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Captain Slater of the Albany D.M.T. 6 years 5 months ago #56023

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John Edward Slater

Captain, Albany District Mounted Troop – Anglo-Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal to Capt. J.E. Slater, Albany Dis. M.T.

If one were to scratch the surface of any one of the good folk of Grahamstown that can claim to have been there for a number of years one would be sure to unearth a descendant of the original 1820 Settlers – that hardy band of Englishmen who braved the harsh conditions of the Eastern Cape Frontier in search of, not fame, but definitely fortune in that desolate part of the Eastern Cape known as the Albany District. The Slater family were of such stock and John Edward Slater was no less than a son of one of these pioneers, John Francis Slater who had made a home for himself in the area.

Born in Grahamstown in 1845 he would have been raised in an environment which was “rough and ready” – farming or trades related to that pursuit would have been the order of the day and one’s prosperity was measured in the number of able-bodied children one sired as much as the number of cattle you owned or crops you sowed. The Slater family were not lagging in that department with John joined by no fewer than twelve siblings.

Fortunately he was one of those men we have to thank for keeping a diary of his early experiences and it is to this we turn in order to gain insight into his early life – specifically the portion that refers to his trip from the remote Alice District to Port Natal (Durban as it is now called). This trip commenced on 19 June 1879 and was made with several wagons and 200 oxen. It was also undertaken a few months after the battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift.

Tukela, Alice, Saturday 19th June 1879
Left home for Port Natal at 6 o’ clock with Guilford Austen (having started the wagons and oxen a few days previous). We reached Mrs Crowe’s hotel (Debe Neck) at 9 o’ clock and breakfasted, then proceeded to King William’s Town, which we reached about 1 o’ clock and left again at four, reached the Kei Road station at eight having missed our way in the dark. It should have taken us only 2 ½ hours.

Sunday morning, 20th
At half past five we were in the saddle, crossed the Hangman’s Bush stream. Past Mr Fuller’s farm leaving Mr Geo. Blaine’s to the left. We came to Mr Dicks just at daylight. We halted for a few minutes and Mr Quintres Dick (Lovedale boy) gave us a cup of coffee not an unacceptable offering at that time in the morning and very cold. We then crossed the Gonubie River and up the Gonubie Heights, leaving Mr G. Gray’s (Commandant of a lot of Volunteers) in the last war who distinguished themselves at the Springs, called the battle of the Springs. On the top we came up to our wagons and in the evening we proceeded past Driebosch Hotel which is just rebuilt having been burned down in the last war.

Just on the rise as you go towards Komga is the spot where the Gaikas first attacked the post cart when Major More got an assegai wound. At this spot we met a young man, assistant to one of the Surveyor’s surveying the Gaika location, he gave me the account as it was told him. He showed me the rock where the enemy were concealed and as the post cart was passing, escorted by about a dozen soldiers and a few of the Native contingent, the Gaikas sprang up and made a rush at the cart. The leader of them shouting “Don’t shoot, lay hold of them and cut their throats.” He was the first to fall, the soldiers lay down among the rocks being quite surrounded by the enemy who were firing over their heads killing and wounding their own men. After some considerable time the Komga men, hearing the firing, came up to their relief. We passed through the little village of Komga and from there passing Mr Pullen’s farm leaving the Chichaba Valley to our right and Murderers Kop to our left, where five officers during the last war were surrounded and killed by the Gaikas.

We crossed the Great Kei River, where a splendid bridge is being built and now almost completed. It is hoped to have it opened to traffic by the end of July next and a great advantage to the country it will be. A new road out the hill on the left bank of the river has also been surveyed, the present one is a tremendous pull. After reaching the top about six miles from the drift we have a beautiful view back of the Pirrie Mountain, the Isidange and in the distance old Hogg’s Back stands out. The stream flows down our right into the Kei at the source of which stands Rev. Ross’s mission station. We reached Butterworth a little after sunrise on Tuesday morning. A very old Wesleyan Mission Station, the Reverend Warner is now the stationed missionary. My time did not permit me to visit the school, there are about a dozen square houses belonging to Natives, and very neat cottages they look.

