mushili, Chula , Mwanokasawe, and Kambule.

The centre Maria Mission was visited, and the Father Superior held a cinema show for the edification of the above chiefs.

I was informed that there are some 200 Christians on the island out of a total population of 8723 souls.

Gervas Clay
CADET
LUWINGU, 1931. [aged 24]

For map, click >here<  and  >here<  

Leprosy is curable:-  Click  >here<  

For information on Chilube, click  >here<

                                                              Luwingu
                            April 5
                        Easter Day 1931
                                        Recd May 5
My dear Daddy,
This will be a rotten letter as I’m only just starting on Sunday morning & the mail is here already. I had a very long day’s shooting yesterday, & evidently overdid things as I’m feeling rather done up today. I went off at 6 a.m. on my bike & two hours later picked up eland spoor about two hours old, which we proceeded to follow on foot. After another two hours one of the boys saw the eland but made such a noise pointing them out that they made off again without my seeing them. An hour later we saw them again, but I was not carrying my rifle at the time & again lost the opportunity. Shortly afterwards we again saw them standing about 60 yards away among bushes & trees. I took a careful bead on the biggest I could see & then found to my fury that, in loading, the bolt had not caught up a cartridge from the magazine so there was just a click which frightened off the herd again. Rage & fury! Another 2 or 3 miles & I spotted the herd again that they at once began to move. However one stood among the trees hundred yards away so in despair I let fly at it. This sent the heard crashing off through the trees & in one place across a gap. I waited till I saw the last & largest crossing the gap & shot at it & the boys said I had wounded it & that it was standing further on. They began to run so I ran after them & took an awful toss over a concealed ant-heap. I got & went on deadbeat but could see nothing. The boys picked up the spoor of the herd again & we were just going to follow it when one of the boys turned round & saw the eland lying in the ground 20 yards behind us. I rushed up and found it lying stone dead. The second shot I fired had got it between the 2 last ribs diagonally & by a great piece of luck (with a soft-nosed bullet) & gone on into the heart. A very lucky shot. Unfortunately it was a cow with a large calf inside, but the head was quite a nice one. It was rather disappointing in a way, as from the spoor there was obviously a big bull in the herd & I wanted that one. Old eland bulls (like the traditional colonel) turn blue with age, as old sable bulls turn silky black!! I then had 8 miles back to the bicycles & 10 or more back to the Boma after that, so didn’t get in till 4 p.m. I had a bath & played a round of golf (& quite a good one!) Which was rather silly!

Just heard from the Wickens that they go to Lusaka (on the line).

Thank Mummy very much for her letter with the news of Ralph’s trip, – I should loathe it & be sick all the way! We are to have a new steel boat (row-boat) on the lake here, & I was given the designs from half a dozen English firms & told to choose the most suitable! I had to give it up, as the technical language meant nothing to me & they all looked exactly alike!! Personally I always use canoes for crossing the lake as they are a much faster & pleasanter version.
I’ve just heard that Cambridge have won the boat race, but no news of the sports yet & I’ve not yet heard who won the inter-college sports at Oxford.

Please don’t forget to let me know. 

I don’t think I told you that I sacked Mulenga my houseboy, & promoted one of the small boys to his place. This boy Chishimba, I like very much & he is a very good boy. I now hear that his mother, sister & seven brothers are all lepers, so I shall have to get rid of him, as they never take enough trouble to keep away from their relations & I expect he’ll get it soon! A nasty blow.

I must stop now, with much love 
Your loving
G.
 

    April  11th 1931    Luwingu
    Rec’d May 12
My dear Mummy,
Thank you very much for your letter telling me about Ralph’s trip, & also for the magazines which are a joy. We all hope you are sending the next two numbers of persons continuing the story about the aeroplane caterpillars!!
An energetic week. The financial year – as in England – ends on March 21st, which means vast quantities of returns.  Hillier & I have to solemnly sit as a board on the ‘Treasury chest’& all the various stores & make a report on it all.  There were nine files short from the tools store & we had an awful job to trace their whereabouts, finally discovering that they had been ‘destroyed ‘under permit from the Chief Secretary by Mr Wickens!! Sometimes it was rather a joke, as Hillier had taken everything over from Wickens when I was away and so was responsible for everything being correct; & so it 

