CHAPTER XVI. 



ALEX. STRUBEN'S TRIP TO ZOUTPANSBERG 

 AND THE ZAMBESI. 



In a copy of the newspaper South Africa, of 

 August 31st, 1895, 1 find a short notice of my brother 

 Alex's trip to the Zambesi. It says "Mr. Struben 

 was the first white man to visit Umzila, the Gaza 

 Chief, in his kraal (at the head waters of the Busi), 

 from the Transvaal, if not actually the first white 

 man there." It was in 1865 that he left Zoutpans- 

 berg. He crossed the Limpopo at the Pafuri Junction, 

 and then the Nuanotsi, descended the berg, crossed 

 the Lundi and Sabi rivers through country never 

 before visited. He was badly received by Umzila, 

 and cruelly treated. Some of his donkeys died 

 (probably of tsetse fly bite), and he himself was 

 stricken with fever. He regained Zoutpansberg 

 after great hardships but was unabl^ to recover from 

 the effects and soon died. 



"It is unfortunate that no particulars of this 

 very interesting journey can be obtained." This 

 was written by George Lacy in his " Explorers of 

 South Africa," who also mentions Captain Shelley, 

 who explored all about Lake N'gami in 1852. Shelley 

 stayed with us in Ladysmith for some months, and 

 Alex, used to listen with avidity to his tales of travel 

 and hunting. 



My brother, Alexander Betts Struben, who was 

 in the Natal Civil Service, obtained leave of absence 

 on account of ill-health, and in February 1863, left 

 with me for the Transvaal. After spending some 

 time with me shooting in the bush veld, he got a 