We first called on Mr Alfred Fuller (Lovedale boy) who resides in a round hut all among dozens of others of the same size and shape. We found our friend not alone, his sister Mrs Pattle and also Mr Pattle were in and just about to partake of breakfast to which we were made very welcome, the difficulty of seats for all over and then cups, spoons so that each might have one and a good deal of pleasant joking of Transkeian life. We enjoyed our breakfast. Mr Pattle is the Magistrate at the Gamakwa near Blythe’s Wood, Capt. Blythe’s old station.

After bidding our friend goodbye we walked on to the R.M. (Resident Magistrate) (Mr T. King’s) residence situate about half a mile from what might be termed the Village. Mr King has chosen a very nice spot for the residence being away from the Village – a little may be done in the farming line as well. Our friends gave us a hearty welcome and bid us enter the hut. The dwelling consists of three very large huts, two of which are joined by a sort of passage which do as sitting and bedrooms and the other hut is used as dining room and kitchen, which would not be so bad were it not for the smoke and draft.

I was persuaded to stay the evening and a very pleasant one it was, some of the neighbours coming in. 1st Lieutenant Montagu of the C.M.R.; Mr and Mrs Girdwood and a Miss Knight who is here for a few days, made a very pleasant party. A game or two at wist; drafts and music the time soon passed. I left early the next morning and overtook the wagons at Fennell’s Shop about 10 miles on.

Wednesday, 25th
We proceed on passing the residence of the R.M. of the Idutwa Reserve a little to the left. We found ourselves the next morning at a place called Febeys (a German) shop, where we stayed for the day.

Thursday, 26th
We inspanned at 2.30 at 7 o’ clock we found ourselves at the Bashee called Double Drift. We crossed easily outspanned for 5 hours and proceeded up the Bashee Hill which took us six hours. We are now in Gangilizwe country, his tribe are Tembu’s, small made men with small features. The old fellow passed at some little distance off with about a dozen of his followers. He is on the beer. That is how he goes from one village to another drinking what is prepared for him.

Friday, 27th
Just going to inspan and proceed on. Oxen fallen off a good deal and nearly three hundred miles to go yet – hope to reach Umtata tomorrow evening.

Saturday, 28th
Reached Umtata at daybreak. This village is situate on the banks of a river bearing the same name. The country about here is very bare of trees, though plenty of seeming good grass, a small chain of hills about twenty miles to the West have patches of forest on them from which good timber and poles are cut. The Umtata River is a splendid stream about sixty yards broad at low water – beautiful and clear. The opposite bank belongs to the Pondos. Umgiliso is their chief, though not the great Chief of the Pondo nation who is Umqikala who lives further on over the Umzimvubu or St. John’s River. The three brothers are sons of Demas who is a son of Chaka.

The main road to Kokstad passes through Umqiliso’s country from the Umtata Drift to the Gongololo a small stream about twelve miles from Umtata. We then enter the Pondomisi under Umditshwa till it reaches the Tsitsi River after which we enter Umshlonshlo also a Pondo tribe, these two chiefs are cousins, they are also under the British Government living in British territory. Among these people we found a good many Fingos and also Kaffirs who served up under master traders and others and finding the country so thinly populated, settled down among the Close, where we were outspanned on Sunday where were some huts. At about eleven o’ clock we heard music as of Zions praise we found on enquiry that a Native man from a neighbourhood held services there every Sunday.

The occupants were Fingoes originally from Healdtown. We crossed the Tsitsi River on Sunday night and halted for the day about two miles on, being very anxious to see for ourselves the wonderful Tsitsi Falls. We went to some huts nearby, the occupants of which were Kaffirs who said they had come up from Keskama here a few years ago. They provided us with a guide and after having breakfasted we started our guide at Drai Soar?. The falls are situate about 6 miles below the drift we crossed near the mission station of Shrewsbury (Wesleyan) which we saw at a distance at the opposite side of the river or on the side our wagons stood.

