A Journey from South Africa to Rhodesia
By OSWALD BOTTON
When Uncle Jack CARRUTHERS answered Mr Rhodes's call to occupy Rhodesia in 1890 he
played an important roll in cutting the road for the column with Selous & Rhodes's
Scouts & took part in the 1893 war.
At that time, we wore domiciled in Somerset east our home town.
Following these disturbances, he sent glowing accounts of conditions generally and, in
particular, he stressed the splendid opportunities afforded for the right type of worker,
of making good in this new country, and felt that this idea merited some consideration. He
went on to suggest that if our grandfather. James CARRUTHERS affectionately known to the
members of his family as. Pa and Dad, were favourably impressed. they make arrangements to
move up to Bulawayo lock, stock and barrel. At that time Pa who was, himself, a
first-class shoemaker. 'was running his own one-man business in Somerset East. whilst
Dad was occupied as a carpenter and wheelwright in the same town. Jack assured them that
there was ample room for artisans of there ? and felt reasonably sure that no difficulty
would be experienced in finding employment in their own line of business. if they were
prepared to stand up to the pioneer conditions of the country'. Uncle jack's
suggestion, and the thought of su!
ch an adventurous journey into the unknown hinterland by ox-wagon. appealed to them
immensely and. accordingly in true pioneer spirit, no time was lost in coming to a
decision to venture forth.
In due course, two tented ox-wagon were acquired arid fitted out: one to he occupied by
ourselves, for sleeping quarters. and the other needed for the transport of all the
paraphernalia required for the long journey ahead, including shoemakers and
carpenter's tools, which would be essential equipment upon arrival at our
destination.Apparently, whilst our preparations were being formulated in Somerset
East.contact was made with Mom's and Dad's life long friends Chris and Mrs.
SPARROW and family, who were resident in Grahamstown at the time. Chris SPARROW had been
previously advised that, if he could arrange Transport, a job awaited him at the Solusi
Mission situated some 40 miles South/East of bulawayo. This was one of the first, If not
the very first. Mission Stations, of the Seventh Day Adventists to be established in the
country and, as the Sparrow family' were staunch members of the Sect. they, with out
hesitation. Grasped the opportunity and decided to join our party. !
they got to grips with their own preparations to fit out a wagon to meet the needs of
themselves and their 4 young children.
Our party consisted of "Pa", Dad. Mom and their family of four: Hilda aged 9
years Oswald 7 years: Vivian, 5 years, and Claude, aged 3 years. In addition, two other
people accompanied us on the long trek , a chap named Botha, who was got up to assist
Uncle Bob (Bob CARRUTHERS) at Matalusi, where Bob had already Established a native
trading store in the very heart of Belingwe District, whilst Uncle Jack requested that a
'coloured fellow, by the name of Baatman, be given a lift,as uncle Jack thought he
could make use of Baartmaan' s services in Salisbury. Anyway there was ample room for
Rhodesia.,
Uncle Jack (Johnny get your gun CARRUTHERS )
Dad Alexander James BOTTON
Mom Marrion BOTTON
Hilda Thwaties Ne BOTTON
Claude BOTTON
Well, the day dawned when all was ready for the long and tedious journey northwards and
the convoy of 2 wagons got under way' towards the end April, 1 895. together with 26
purebred heifers which Uncle Jack has purchased.Somerset east for the purpose of stocking
his farm in Rhodesia. As pre-arranged, the Sparrow family joined the party' some days
later, whilst the Stuttaford family, in their own wagon also on route for the promised
land, were caught up with, some weeks later, and decided to join our convoy for the rest
of the journey to Bulawayo. Of course. privations and hardships were to be expected and
encountered on the long and adventurous probe into the unknown hinterland, a thousand
miles or more, away, and it proved to he so, in our case.The first part of the journey
from Somerset East proved uneventful. but things began to happen when we reached the
region of the Northern Transvaal. Fortunately. repairs to the wagons offered no problems
with a craftsman of Dad's cal!
ibre "on the spot" to effect all necessary repairs: and the replacement of
brake-blocks. Dissel Booms and other wearing parts were efficiently done during the hours
of daylight, whilst the animals were outspanned and grazing.
It was in the region of the Northern Transvaal that first we encountered the scourge of
rinderpest, which had been rampant in that area for sometime and had, indeed, decimated
many herds of native cattle. Consequently, it was with some anxiety that our convoy
entered the rinderpest-infected area. It was not long before some of our animals became
affected with the disease. From then on, at frequent intervals. Dad had to wander into
that wild and desolated country to contact the indigenous natives of that dense bush and
coax them to sell some of their draught animals, to make good our losses sustained by
rinderpest, so that we could proceed on our journey. Before we had passed through the
rinderpest area all 20 heifers, accompanying our wagons, had succumbed to the disease.
It was at about this time that one of the STUTTAFORD children, a little girl of about
three years. wandered away from our outspan camp and, when no trace of her could he found
in the near vicinity, there followed a diligent search by the rest of the partv. A few
days later the child was found physically unharmed and asleep in an ant bear hole, into
which She had obviously tripped in her lonely wanderings in that desolate
land.Regrettably, the little girl never fully mentally recovered from this tragic incident
in her young life 1t occurs to me that this may be an appropriate time to recall some
incidents experienced by the party during the journey, which may be of interest.
Privations and the lack of food, particularity the right kind of food, was a constant
anxiety to both Mom and Dad, bearing in mind the presence of young children. and thus lack
of edibles assailed us from time to time and, during the latter part of the journey. for
days on end. It was at these distressing times that we blessed the presence, and passing
by, of Zeederbergs coaches, for we were dependant on the kindness of those fine coach
drivers for appeasing our pangs of hunger by giving us quantities of mealies which they
carried in the coaches as feed for their team of mules. I am sure these good Samaritans
must have relieved Mom of untold worry and anxiety during those days of hunger
.Zeederberg's coaches ran a regular service between Petersburg & Bulawayo in
those. early days.
Etc.Etc.