- 2 -
really boiled down in the end to his having to satisfy me all was correct & in order, as I was duly appointed by the C.as the only other member of the board! Rather a joke. I had another thrill on Sunday last. I was reading in the afternoon when suddenly a messenger rushed up & said that there was a very big snake by the prison. He seemed rather scared so I got out my shot-gun & two cartridges & followed him.  I found the snake duly ensconced in the office!! Nothing would induce it to evacuate & the messenger was terrified of it.  Finally I went in with a stick & hit it in the face & luckily it decided to go out.  I rushed to my gun and put a charge of No. 4 in it, but a bit too far down. The second barrel at close range was a miss as its head was still sitting up and waving about nervously. Having no more cartridges with me, I seized a long stick & bashed its head with that. I then took 

- 3 -
it to the prison to be skinned but no one would touch it until I had its head chopped off with a max. It was a mamba – the most dangerous of all African stakes – & 9 ft. 6 inches long.  It was so large I hadn’t realised it was a biting snake but thought it was a squeezing snake of a small kind & therefore not dangerous.  Hillier told me if it had bitten me, I should have been dead in 10 minutes!!!  You’d better be careful how you tell these stories or people will think your son is a prize liar!  First a chinseketa, then an eagle, & now a snake all insight of my house is almost too tall story!!
The eland was duly brought in & Hillier said the head was the best cow eland's he'd seen.  The horns were very level & 26 inches long!  Mrs Hillier salted & spiced the brisket which is absolutely delicious!  That reminds me – could you send me the great chicken receipt of Mrs Glendinning’s (white grill).  One 

- 3 -
has chicken day in & day out & a new way of cooking it would be a joy!  Mrs Hillier is still unable to walk – seven weeks after her accident. I think there’s a small bone broken.
Do tell Ardie when you write, how very much I enjoyed Jim RedLake which I read at Easter.  I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a book more!
Don’t forget that I haven’t yet heard a lion, much less seen one (touch wood), & the revolver is really in case I wake up on tour to find a lion on my bed!  In which case a rifle would be useless.
You asked for a description of myself!  I don’t think I’ve changed a bit.  Possibly a bit browner but I am usually fairly brown; also possibly a bit fatter in the face.  At the moment my hair is very close cropped – it is always either that or trailing & it’s not easy to ask Hillier to cut it for me often!  I should think I’m every bit as slouchy as usual probably more so!  You may call me a lounge lizard if you like!  So appropriate!

- 4 -
no prospect of my getting out on tour again for some time I’m afraid as Hillier will go out next & he is very busy at the moment.
85% of the natives in the district paid their taxes during the financial year which is very good, as 65% is supposed to be good.
I think I shall stay at Luwingu now at any rate till August, when the new cadets come out & there may be some changing about.
It is rumoured that the Governor is coming up here in June.  If he does I shall have to clear out of my house & moved into a tent, so that he can live here.  He is terribly keen on bridge & very good.
That reminds me that only one number of the Auction Bridge magazine has materialised.  Will you order it for me permanently please & also the enclosed books.  Do keep & read all the books 1st if you like & Rosie could read them too as I’ve heaps of books to read out here.  I order them

- 5 -
for the future as it were & to keep abreast of the times.  I’ve 45 books unread in this room at the moment!!  The White House Punch is a great joy but I always look in vain for a note saying they’re all well or something on the cover!!
Well, I must stop.
With much love to you all
your very loving
G.
 

                                                                                                           Luwingu
                                                       April 18th, 1931
                                                       Rec’d May 19th
Dear Mummy,
Thank you so very much for “flamenco” which arrived last week. I haven’t had time to read it yet, but I’ve seen it very well reviewed. There’s really no news this week, if I remember I will send you my report on my last tour as I made an extra copy, did I tell you how I tried to shoot a hippo on the way across the Lake to Chilui? There were three together & they kept on coming up with a great snorting huff for air & then bobbing down again. It was very difficult snap-shooting, but I scored one hit I think. They are dangerous brutes sometimes & try and upset one’s canoe, but they were close to an island so it was fairly safe.

I don’t believe I told you also that when I came to the chief’s village, he sent me as presents a sheep, a cock & a huge basket of meal! I finally sent him

- 2 -
a 10/– note which appears to have been just right; & I also sent him meet when I shot the hartebeestes. 

We had the White Fathers’ Bishop through the other day – a matey little man rather like a white rat!! 

I had the Hilliers to dine on my birthday & opened a bottle of sherry I bought from the Wickens when they left. The menu was as follows – caviar, chicken broth, fish, chicken, asparagus, loganberries & cream & herring rose on toast. Mostly tend of course!!