As we had all crossed the river to go down the West bank as we were all told a better view could be seen from that side. We proceeded down about 5 miles and as no break or fall in the country could be seen we expected that we had some distance to go, yet our guide told us we were nearby; but it was not until we were within a few hundred yards of the spot that we saw the narrow gorge below which the stream flowed after its tumultuous fall of nearly four hundred feet, the bed of the river as above the fall about six or seven hundred feet across although the water does not come down that width in one sheet when the river is lower; but in five different columns, three large and two smaller. The sight is a grand one and as we stood on top of the bank and little in front to see the water coming down like wreaths of smoke into the great basin below.

After great difficulty we managed to get down, on reaching part of the way down we were obliged to leave our coats, but on reaching the open space below we found a great change. A keen wind blew and a strong drizzling rain which soon wet us; we were at least two or three hundred yards from the great dash of water. We struggled on over immense boulders, very slippery, till within about thirty yards and there stood and gazed until we were wet through. The water was smashed into the very finest rain and the force of water coming down caused the wind to blow as cold as if we were on the Katberg. From below it looked as if the rain ascended as high as the top of the fall; but on our re-ascending we found the rain, as we call it, only rose above a quarter of the height or about one hundred feet, which was caused by the water dashing on the rock below on which it fell. On a windy day the water would be blown up and around about for some hundred of yards. The deep gorge below as we saw it a half a mile or more, is very picturesque and taken together with the falling water is a grand sight.

On our return we called at a decent looking house with a thatched cover verandah in front and back, in hopes to get something to eat or drink as we had left our wagons early and had taken nothing with us in the shape of food. We found the house occupied by Natives, not as cleanly and decent as the outside of the house would lead one to think the occupiers would be. They were good enough to sell us a basket of Kaffir beer (about a gallon) which we made short work of. After the refreshment we proceeded on to where we had left our wagons which we found had left some hours before. After a parley and a little more pay our guide consented to take us on and at 9 o’ clock we overtook them outspanned on the opposite bank of the Tina River. So far the trip had passed very pleasantly, except the loss of eight oxen, which are lost or stolen. Two of the boys are in search of them and have not yet returned – this is a miserable country to lose stock in.

Tuesday, 1st July
Strong wind blowing. Inspanned at 2 o’clock. Passed Mount Frere on to Tshumegwana Mission Station (Wesleyan – Revd. White)

Wednesday, 2nd July
Crossed the Umzimvubu. Stopped after crossing by Pondos – said their law was not to allow any cattle to cross into their country for fear of Lungsick. We were in a fix now for to go back we would have to travel about 12 miles of very bad road before we could get to a road leading to an upper drift where we might cross and not pass through Pondoland and we were in haste to get on. However after a talk and time wasted the Chief (Tshetshe) allowed us to pass through on payment of a few Sovereigns, which we were glad to do and proceed on our journey. After travelling about seven or eight hours we passed a rather large mountain called (….) where copper is being found although in what quantities I cannot say. Two mines have stopped or rather the parties working them have been stopped by the Government on account of some dispute between them as to the ownership.

I believe the question is to be settled by a commission. One gentleman I met spoke in good hopes of the Mines turning out well. It was bitterly cold last night as most night have been, the days beautifully warm. The copper mines are about three or four miles away from the road in a westerly direction. We were pressed for time and our horses very poor otherwise we would have ridden over and had a look at them.

The Natives living here are called the Xesibi tribe and have latterly put themselves under the British Government for protection, no doubt as the Pondo’s (their former masters) were robbing them which they continue to do. They are now anxious to have a slap at them which it will soon come to, for not a week passes without complaints to their Magistrate (Mr Walter Reid) that the Pondos have stolen either horses, cattle or goats. One old fellow told me they were only waiting because said it was not yet ready, but that they, the Xesibi and Mbaca tribes and also the Pondomisi seem all ready and anxious to have a go in at the Pondos, and my own opinion is that the Pondos will have to be out down by the Government before very long.

