1960 - 1964, MUSEUM

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Excerpt from a letter from G.C.R.C. to a friend
from Northern Rhodesia on leave in England.
1962.

...Barotseland is much the same as usual, except for vicious attacks being made on the Paramount Chief by some of his enemies in the United National Independence Party. Anyone who saw the local gutter press would believe that Barotseland was on the verge of revolution, but this is all an attack from the outside, and within we are still very peaceful.

The younger generation are unhappy about the demand for secession because they think that there would be no money for their pay and they would be under a rather reactionary government for ever, but I doubt rather if the Paramount Chief and his Indunas really believe they will get it.  They are certainly frightened of U.N.I.P. and the way things seem to be going, and would prefer a "white" Government to "black" nationalism.

They are always asking why Kaunda and Co. are given V.I.P. treatment by the British Government [they had been invited to Chequers] when everyone knows they live and get their support by thuggery and intimidation.

It certainly seems to pay to be naughty if you are African, and one wonders how much longer the Barotse Government will continue to be good and loyal when they see what happens to those who are the reverse.

Mwanawina and his party will be going to England in March for talks in April. I wonder if they will be invited to Chequers?? ...

Book Review

Livingstone's African Journal 1853-1856
edited by I. Schapera.
London, Chatto and Windus 1963.
2 Vols. Pp. 495, 70 shillings.

Throughout his journeys in Africa David Livingstone kept a journal. From his early ones he wrote his first book 'Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa' published in 1857. The original journals themselves have never previously been published and, as Professor Schapera points out in his introduction to these two volumes, there are many matter which appear in the journals but not in the book or in the book but not in the journals. When the book was first published 30,000 copies were sold and it is safe to say that it was bought because of the immense interest roused by Livingstone's trans-African journey and because of the valuable geographical data contained in it. In other words it was bought for the light it shed into the dark interior of Africa and for the adventures of the man who went there. Those who buy these African Journals will do so for quite other reasons. The adventure story is well known and the geographical facts contained in it are to be found in any atlas. Today this journal will be read by those (and there are many) who are still interested in Livingstone as a man, by those who have special interest in the African tribal history of the areas he visited and by those natural historians interested in the faunal development of this part of Africa over the past hundred years. Although in his introduction Professor Schapera observes that there is less to interest the ethnographer in these volumes than there is in the travels of Lacerda and Gamitto, yet there is some ethnographic material of interest.
One snail criticism is that the index is not as full as one could have wished: Livingstone's own book does not contain an index and a very full one to the present volumes would have been a great asset. Although Livingstone constantly refers to specific varieties of birds and animals, these are seldom noted in the index.
These volumes add considerably to the knowledge of David Livingstone and will be much valued over the years to come by ethno-historians, ethnographers and natural historians working in this part of Africa. All of them will be grateful to Dr. Hubert Wilson, Livingstone's grandson for permitting publication and to Professor Schapera for the very adequate way in which he has edited the journals, and for his interesting introduction and copious notes.

GERVAS CLAY