Mrs Hillier made me a beautiful chocolate cake which they sent over as a present in the morning!

There are now some big flocks of doves & pigeons in the front of my house nearly all day, so I go & pot at them sometimes.

Ranger is a dear & most fit & handsome & he & Rolly are great friends & have high jinx together.

The rains are now all but over. We’ve had two light showers only this week & the whole atmosphere feels quite different. 

- 3 -
the rains this year have been particularly heavy, so we are very sick of them & glad they’re over.

I’ve been wondering today very much how Ralph’s getting on as it’s his birthday. I think it was an awful shame daddies reading my letter to him, but I leave it to Ralph – I sent him the money so perhaps he will make his own arrangements about your silver wedding present!

You will see that I am keeping a wide margin for your file; though I shouldn’t think anyone will be able to read my writing as I always write my letters on my knee with my feet on the mantelpiece!!

I find that I have got to take two exams in December next – one on the language & the other on “Gen orders”. Some of the other cadets took & passed the latter exam last December, but I had only just got back from that long tour, so I missed it. 

I shouldn’t go & have that tonsil-burning arrangement. My way shuts up the

- 4 -
tonsil like an oyster so that nothing can get in & live in them. Tonsils become hard & no mess can live there. It’s entirely a success in my case! & only costs three guineas instead of 25!!

I was most interested in Daddy’s jolly good speech at the Beagle dinner. I’m sure it went down very well. I’ve told you several times of some of the luxuries out here. Here are two of the disadvantages – a hard bed, & no LUMP SUGAR!!

I really must stop this miserable letter, there is no news at all!

Much love to everyone
Your loving
G.
 

Luwingu

April 26^th, 1931

Dear Mummy,

Another , double letter I’m afraid, as I’m not starting till Sunday morning. We had quite an invasion last night! First war [Tom] Vaughan Jones from Kawambwa – a cadet who came out with me & was at Oxford – turned up & has stayed the night. He is on ulendo, but the Kawambwa boundary being close, came over on his pushbike & goes off again today. It’s very nice having him here & seeing & comparing notes with a contemporary. Then the Rivetts dined at last night to, a newly married couple – he is a transport driver for Yule & carries natives to & from the mines. I had asked the hill years to come to dinner & the Rivetts turned up just before we started so I had to borrow country at the from the hill years as I have only got enough for four & we were six. We had quite a jolly party.

- 2 -

the rains began again last week & we had three extraordinary days. First over 2 inches of rain & then three days of cold Scotch mist & drizzle – & very cold it was too. Hillier has never seen anything like it at this time of year before! However night is lovely again & really looks as if the rains had stopped.

I thought much of you yesterday, & much regret that you wouldn’t get any present from us. The bank tells me that it cabled money home to Ralph for the present, so you might ask him to find out if it arrived.

We are much plagued with swarms of red ants now. They run up one’s legs in swarms & bite like anything which is painful at the moment but leaves no after-effect. Scientists say that they attack one & bite just for the love of a fight which is particularly irritating!

My golf has suddenly improved out of all recognition & my handicap has had to be reduced by three strokes

- 3 -

when playing against Hillier.

Mrs H. is still unable to play as her ankle, though better, is not yet right.

I am relieved to find that Jones who was far the best of the language people at Oxford is very little better than I am at Chiwemba. I was most pleasantly surprised pleasantly surprised, but Chiwemba is much harder than Chinyanja.

Now I must stop as I can’t neglect Jones in the longer & the mail be here shortly.

Much love

Your loving

G.

                                                                                                   Luwingu
                                                         April 26th, 1931
                                                       Rec’d June 2nd
My dear Mummy,
Thank you so very much for those three lovely books you sent me. I have just been reading them & finished Windfall’s Eve & the darksirens & also Ardie’s present “Rachel Moon” which I much enjoyed.. Have you read it? I’m sure it would amuse, interest & shock you, & even make you weep, which I know you like! Jones left on Sunday last about mid-day. It was very nice having him here, & being able to compare notes on everything. His D.C. at Kawambwa is Thomson whom I have already met & who is only out here for his second term. He is evidently a marked man, though I believe he was older than most people when he joined the service. It must be nice for Jones to have a D.C. who is nearly a contemporary & can be a friend! We had great discussions as to the way in which things were done at the two offices & I came to the conclusion that we were much more efficient! At

- 2 -
any rate he made several notes of things which we did here & they didn’t, but I didn’t manage to get any useful ideas that we hadn’t got. At Kawambwa Jones only checks the cash once a fortnight at most, here I do it at least once every day! He told me he didn’t often have to make up more than 10/– a month to make the books right, but I seldom put in anything!!