Friday, 4th July
A splendid day, sun quite hot, plenty of grass but very dry and hard – oxen don’t fill themselves. Today we met old Mr and Mrs Usher who have been down to Umtata in a bullock wagon and are now on their way home (near Kokstad). For many years they lived at the Umtata but have within the last twelve months moved to the latter place. From Mr Usher I learn that he has been farming at the former place with sheep and cattle and that he has done very well at it until last year. The sheep had done badly and he has lost all his cattle, between two and three hundred. A very great loss, such a thing that I have never heard of before with stock, not even with Lungsick. He says the cattle were in good condition and that they suddenly lost the power of their limbs, could not get up, and after examination after they were dead, he found the inside of the stomach filled with a small parasite similar to the bot in horses, only smaller. He could in no way account for the cause, as for many years previous they had done so well. The crops of mealies and Kaffir corn do not look so well about here, they appear to have been sown too late and been frost bitten (not had time to ripen).

The Umzimshlava River is a good sized stream passing through Kokstad and on into the Umzumvubu River. This is a very well-watered country, very mountainous and bleak without bush. Kokstad the city of the Griquas and the residence of the late Adam Kok stands on a rising piece of ground of about 100 acres – the houses (or dwellings) are mostly made of sods with thatch roof, though there are a few good houses. The Natives inhabitants are a similar race to what you see in Kat River though they are called Griquas, they and all that I saw were of mostly Dutch extraction as their names show.
This brought the diary to an inexplicable end – it is to be hoped that Slater, in his own words, has managed to convey to the reader just how tough the times were in which he lived.

Back from his travels Slater settled down to a respectable life as a leading citizen in the City of Saints – Grahamstown. A baptismal register for the Wesleyan Church recorded the baptism of his daughter Mina Dorothy at Alicedale on 6 November 1892. The family farmed at Bushman’s River. But it was the Anglo Boer War which broke out in October 1899 that next commanded our attention. Essentially a conflict between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and the British Empire it was initially thought that the remote areas of the Eastern Cape would escape attention but this conjecture, as the war entered its guerrilla phase, was proved wrong. The Boers pushed south and the locals scrambled to join newly created Town Guards and District Mounted Troops – their more adventurous cousins.

As has been stated previously Slater was from an old settler family and a man of prominence – small wonder then that, at the age of 56, he was called upon to accept the rank of Captain in the Albany D.M.T., responsible for keeping the enemy at bay and away from the good people of Grahamstown. An Attestation Paper in respect of Slater has survived and this document tells us that, aged 57, John Edward Slater, a Farmer of Sidbury (outside Grahamstown), whose next of kin was his wife, Margaret, swore allegiance to King Edward VII at Grahamstown on 1 July 1902. This was of course not the first time he had attested.

The war over on 31 May 1902 Slater and his comrades returned to their normal pursuits safe in the knowledge that the Boer menace had ceased to be.

He was awarded a Queens medal for his efforts. John Slater continued to thrive in the area passing away after a long and productive life at 25 Milner Avenue, Port Elizabeth on 21 October 1928. He was 83 years and 3 months old and was survived by his wife Margaret (born Gush) and seven children (of the total of ten three had predeceased him).

In a delightful postscript to the Slater saga I quote from a letter dated 20 May 1952 and written to Chick Slater (a Grandson) from his Aunt Alice Mary Slater in Pretoria. It read, in part, thus:-

“My dear John

While going through Ann’s letters and things we came across this medal which belonged to your grandfather John Edward Slater. On the margin is engraved his name and rank Captain and the Cor (sic) he belonged to. Your Aunt Mabel said Mother Margaret wanted you to have it. I do hope it reaches you safely and all is well.”

All was very well indeed.










The following user(s) said Thank You: djb, Frank Kelley

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Captain Slater of the Albany D.M.T. 6 years 5 months ago #56025

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Rory

Thank you for another interesting post. The diary gives a fascinating account of British Kaffraria and the Transkei as they were after the end of the last of the Frontier Wars. The Colonials mentioned represented the resolute Eastern Cape settlers of the 19th Century who did so much for the development of the region. One of the names I noticed was Pattle of Butterworth. One of their descendants who was born in Butterworth was Squadron Leader Pat Pattle. He was the RAF's top-scoring fighter ace of World War II, although he is seldom acknowledged as such.
samilitaryhistory.org/vol013dt.html

Just as Squadron Leader Pattle is often left out of history books, so too are the positive effects of the Colonial era in the Eastern Cape. Time marches on and the past has new recorders!

