tna:PieceReference=co1069p109

From John Kemp via email: These photographs were not taken in northwestern Zambia, but on the lower Zambezi in what is now Mozambique, below the confluence with the Shire river. Mrs. Livingstone was buried at Shupanga, below Sena, on 22nd April, 1862. The "Mosquito" was one of two rear-wheeled paddle steamers of the Royal Navy assembled at Chinde, at the mouth of the Zambezi, in 1890. Her sister ship was called the "Herald". For the grave, see Tim Jeal, "Livingstone", Penguin, p257,8. For the steamers, see H.H. Johnston, "British Central Africa", Edward Arnold, New York, 1897, p98.

The bottom photograph intrigues me for it shows a quarter wheel steamer. Although quarter wheel steamers were used on several African lakes and rivers this is the first one I've seen on the Zambesi/ Shire. What a pity there is no caption!

Delagoa Bay

Chiromo (top centre) is on the Shire River in southern Malawi (Nyasaland). My guess is that the photographer was on his, or her, way up to Nyasaland - possibly it's the same person who took those photos in Zomba.

Where is Delagoa Bay?

Delagoa Bay became Lourenco Marques and then, I think, Maputo. It's in southern Mocambique.

At Chinde, on the northernmost mouth of the Zambezi, in the 1890s was a British Concession (see photo 105-8) and a Post Office of Exchange where mail and other material was sorted for B.C.A. districts, German territory and the Congo Free State before being shipped upriver to Chiromo and beyond.

Malangi - what is known and spelled as Mulanje today. Mulanje is the highest mountain in the country at around 3000 m.

Bottom left photo should be 'Fort Anderson', which commanded the south end of Mlanje and controlled the passage of the Ruo River into Portuguese East Africa. All Nyasaland's forts were built in order to quell the slave trade.

Bottom right - Fort Lister controlled the 'gap', which was a regular slave route, between Mount Mlanje and Mount Mchese on the path to Quelimane on the Portuguese East Africa coast. .

One of the 'Browns' in the top right hand picture could be Henry, who developed an estate near Fort Anderson. He was one of the first settlers to attempt to grow tea in the area, he might even have been the first.

The highest peak on Mulanje is Sapitwa, at 3002 metres above sea level. Forts Anderson and Lister were built "to guard the north and south ends of Mlanje" and were named "to commemorate the sympathy and assistance I had received at the hands of Sir Villiers Lister and Sir Percy Anderson of the Foreign Office in carrying out my projects for the suppression of the slave trade." H.H. Johnston, "British Central Africa", p119. The peak in the top left hand photo looks very much like that in photo108-99.