The rains are over, &’ Winter’is coming on. This means that it gets very cold at night. One evening when I went round locking up at 9.30 p.m., I found large swarms of red ants invading the house. One lot was in the kitchen, a second in the bathroom & a third at the other back door. My house is like this in case I haven’t already made you a diagram: –

Gervas's house at Luwingu.

- 3 -
I went out to my boys compound the bank of the house & routed or rather shouted them out.      Had to shift my bed etc. to the guesthouse slept the night in company with two dogs & a side of bacon!!!
Next morning the parents had left & all was well. They do no harm to anything but eat crutches etc. so really do good; but they bite like the devil & all animals know & fear them – even elephants!
Reports have come in this week large eland are coming to the gardens of Chipalo’s village – about 4 miles away. They arrive 6 o’clock every morning with clock regularity & are doing a lot of damage, so tomorrow I am to go after them – starting 4.30 a.m. I hope to get one of the big blue Bulls I described to you, as they say there is a very big one in the herd.
Is only allowed to shoot four eland

- 4 -
a year & I've shot two – both cows so I hope to get a bull tomorrow. Ranger is for some unaccountable reason very lame at the moment.
 

The Golf continues to improve & I did 18 holes today in 92, Hillier going round in 90. As he gives me 12 strokes around I won easily.
 

We’ve now got Labour gangs on all roads & Hillier goes out in his car to visit them & can draw a motor allowance of 1/– mile – worth doing. I expect I shall have to get a car sooner or later! I had a letter from Ralph from Las Palmas; he said the letter should arrive in record time, but it seemed to have taken much longer. I should think his story will be most interesting, & I’m longing to hear all about it.

It’s really too bad of Walters to send the bill for my present to him, to HIM. All my schemes seem to go wrong, & your silver wedding present is a real muddle!
In re the question of the word "to censuss". All my predessessors (spelt wrong [sic]) from the year 1920 & once or twice before use it as a verb.

- 5 -
A story in the Wide World magazine on Nigeria has the word used as a verb. You say you looked out the word CENSUS in the dictionary but the word is CENSUSS!!
Does this make any difference.

Jones had picked up & was using unconsciously the tricks of sound & speech of his Scotch D.C. - Thomson, it was really quite comic & I ought really to have told him about it. He even laughed in the same slow & irritating way. Thompson is said by year to have picked many of his peculiarities up from Moffat-Thomson the S.N.A. [Secretary for Native Affairs] by the way the latter is on leave & Sherratt Home  is now acting as S.N.A. – a big leg  up for him. 

With regard to Derby sweep – yes, please buy two tickets for me. I shan’t win & I think it’s a great waste of money, but I must have a flutter on the Derby & this year I can’t pick my horse. By the way, you won’t be able to get tickets for me now I imagine, as the Derby will be run shortly after you get this letter. Time goes so quickly

- 6 -
here, due, I suppose, to the routine, but it’s hard to believe I’ve been here more than a few months, though it will be nearly a year by the time you get this.
I have had two pairs of tennis shoes & two golf balls stolen in the last day or two. As I suspected a boy I have just got rid of, I had his hut searched but found nothing. It’s rather annoying.

With the full, licence & consent of the doctor to whom I wrote, I am keeping my boy Chishimba whose relations had leprosy. The doctor says it’s absolutely safe, unless he gets it himself, which he is not likely to do as long as he doesn’t go home; & I am keeping him on those conditions. He’s a good boy & I don’t want to part with him.

I didn’t follow your story about Baldwin resigning because Duff Cooper won the election – as D-C was a Conservative??
 

My sympathies are with Baldwin & Uncle Ernest; not that I think Baldwin is a great leader, but

- 7 -
because he is the leader & I hate disloyalty. After all the party were almost unanimous in supporting his leadership at the Conservative party meeting in London, & it would give me no satisfaction to have my view's supported by Beaverbrook (the one vote against Baldwin). I’d rather be led by Baldwin than by a beastly newspaper!! I expect you would really.
 

I see my university vote has been preserved! I can use it by proxy – not Daddy but perhaps Hugh or Uncle Ernest?
 

