The Uncovered Wagon

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 546, 26 December 1928, Page 6

The Uncovered Wagon

ZIMBABWE RUINS AND VICTORIA FALLS A Sixteen-Day Trek of South African Scouts in Rhodesia

The following interesting account of a great trek of South African Boy Scouts, graphically told by Scoutmaster Groom, of Pretoria, has been received by the Assistant-Commissioner for Scouts in Auckland, who has handed us the article and a selection of photographs for publication.

Scoutmaster Groom, with a party of South African Scouts, attended the Dunedin jamboree about three years ago. and also visited Auckland, where the boys made many friends among the local troops. He writes: “Last January I got the idea of a trip to Rhodesia, so, as soon as all the boys returned to school, we gave out notices of our intentions and guaranteed the cost not to exceed £8 10s for the trip. At Easter we called for

names and to our surprise got 50, but, a few being doubtful, we set about organising and making arrangements for 45, and this number eventually went to Rhodesia. “It entailed quite a lot of work organising for 45 for 16 days, and arranging that essential foodstuffs be at certain points. The excitement among the boys was intense as the time drew near and we eventually left Pretoria on the evening of Saturday, June 30, the parents, sisters and friends of the boys giving us a great send-off. At Johannesburg we picked up four

Benoni boys, including Pat Morris and Frank Hanson, these being the only two of my overseas’ party of three years ago who could join us. The journey, via Mafeking to Bula- | wayo was not very eventful except that, owing to the crowded nature of the train, we had to squeeze 45 into 42 bunks and, after we left Mafeking on Sunday morning, our dining saloon car developed a hot box, this making us nearly four hours late in arriving at Bulawayo. Gerry Stephens met us here with some of his boys and the motors. We took our kit round to his Scout hall, had a hurried lunch, changed into khaki (our best uniforms being green) and leff as much of our kit there as possible, as we had only a big Graham lorry and a Studebaker car to transport the party, together with camping kit and gear for four days, to Zimbabwe Ruins—a journey of 243 miles each way. “We got the lorry loaded up with gear and 38 of the party, six boys accompanying me in the car, and just before three o’clock began the first trek of 125 miles. The car reached Gwelo (110 miles) soon after seven and we revelled in hot coffee, then had over two hours to wait for the lorry. When it arrived, the boys had 20 minutes in W'hich to stretch and warm themselves, as it was bitterly cold and they ivere very cramped after sitting- still for over six hours. After the short rest we set out for the river, camping here for the night. It was well after midnight before we had finished a good meal. Wood was fairly plentiful, so the I brightness and warmth soon put everyone in a good humour, and we laughed at the hardships of the day. “The next morning we were up early and left at about nine o’clock for Zimbabwe, passing through Umvava and Fort Victoria on the way. The first ; part of the journey was through flat, rather uninteresting country—open grass flats with occasional belts of scrub—but, as we approached Zimbabwe, granite outcrops appeared and the surroundings grew more pleasing to the eye. We camped at the Chebepopo River, two miles beyond the ruins, reaching there at dusk. Soon the camp fires sprang up and, after a hot meal, we all retired early. “A drizzle set in the following morning, but we kept to our blankets and it did not penetrate far enough to wet us. Soon after daylight the weather cleared and some of the hardy ones had a dip in the clear mountain stream. The day was spent at the ruins and I am afraid that my vocabulary is not capable of describing them. When and by whom they were built is not known—some say, the Phoenicians, others the Arabs, but, at any rate, they are very old and were built by strangers to Rhodesia, as a whole line of ruined forts exists between Zimbabwe and Sofala, on the coast. The Temple is constructed of beautiful dressed granite from quarries about ten miles away. The building is a work of art as the stones are all dry-laid, no mortar of any description being used. The fort on the top of the hill to the north is built of similar stone. There