Brett

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Captain Slater of the Albany D.M.T. 6 years 5 months ago #56031

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Quite so Brett quite so.

The diary entries come from a dossier of information on the Slater family held within the bosom of the Albany Museum in Grahamstown where Fleur Way-Jones is most helpful.

Regards

Rory

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Captain Slater of the Albany D.M.T. 6 years 5 months ago #56036

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Again, another really fine recipient, I made my thoughts clear on Captain Welsh and the same apply here too.


Rory wrote: John Edward Slater

Captain, Albany District Mounted Troop – Anglo-Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal to Capt. J.E. Slater, Albany Dis. M.T.

If one were to scratch the surface of any one of the good folk of Grahamstown that can claim to have been there for a number of years one would be sure to unearth a descendant of the original 1820 Settlers – that hardy band of Englishmen who braved the harsh conditions of the Eastern Cape Frontier in search of, not fame, but definitely fortune in that desolate part of the Eastern Cape known as the Albany District. The Slater family were of such stock and John Edward Slater was no less than a son of one of these pioneers, John Francis Slater who had made a home for himself in the area.

Born in Grahamstown in 1845 he would have been raised in an environment which was “rough and ready” – farming or trades related to that pursuit would have been the order of the day and one’s prosperity was measured in the number of able-bodied children one sired as much as the number of cattle you owned or crops you sowed. The Slater family were not lagging in that department with John joined by no fewer than twelve siblings.

Fortunately he was one of those men we have to thank for keeping a diary of his early experiences and it is to this we turn in order to gain insight into his early life – specifically the portion that refers to his trip from the remote Alice District to Port Natal (Durban as it is now called). This trip commenced on 19 June 1879 and was made with several wagons and 200 oxen. It was also undertaken a few months after the battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift.

Tukela, Alice, Saturday 19th June 1879
Left home for Port Natal at 6 o’ clock with Guilford Austen (having started the wagons and oxen a few days previous). We reached Mrs Crowe’s hotel (Debe Neck) at 9 o’ clock and breakfasted, then proceeded to King William’s Town, which we reached about 1 o’ clock and left again at four, reached the Kei Road station at eight having missed our way in the dark. It should have taken us only 2 ½ hours.

Sunday morning, 20th
At half past five we were in the saddle, crossed the Hangman’s Bush stream. Past Mr Fuller’s farm leaving Mr Geo. Blaine’s to the left. We came to Mr Dicks just at daylight. We halted for a few minutes and Mr Quintres Dick (Lovedale boy) gave us a cup of coffee not an unacceptable offering at that time in the morning and very cold. We then crossed the Gonubie River and up the Gonubie Heights, leaving Mr G. Gray’s (Commandant of a lot of Volunteers) in the last war who distinguished themselves at the Springs, called the battle of the Springs. On the top we came up to our wagons and in the evening we proceeded past Driebosch Hotel which is just rebuilt having been burned down in the last war.

Just on the rise as you go towards Komga is the spot where the Gaikas first attacked the post cart when Major More got an assegai wound. At this spot we met a young man, assistant to one of the Surveyor’s surveying the Gaika location, he gave me the account as it was told him. He showed me the rock where the enemy were concealed and as the post cart was passing, escorted by about a dozen soldiers and a few of the Native contingent, the Gaikas sprang up and made a rush at the cart. The leader of them shouting “Don’t shoot, lay hold of them and cut their throats.” He was the first to fall, the soldiers lay down among the rocks being quite surrounded by the enemy who were firing over their heads killing and wounding their own men. After some considerable time the Komga men, hearing the firing, came up to their relief. We passed through the little village of Komga and from there passing Mr Pullen’s farm leaving the Chichaba Valley to our right and Murderers Kop to our left, where five officers during the last war were surrounded and killed by the Gaikas.