It amuses me that Patrick has in the end got a job out of England! For the same reason he imputed to me, I suppose!?
 

No more news. Much love & many thanks for the birthday telegram which arrived 10 days too late!!
 

Your very loving
G.

                                                                                                                 Luwingu

                                                   May 9th, 1931

                                                    Rec’d June 9

My dear Mummy,

Having finished the eighth block of writing paper since I got here, I had to send hastily down to the native store & get this, this afternoon. I think it’s an improvement on what I had before!

I had no luck at all last Sunday. I started very early & the countryside was really a sight in the early morning sun. All along the road on both sides was grass about 5 ft high under the trees. On the grass were growing tiny silver bobbles, & the stems & bobbles glistened so in the early sun, it looked just as if there had been a tremendous hoar frost!! It was also very cold in the early morning. I picked up eland spoor about 12 miles out & followed it up for four hours or more, but never got a sight of the herd. The wind was wrong & they must have kept on moving off just before we could get up to them. I finally gave it

- 2 -

up about noon & took two or three hours getting home, so it was a long & tiring day.

Did I tell you that the week before I had to go down with Hillier to examine a man’s body who had committed suicide in a nearby village. It was the first corpse I had ever seen, – he looks just as if you were asleep. Afterwards coming back in the car Hillier suddenly said “was the rope above or below the Adam’s apple”, evidently to test my observation. I said it once “above” as it was, & hoping to catch me out he said “what is the proper medical word for Adam’s apple!” Thinking of Berkey I said “Epiblotis” – which she thought was right, but of course wasn’t – so it was rather a joke!

A day or two ago a woman was brought in from a village 8 miles away, having been mangled by a lion which she came on in the forest, as it was eating a bush pig it had killed.

- 3 -

The lion went for her & knocked her down & her friends all ran away. Her tiny baby (about 1 ½ years old) which she was carrying apparently sprawled across its mother’s body & frightened the lion away. The baby was only scratched, but the mother had several very nasty wounds on the left elbow & shoulder blade. That night I was woken up by Ranger in the kitchen barking & kicking up a great shindy. I went to the window & heard the cattle making great noise & then heard a lion roaring fairly close to, but not very distinctive because of the other noises. It was probably the same lion that mauled the woman; but after circling round the cattle kraal it went off & we’ve heard it no more. My boys showed me what they said was the lion’s spoor within 5 yards of my bedroom window – but I don’t believe for a moment that it was!

- 4 -

apparently at this time of year they always haunt the Boma – as food is very scarce & the grass is too long for them to get game. I shall do my best to stay at home “of an evening” & not dine with the Hillier’s for the present!!! I tried to see the lion to get a shot at it & Hillier did the same apparently. Having killed the snake, eagle & chinsekete which have menaced the Boma I feel I also dispatch the lion if I get a chance which I might do some night through the window!

I thoroughly enjoyed the’Moon’ book which I read at a sitting. I don’t think the girls behaviour was anything to write home about either on the occasion you mention!

I am glad the gardener is such a success – I should like to hear a conversation between him & Featherstone on a tradgedy[sic]!!

- 5 -

I was very thrilled about Arthur’s hurdle win, but with no time is difficult to tell how good he really is. Next year he should do well at Stamford bridge, if he’s been enough by that time to go in for it.

Ranger is also a car slobberer! We have taken him once or twice after Partridge when looking at labourers on the roads. He works very well & is really rather a deer.

I had a very sore throat for three days this week, but it is well again now I think it was caused by smoking on top of dust!

Must stop now.

Much love to you all

your very loving

G.

I see Brelsford, one of the other cadets, has just got engaged to a farmer’s daughter at Lusaka. She is said to have money. That makes six out of our 12 engaged or married!!

                                                                                                                                                          Luwingu

                                                                                         May 17th, 1931

My dear Mummy,

I’m not starting this till Sunday morning, but I don’t think it matters because I’ve really no news to tell you anyhow. I can’t even tell you I’m well, because I’ve got a real brute of a head cold – just to greet the Dr & Mrs Murray who arrived on Friday evening & stayed till tomorrow morning. We played 18 holes of golf yesterday afternoon & they each gave me 12 strokes. I eventually was one up on both of them & they were all square. We had an arrangement whereby the winner of each hole received 3d from the other two & an additional 3d for each bogey. It was rather a joke because I did three bogeys in the first four holes & one the more, so they rather regretted having given me so many strokes. However they won it all back in the end. In the evening we played bridge & I won again.