is no sign of any wood having been used and the buildings evidently had no roofs. Two parties of professors are now investigating the ruins, but it would appear that most of the relics of value disappeared when white men first started to explore, as a certain amount of gold, mostly in the form of ancient jewellery, was known to have been found there and several pieces of this eventually found their way to the museum at Bulawayo. “We could have spent several days exploring the ruins, but, unfortunately, our time was limited, so the next day we set out on our return journey to Bulawayo, camping at the same spots as coming out. We did not see much in the way of game except a few buck, now and then, but a farmer came into camp at Chebepopo looking for a leopard which had been annoying him (I wonder if he thought we had it?) Then one of the boys sat on a rock and, hearing a rustle in the grass, looked down and saw a snake, about 7ft long, looking for solitude somewhere else . It was evidently a “boomslang” (tree snake), these being very plentiful in bushy parts. “We reached Bulawayo on the Friday afternoon. Saturday morning was spent in seeing the sights of the town and in the afternoon we set out by train to Victoria Gerry and two friends joining the party. “Arrived at the falls, we arose very early to see the spray in the first of the sunlight and, later, resumed our journey across the bridge to Palm Grove siding. The train crawls over the bridge, so that we had a good view of the chasms and a portion of the falls. At Palm Grove we detrained, and here the Livingstone Scouts met us and took us to our camp site on the banks of the Zambesi, aboLit 500yds above the falls. It was a fine spot, grassy, and jvith plenty of shady trees. “Camp was soon pitched and parties were organised to see the sights, the first spot chosen being the Eastern Cataract. We looked a queer sight in our ground sheets and mackintoshes, with our shorts rolled high, no stockings and just rubber shoes. It never ceases to rain in the forest. The spray from the water falls 400 ft, then rises and falls continuously. In the flood season the spray rises to such a height that it can be seen 25 miles away. “Our next trip was across the bridge to the western end of the falls, to the boat landing and to Big Tree. This last is a Baobab tree, and it took me 24 paces to go round it. The boys spent some considerable time trying to knock the seeds off tall palm trees as the core makes fine ornaments. It is called vegetable ivory and, when treated, looks like polished bone. The natives charge sixpence for these seeds, so the boys who managed to get several down considered themselves lucky. Returning, we went through the western portion of the Rain Forest, which stretches for over half a mile directly opposite the falls, the splendour of the million of gallons falling 400 ft along a front of one mile and a-quarter being

beyond the power of words. Great care must be taken near the edges as the ground is slippery, but, in places, outcrops of rock afford secure footing and paths are kept in order up to these spots. The contrast upon stepping out from the forest into the warm sunshine is very marked, while the rainbows are magnificent. If the sun is in certain positions these appear to end almost at one’s feet.

“We spent until Wednesday afternoon visiting and revisiting the best spots, and climbed down through Palm Grove to the water’s edge, where we sat and watched the Boiling Pot, a few hundred yards beyond the bridge. The swirl of the waters is very fascinating, and we spent the best part of a morning in watching them. Luckily the crocodiles and hippos had gone upstream, so we had some bathing close to camp, but bathing, however, is not safe at certain seasons. We saw hippo spoors in the dried mud along the bank and in mud holes. “Just when we were ready for the train on the last day, some of the New Zealand Rugby touring team visited the camp. Unfortunately everything was packed up or we could have given them afternoon tea. “We reached Bulawayo the next morning. In the evening the Railton troop entertained us, under friend Gerry, and we had a jolly time with songs and games. “On Friday morning we loaded up the lorry again, but this time without kits, and spent the clay at Matapos seeing Cecil Rhodes’s grave and also that of Jamesen, and the Shangani monument to Major Wilson and his gallant men, who lost their lives in a fight at Shangani against many hundreds of natives. This took place under 40 years ago, and they all died fighting. The witch doctors took out Major Wilson’s heart and made medicine from it in order to make the natives brave. “On Saturday Bulawayo was crowded

as the New Zealanders played Rhodesia at Rugby In the afternoon, but we could not see the match as our train left for home at 4 o’clock. Everyone enjoyed the 16 days together and the conduct of the boys was exemplary.” In a covering letter Scoutmaster Groom adds that probably 300 Scouts will be going from South Africa to the 1929 Jamboree, at a cost of £6O a head. They will be away for three months. His own (the Sunnyside) Troop is busy raising funds, and he and “Gerrv,” who will be remembered in Auckland, hope to make the trip. He sends Christmas greetings to all Scouts and Scouters in the Auckland district, and wishes them Good Hunting throughout the coming year.

AN INSCRIPTION ON A TREE The following verse is inscribed on a tree in the New Forest: Resemble not the little snails, Who with their slime record their trails. Let it be said where you have been You leave the face of Nature clean. More than six thousand years lie between the first wheel and the first airplane. The wheel took sixty centuries before it could travel sixty miles an hour. The airplane climbed the sky in twenty years, and in that short time was promising: to p'R a girdle round the earth in twenty days.