We crossed the Great Kei River, where a splendid bridge is being built and now almost completed. It is hoped to have it opened to traffic by the end of July next and a great advantage to the country it will be. A new road out the hill on the left bank of the river has also been surveyed, the present one is a tremendous pull. After reaching the top about six miles from the drift we have a beautiful view back of the Pirrie Mountain, the Isidange and in the distance old Hogg’s Back stands out. The stream flows down our right into the Kei at the source of which stands Rev. Ross’s mission station. We reached Butterworth a little after sunrise on Tuesday morning. A very old Wesleyan Mission Station, the Reverend Warner is now the stationed missionary. My time did not permit me to visit the school, there are about a dozen square houses belonging to Natives, and very neat cottages they look.

We first called on Mr Alfred Fuller (Lovedale boy) who resides in a round hut all among dozens of others of the same size and shape. We found our friend not alone, his sister Mrs Pattle and also Mr Pattle were in and just about to partake of breakfast to which we were made very welcome, the difficulty of seats for all over and then cups, spoons so that each might have one and a good deal of pleasant joking of Transkeian life. We enjoyed our breakfast. Mr Pattle is the Magistrate at the Gamakwa near Blythe’s Wood, Capt. Blythe’s old station.

After bidding our friend goodbye we walked on to the R.M. (Resident Magistrate) (Mr T. King’s) residence situate about half a mile from what might be termed the Village. Mr King has chosen a very nice spot for the residence being away from the Village – a little may be done in the farming line as well. Our friends gave us a hearty welcome and bid us enter the hut. The dwelling consists of three very large huts, two of which are joined by a sort of passage which do as sitting and bedrooms and the other hut is used as dining room and kitchen, which would not be so bad were it not for the smoke and draft.

I was persuaded to stay the evening and a very pleasant one it was, some of the neighbours coming in. 1st Lieutenant Montagu of the C.M.R.; Mr and Mrs Girdwood and a Miss Knight who is here for a few days, made a very pleasant party. A game or two at wist; drafts and music the time soon passed. I left early the next morning and overtook the wagons at Fennell’s Shop about 10 miles on.

Wednesday, 25th
We proceed on passing the residence of the R.M. of the Idutwa Reserve a little to the left. We found ourselves the next morning at a place called Febeys (a German) shop, where we stayed for the day.

Thursday, 26th
We inspanned at 2.30 at 7 o’ clock we found ourselves at the Bashee called Double Drift. We crossed easily outspanned for 5 hours and proceeded up the Bashee Hill which took us six hours. We are now in Gangilizwe country, his tribe are Tembu’s, small made men with small features. The old fellow passed at some little distance off with about a dozen of his followers. He is on the beer. That is how he goes from one village to another drinking what is prepared for him.

Friday, 27th
Just going to inspan and proceed on. Oxen fallen off a good deal and nearly three hundred miles to go yet – hope to reach Umtata tomorrow evening.

Saturday, 28th
Reached Umtata at daybreak. This village is situate on the banks of a river bearing the same name. The country about here is very bare of trees, though plenty of seeming good grass, a small chain of hills about twenty miles to the West have patches of forest on them from which good timber and poles are cut. The Umtata River is a splendid stream about sixty yards broad at low water – beautiful and clear. The opposite bank belongs to the Pondos. Umgiliso is their chief, though not the great Chief of the Pondo nation who is Umqikala who lives further on over the Umzimvubu or St. John’s River. The three brothers are sons of Demas who is a son of Chaka.

The main road to Kokstad passes through Umqiliso’s country from the Umtata Drift to the Gongololo a small stream about twelve miles from Umtata. We then enter the Pondomisi under Umditshwa till it reaches the Tsitsi River after which we enter Umshlonshlo also a Pondo tribe, these two chiefs are cousins, they are also under the British Government living in British territory. Among these people we found a good many Fingos and also Kaffirs who served up under master traders and others and finding the country so thinly populated, settled down among the Close, where we were outspanned on Sunday where were some huts. At about eleven o’ clock we heard music as of Zions praise we found on enquiry that a Native man from a neighbourhood held services there every Sunday.