Hillier asked me at 12 o’clock in the morning to

- 2 -

dine with them. I accepted & walked back from the office to find my boys had misunderstood what one of his boys had repeated from here so & had thought I was going to lunch & not dinner & had not cooked any lunch for me. Eventually I had to gate-crash them for lunch which was really very irritating & I rounded on all the boys & said they were to take their orders from me & not from the Hillier’s boys etc. The result was that when I got back in the evening at 11 o’clock, I found them all asleep in the kitchen waiting to give me my dinner because, I suppose I’d never said myself I should be away. Poor fools!! However it was probably very good & salutary for them!

I thought the enclosed application to be a native clerk might amuse you!

Thank you very much for the two books which arrived last week, though Sassoon’s was rather disappointing. I haven’t read Arnold Bennett get. I hope your throat will be a success, though

- 3 -

it sounds rather painful.

I sent on some photos to you which arrived the same mail last week & which I hope you will like. I’m afraid they weren’t very good but the developing part is a problem out here.

The Hillier is going out on tour on Wednesday down to Chizamula & Chitumbuluwe, two small districts down by the lake. They will go down by car to Nsambo, so won’t be away very long. Then in June the P.C. is expected here, so when I shall get out I don’t know. The line has not been in evidence lately though it seems to have got one of the calfs[sic] which has disappeared.

The mail has just arrived – three bags of it, so I’m hoping for the best!

Two lovely letters from you & Daddy. You can crow over him on the spelling of janissaries which I think you got right (he put Ayres, which I’m sure’s wrong). I think I shall have to make Snowden my attorney! As she seems to be able to

- 4 -

get me such a good refund! I hope Daddy will raid it & also let me know quarterly how I stand with him. I have now got at least £50 in the bank at Livingstone & will send it home soon. You never said if you liked my poem on the aspidistra to Ralph! The only thing I’ve had on my legs in the swamps has been a leech or two. No one wears boots out here, but I’ve just got some special shoes made in S. Africa which are a great success.

The ring has not come yet, but parcels get hung up some I am not worrying yet.

I must stop. Much love to all

your loving

G.

                                                                                           Luwingu

                                                  May 24th, 1931

                                                   Rec’d June 23

My dear Mummy,

The Hillier’s went off on tour down to the lake on Friday, so I am now alone in my glory again. On Friday evening the Rivetts & her mother (he is a lorry driver for Yule) came through & I put them up in the guesthouse & gave them dinner. They are coming back on Tuesday. I know them quite well now as they have been through so often. Last night, Saturday, a Uganda coffee planter came through with a friend & they also stop the night & had dinner. I offer them breakfast but they said they wanted to get off early – but I see they haven’t started yet – 8.30 a.m.

A pontoon has been put on the River between here and Kasama so that we can now expect a fair amount of traffic. Last week we had the head of the forestry Department & his wife through. They had dinner

- 2 -

with the Hillier’s & I went to. They were both quite young – he would be about 32 I should think – but they both said ‘Pardon’, so I didn’t think much of them!! Then at dinner we were discussing the fairly recent case in which a district officer was caught embezzling & put in prison. He was telling the story & I said ‘how did he do it?’ She lent across the table & in a tart voice said ’oh, are you looking for hints’! To a complete stranger, I think that’s about the most (offensive) remark I’ve ever heard. However I got my own back to a certain extent, for when he continued the story he said he thought it was too bad of this man to say (as he did) that it was the common practice of all officials. I said ‘well, I’ll take that hint & not give anyone else away when I’m caught!’ With a

- 3 -

nasty look at them!! However we parted amicably! By the way almost his first remark before dinner was ’oh, don’t give my wife a drink; she always gets tight every Sunday morning as it is.’ And the wife, far from looking annoyed, did her best to bridle, & seemed pleased with her, & went on to explain that it was true! Rather a good example of the immediately-post-war generation’s habits & manners!

Two nights ago I had a most vivid dream that Aunt Lindies was dead. As my dreams always go by contraries I am wondering if it means that she has become a grandmother!!

By the way did I tell you that I see from my book of Big Game Records that the Lechwe head I got in March was about the 5th or 6th biggest recorded? Not that that means much for there must be many big ones not recorded. Only a letter from Daddy this week.

No more news    your v. Loving

G.

