land. A month later (August 14) Dr. Jameson sent his historic letter to Captain Allan Wilson, the "Officer commanding the Victoria Defence Force." The exact wording of this document was only revealed, in 1918, at the Privy Council Inquiry into the company's claim to proprietorship over the land of Southern Rhodesia, to which allusion has already been made. Its substance had been known in South Africa for some years [together with the creation of a "Loot-Committee" to give effect to its terms after the "smashing" had been duly administered.] Its full text has been published this year by the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society.[1]
In this communication, which we are entitled to assume was made without the knowledge of the High Commissioner or of the Secretary of State, Dr. Jameson undertook, on behalf of the company, that every trooper engaged in the forthcoming expedition should receive 3,000 morgen (nearly nine square miles) of land. The company retained the right of purchase "at any time" at the rate of £3 per morgen. The potential value of the grant was, therefore, £9,000.[2] Every trooper would also be permitted to peg out twenty gold claims. The communication additionally provided that: "7. The 'loot' shall he divided, one-half to the B.S.A. Company, and the remainder to officers and men in equal shares."
As the only lootable property possessed by the Matabele (apart from their land and its minerals) was cattle, "loot" could have referred to nothing else, and large quantities of cattle, as we shall see, were eventually seized. To reckon the potential value of the twenty gold claims and his share of the "loot" together at £1,000 per trooper, would be ridiculously low. 'But on that basis it will be seen that the incentive to participate in the invasion of this African community, enjoying British protection, was £10,000—£9,000 in land, £1,000 in gold and cattle—per invader.[3] According to Messrs. W. A.
- ↑ In a pamphlet, published after these chapters were written, in which many of the facts here stated can be verified. ["An Appeal to the Parliament and People of Great Britain, the Dominions and the Dependencies."]
- ↑ It is now known that much larger grants were made in some instances.
- ↑ It has just been recorded before Lord Cave's Commission of Enquiry into the claims of the Company that the looted cattle fetched 35s. per head See further on for the numbers looted, in various ways.