The occupants were Fingoes originally from Healdtown. We crossed the Tsitsi River on Sunday night and halted for the day about two miles on, being very anxious to see for ourselves the wonderful Tsitsi Falls. We went to some huts nearby, the occupants of which were Kaffirs who said they had come up from Keskama here a few years ago. They provided us with a guide and after having breakfasted we started our guide at Drai Soar?. The falls are situate about 6 miles below the drift we crossed near the mission station of Shrewsbury (Wesleyan) which we saw at a distance at the opposite side of the river or on the side our wagons stood.

As we had all crossed the river to go down the West bank as we were all told a better view could be seen from that side. We proceeded down about 5 miles and as no break or fall in the country could be seen we expected that we had some distance to go, yet our guide told us we were nearby; but it was not until we were within a few hundred yards of the spot that we saw the narrow gorge below which the stream flowed after its tumultuous fall of nearly four hundred feet, the bed of the river as above the fall about six or seven hundred feet across although the water does not come down that width in one sheet when the river is lower; but in five different columns, three large and two smaller. The sight is a grand one and as we stood on top of the bank and little in front to see the water coming down like wreaths of smoke into the great basin below.

After great difficulty we managed to get down, on reaching part of the way down we were obliged to leave our coats, but on reaching the open space below we found a great change. A keen wind blew and a strong drizzling rain which soon wet us; we were at least two or three hundred yards from the great dash of water. We struggled on over immense boulders, very slippery, till within about thirty yards and there stood and gazed until we were wet through. The water was smashed into the very finest rain and the force of water coming down caused the wind to blow as cold as if we were on the Katberg. From below it looked as if the rain ascended as high as the top of the fall; but on our re-ascending we found the rain, as we call it, only rose above a quarter of the height or about one hundred feet, which was caused by the water dashing on the rock below on which it fell. On a windy day the water would be blown up and around about for some hundred of yards. The deep gorge below as we saw it a half a mile or more, is very picturesque and taken together with the falling water is a grand sight.

On our return we called at a decent looking house with a thatched cover verandah in front and back, in hopes to get something to eat or drink as we had left our wagons early and had taken nothing with us in the shape of food. We found the house occupied by Natives, not as cleanly and decent as the outside of the house would lead one to think the occupiers would be. They were good enough to sell us a basket of Kaffir beer (about a gallon) which we made short work of. After the refreshment we proceeded on to where we had left our wagons which we found had left some hours before. After a parley and a little more pay our guide consented to take us on and at 9 o’ clock we overtook them outspanned on the opposite bank of the Tina River. So far the trip had passed very pleasantly, except the loss of eight oxen, which are lost or stolen. Two of the boys are in search of them and have not yet returned – this is a miserable country to lose stock in.

Tuesday, 1st July
Strong wind blowing. Inspanned at 2 o’clock. Passed Mount Frere on to Tshumegwana Mission Station (Wesleyan – Revd. White)

Wednesday, 2nd July
Crossed the Umzimvubu. Stopped after crossing by Pondos – said their law was not to allow any cattle to cross into their country for fear of Lungsick. We were in a fix now for to go back we would have to travel about 12 miles of very bad road before we could get to a road leading to an upper drift where we might cross and not pass through Pondoland and we were in haste to get on. However after a talk and time wasted the Chief (Tshetshe) allowed us to pass through on payment of a few Sovereigns, which we were glad to do and proceed on our journey. After travelling about seven or eight hours we passed a rather large mountain called (….) where copper is being found although in what quantities I cannot say. Two mines have stopped or rather the parties working them have been stopped by the Government on account of some dispute between them as to the ownership.

I believe the question is to be settled by a commission. One gentleman I met spoke in good hopes of the Mines turning out well. It was bitterly cold last night as most night have been, the days beautifully warm. The copper mines are about three or four miles away from the road in a westerly direction. We were pressed for time and our horses very poor otherwise we would have ridden over and had a look at them.

The Natives living here are called the Xesibi tribe and have latterly put themselves under the British Government for protection, no doubt as the Pondo’s (their former masters) were robbing them which they continue to do. They are now anxious to have a slap at them which it will soon come to, for not a week passes without complaints to their Magistrate (Mr Walter Reid) that the Pondos have stolen either horses, cattle or goats. One old fellow told me they were only waiting because said it was not yet ready, but that they, the Xesibi and Mbaca tribes and also the Pondomisi seem all ready and anxious to have a go in at the Pondos, and my own opinion is that the Pondos will have to be out down by the Government before very long.