                                              May 30th, 1931                                 Luwingu

My dear Mummy,

No letter from you last week, so perhaps there will be two tomorrow. There was a short one from Daddy in bed with a cold at Loughton, it’s no good sympathising about it now, as no doubt it’s over & forgotten by this time!

The Hillier’s return tomorrow or Monday & I hope I shall then get out on a short tour. It rather depends whether the P.C. takes it into his head to pay us a visit or not.

I’m beginning to be quite efficient at Chiwemba now & don’t have to use an interpreter very often. The head messenger is on a short leave, so I persuaded Hillier to take Nsango on tour with him, as I wanted to see how I could get on with the different messenger to help. I have tried several & got on fairly well with all of them, but it’s rather a worry having this exam in October, as it’s my first & last chance. Cadets are not confirmed in their appointments

- 2 -

unless they have passed both the first language exam & the exam in General Orders (to take place in December). As I shall normally apply for confirmation in about a years’ time now it means I must get through in October. Rather a worry. The exam is in two parts – written & oral, & for the oral they make you talk to a native ’who is not used to dealing with Europeans’. That means the possibility of getting a man who talks incredibly fast, running all his words together & using obscure words. It also depends what the man wants – if it’s an obscure case of assault or theft or drunkenness which I have to interpret, heaven help me! I am hoping for a man who wants to take out a bicycle licence or something simple like that!

The golf continues to improve. I wrote to Rosie this afternoon & told her that my best round was a 91 with a 41 for the first nine holes; but today I did an 88 with a 39 the first half!

- 3 -

it was Bank Holiday Whit Monday last week, but there’s nothing to do here when one is alone as the grass is too long to go shooting; so I did the usual day’s work. Had the Hillier’s been here I could have gone to Kasama with the Rivetts on Saturday & returned with them on Tuesday; but being the only man on the station I couldn’t get away.

The doctor & Mrs Murray are leaving Kasama to go down to Mazabuka. They are holding a raffle for all their furniture – gramophone, medicine chest, bookshelf at such. I was persuaded to take a ticket. The tickets are not at a fixed price but are made out from 1d consecutively up to about 15/–. Whatever price it says on the ticket you draw you have to pay. Mine 9/5d – an awful lot!! There Hillier’s got 4/5d & 8/7. I believe a husband & wife draw one ticket each at Kasama & the wife true the lowest (1d) & the husband the highest (15/–)!!

- 4 -

my house is full of mice & I put down traps every night but they won’t look at them! All they do is to rip my cushions to pieces & take the stuffing for their beastly nests! I had to sack one of the messengers today – a beastly job. He had been on probation for four months & was useless, but well-meaning & civil. Hillier sent in to tell me to pay him off at the end of the month. I didn’t like doing it a bit, as one knows it’s more for comedown for them after being a messenger to return to their villages as ordinary people!

Who is the Violet Oswell Daddy talks about in his letter – I suppose her mother was a Clay but what relation? Perhaps you have told me in the letter I am expecting tomorrow.

I imagine the budget was less unpleasant than you had expected, wasn’t it? I’m writing to the bank to tell them to send home £75 to Daddy’s account at Burton. That means I have sent home hundred pounds since I’ve been here which doesn’t seem

- 5 -

bad.

I’m hoping for an extra-special mail tomorrow with books & gramophone records from Walters. I’ve still got over 40 books I haven’t yet read! I’m getting very interested in the family pedigrees of the chiefs. They were all made out in 1912, but haven’t been touched since. I’m making copies of them all for my own amusement & bringing them up to date & I hope that if a big chief dies my pedigree may be of value in discovering the heir – as there’s usually a quarrel about it even now. The Wemba pedigree is about 12 feet in length so you can imagine it’s a bit of a job. The succession also goes in a peculiar way. The royal line is female, & the Paramount Chief of the Bawemba is the son of the senior Royal female. His brothers (from the same mother) are the other important Wemba chiefs, but during his lifetime he puts all his own sons by any wife into the minor chieftainships

- 6 -

where they remained for life. Chitimukulu is the Paramount Chief’ s permanent name. The family ancestors had two daughters & it’s always been a question as to which is the senior line. I imagine that the reason why the females are the royal line is that a chief has many wives & perhaps 30 or 40 children, whereas the female would only have five or six children or less (though she could have several husbands one after another). Thus by holding the female line as Royal, the claimants are always limited in number and & being sons of the same mother would be more likely to agree to the elder becoming chief. This is my own theory, but it seems sound. The succession among the other tribes is similar.