Friday, 4th July
A splendid day, sun quite hot, plenty of grass but very dry and hard – oxen don’t fill themselves. Today we met old Mr and Mrs Usher who have been down to Umtata in a bullock wagon and are now on their way home (near Kokstad). For many years they lived at the Umtata but have within the last twelve months moved to the latter place. From Mr Usher I learn that he has been farming at the former place with sheep and cattle and that he has done very well at it until last year. The sheep had done badly and he has lost all his cattle, between two and three hundred. A very great loss, such a thing that I have never heard of before with stock, not even with Lungsick. He says the cattle were in good condition and that they suddenly lost the power of their limbs, could not get up, and after examination after they were dead, he found the inside of the stomach filled with a small parasite similar to the bot in horses, only smaller. He could in no way account for the cause, as for many years previous they had done so well. The crops of mealies and Kaffir corn do not look so well about here, they appear to have been sown too late and been frost bitten (not had time to ripen).

The Umzimshlava River is a good sized stream passing through Kokstad and on into the Umzumvubu River. This is a very well-watered country, very mountainous and bleak without bush. Kokstad the city of the Griquas and the residence of the late Adam Kok stands on a rising piece of ground of about 100 acres – the houses (or dwellings) are mostly made of sods with thatch roof, though there are a few good houses. The Natives inhabitants are a similar race to what you see in Kat River though they are called Griquas, they and all that I saw were of mostly Dutch extraction as their names show.
This brought the diary to an inexplicable end – it is to be hoped that Slater, in his own words, has managed to convey to the reader just how tough the times were in which he lived.

Back from his travels Slater settled down to a respectable life as a leading citizen in the City of Saints – Grahamstown. A baptismal register for the Wesleyan Church recorded the baptism of his daughter Mina Dorothy at Alicedale on 6 November 1892. The family farmed at Bushman’s River. But it was the Anglo Boer War which broke out in October 1899 that next commanded our attention. Essentially a conflict between the two Boer Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State and the British Empire it was initially thought that the remote areas of the Eastern Cape would escape attention but this conjecture, as the war entered its guerrilla phase, was proved wrong. The Boers pushed south and the locals scrambled to join newly created Town Guards and District Mounted Troops – their more adventurous cousins.

As has been stated previously Slater was from an old settler family and a man of prominence – small wonder then that, at the age of 56, he was called upon to accept the rank of Captain in the Albany D.M.T., responsible for keeping the enemy at bay and away from the good people of Grahamstown. An Attestation Paper in respect of Slater has survived and this document tells us that, aged 57, John Edward Slater, a Farmer of Sidbury (outside Grahamstown), whose next of kin was his wife, Margaret, swore allegiance to King Edward VII at Grahamstown on 1 July 1902. This was of course not the first time he had attested.

The war over on 31 May 1902 Slater and his comrades returned to their normal pursuits safe in the knowledge that the Boer menace had ceased to be.

He was awarded a Queens medal for his efforts. John Slater continued to thrive in the area passing away after a long and productive life at 25 Milner Avenue, Port Elizabeth on 21 October 1928. He was 83 years and 3 months old and was survived by his wife Margaret (born Gush) and seven children (of the total of ten three had predeceased him).

In a delightful postscript to the Slater saga I quote from a letter dated 20 May 1952 and written to Chick Slater (a Grandson) from his Aunt Alice Mary Slater in Pretoria. It read, in part, thus:-

“My dear John

While going through Ann’s letters and things we came across this medal which belonged to your grandfather John Edward Slater. On the margin is engraved his name and rank Captain and the Cor (sic) he belonged to. Your Aunt Mabel said Mother Margaret wanted you to have it. I do hope it reaches you safely and all is well.”

All was very well indeed.










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Captain Slater of the Albany D.M.T. 6 years 5 months ago #56038

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Thank You for another great piece of research Rory......

Mike
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Captain Slater of the Albany D.M.T. 6 years 5 months ago #56042

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Fantastic!
Dr David Biggins

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