No more news. Much love to you all

your  v. loving

G.

                                                                                                         Luwingu

                                       June 6^th 1931

My dear Daddy,

thank you so much for the signet ring which arrived safely last Sunday, and will be most useful & ornamental! It is a shade on the large size but perhaps I can make it all right by putting a film of sealing wax inside, anyway it stays on all night as it is is, thank you also very much for your letter & 2 I had from Mummy last week – one had been delayed I think because it was in a big envelope.

The Hilliers arrived back on Monday without having seen any game or had any excitements, & I am to start on my long deferred tour to Chipalo &Kasonka on Tuesday next. This will probably take less than week – all the country to be visited being within 20 or 25 miles of the Boma. Then at the end of the month the P.C. is expected to come through & will probably go toMuchinshi with Hillier for a few days to see the swamp chiefs.

- 2 -

Just returned from a tour we did not keep the King’s birthday as a holiday on Wednesday but took it today (Saturday) instead – thus getting only half a day! We made it a “golfing holiday” & played all day. I again beat my record for 18 holes with an 86 but Hillier also beat his & one easily!

The calf which disappeared three weeks ago & was supposed to have been eaten by a lion, reappeared today – having presumably been wandering about by itself in the forest for three weeks. It rather looks as if no lines are about now!

I was very pleased to hear you had drawn £100 from my account to pay off part of my debt to you & that only £76 remains to be paid. I had already instructed my bank here to put £75 to your credit as soon as possible, so with the £28 credit balance, you should now be able to repay yourself & still have a £25 balance.

When this happens will you please

- 3 -

buy for me & get sent out a good pair of field glasses. Hillier has a very good pair which is very small & light & cost about £8. They are only about 4 to 6 inches wide & are most useful to hang round your neck when stalking game etc. I think the magnification is size 8. I really need a pair pretty badly & am rather handicapped without them at present.

Tell Mummy that I also dropped a very similar brick about the Eton Boating Song and dance not long ago! Your laments re: photos should have been assuaged by now! It’s difficult to get them developed here & very expensive. If one sends them to South Africa they are expensive & one has to fill in many forms re: customs etc. however I’ll try & take some more & send you them later on.

I have written down to Bulawayo to try & get a pointer bit from there. I think it’s important to have as many interests as one can apart from the office, & golf is all

- 4 -

there is apart from reading. I’m trying to get a bitch that will be in pup on arrival here, so as to introduce new blood. Dogs are very cheap to keep as one can feed them entirely on cassava meal porridge on which they flourish & meat & milk is on hand if necessary. The Hillier’s house is one sprawling cat pen! & I feel I should like to have some pointer puppies about the place. They would also be easy to sell I should think.

Livingstone-Learmonth’s death is very sad, I didn’t know him well but liked him very much. He was in the Sudan political service.[1]

We are having a fairly slack time at the office just now which is a change & gives me a chance to improve in the language, at which I am becoming fairly fluent. Unlike when I tried to learn French!  I am now much better at talking Chiwemba then at understanding

- 5 -

It. This is because the natives run their words together a lot. However I think I’m beginning to get the hang of it now.

Will you get Mummy two books called “The Golden Arrow” & “The House in Dormer Forest” by Mary Webb as my birthday present to her. They cost 5/– each & are exceedingly good & I think will make her both laugh & cry which is her criterion of a good book! I have just read them.

We had a most villainous -looking snake brought in by the cattle herd the other day. Curiously enough it is the one the natives say crows like a cock! There has been a lot of correspondence about this so-called crowing-crested-cobra for no white man has yet seen it grow! One man wrote to say that if a specimen was caught would be easy to see whether it had vocal organs for crowing with!

We have put the head & tail in paraffin and are sending them down to the experts for dissection, etc:  We’re really rather thrilled to see if we’ve discovered

- 6 -

something of interest. We questioned several natives & they all said without prompting that it was the snake that had horns & crowed! It was apparently only a young one & natives say is absolutely deadly. It had lozenge -shaped marking of purple & brown all over, was about 30 inches long & had the usual type of cobra head. The big ones are said to be the thickness of a man’s thigh. They make a hole in the ground & live in it, covering themselves with leaves & the herd very nearly trod on this one!! I’m glad I didn’t meet it!!

Well, I must stop,

Much love to you all

Your v. Loving

G.