Dr. Andrew Smith is in 1797 gebore in nederige omstandighede in Roxburghshire. Soos vele ander Lowland Skotte, het hy deur harde werk ‘n goeie opvoeding verkry en het in medisyne gekwalifiseer in Edinburgh. Hy het die weermag mediese diens betree, en is in 1820 na die Kaap van Goeie Hoop gestuur om toesig te hou oor die mediese sorg van soldate. Hy was in Grahamstad gebaseer in word in 1822 aangestel as die Albany distrikgeneesheer. Hy is ook die vader van dierkunde in Suid-Afrika. Sy publikasie, Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa, beskryf ‘n wye verskeidenheid spesies.
Dr Andrew Smith tydens die Ekspedisie (Skets deur Charles Bell)
Goewerneurs het Smith verskeie kere gestuur om die inheemse stamme buite die Kolonie grense te besoek. Tydens hierdie ekspedisies kon hy sy nuuskierigheid oor natuurlike geskiedenis en antropologie bevredig.
In 1833 vertrek Andrew Smith op ‘n 18-maand ekspedisie na Basoetoland, Kuruman, die hoofkwartiere van Mzilikazi (die hoof van die Ndebele) en so ver noord as die Magaliesberg. Hy word onder andere vergesel deur Charles Bell, ‘n kunstenaar. Smith het terug gekeer met twee van Mzilikazi se adviseurs wat ‘n alliansie met die Kaap Kolonie gesmee het namens hulle opperhoof. Smith se Report of the expedition for exploring Central Africa is in 1836 gepubliseer. Behalwe vir twee kort verslae wat verskyn het na sy terugkeer na Kaapstad in 1836, is geen gedetailleerde verslag van sy reistogte ooit gepubliseer nie.
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Eerste ontvangs van Smith deur Mzilihazi (Skets deur Charles Bell)
Die Dagboek van Smith wat hy bygehou het tydens die Expedition for Exploring Central Africa is in die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum in Kaapstad ontdek in die laat 1930’s en is deur Percival R Kirby geredigeer. Dit is deur die VRS in twee bundels gepubliseer – Vol I-20 in 1939 en Vol I-21 in 1940. Die eerste bundel dek Smith se reistog na die hedendaagse Basoetoland waar hy Moshesh, die welbekende opperhoof van die Basoetoe, by sy vesting Thaba Bosigo besoek het. Hy het van hier na Kuruman gereis waar Dr Robert Moffat hom verwelkom het. Laasgenoemde het hom vergesel op sy verkenning van die Ndebele area. Soos reeds genoem, besoek Smith ook Mzilikazi en verken hy die Oori, Mariqua en Limpopo riviere.
Robert Moffit se sendingstasie in Kuruman (Skets deur Charles Bell)
Die eerste bundel dek die reistog tot 9 Mei 1835, voor hulle verder noord begin reis het.
UITTREKSEL UIT DIE TEKS
“Abram Kok, one of the chief’s sons, lives near where we halted, He has a mat house and no furniture. His wife [was] dressed in leather and his face [was] painted red to protect it against the sun and wind. [He] has a little land under cultivation. Several other spots of cultivated land observable from the road. The place where we halted is called Bank Fonteyn, and belongs to Adam Kok. Here is a small river which runs during the rainy season; also a little land under cultivation which requires to be irrigated, and for that purpose a dam has been formed above the land. A person living here in the capacity of a servant asked 8 Rds. for a small year old calf and would take nothing less. They evince but little desire to part with their property, and they appear to fancy that we must take what they offer and at any price they choose to fix. In this respect they approximate to the Colonial farmers. Everywhere complaints about the Boers, and about losses they sustain by having the grass eaten off by their cattle. The complaint appears just, as everywhere immense flocks and herds are to be seen feeding over the entire country in this direction, and even the farmers are actually residing close to the houses of the Bastards, and threatening them, if they do [not] rest quietly, that the circumstance will be reported to Government. The places will then be taken and measured out to the colonists. The Bastards in consequence of these observations appear very miserable, and will neither sow nor build, if their own statements are to be credited, lest they should by a step of Government might lose both labour and property. Their minds ought to be set at rest on this subject.
12 SEPTEMBER (FRIDAY).
About 2 o’clock left Bank Fonteyn, and about ½ past six reached Bosch Spruit, the property of a Bastard from the Roggeveldt. He purchased this property from Hendrick Hendricks for 100 Rds. It is well supplied with water, having close to the house in the channel of the stream four or five very large deep holes. The water, however, is so low at present that it cannot with the means he possesses be led out. By means of a pump a sufficiency would be obtained to irrigate a very considerable portion of land. He complains of being very poor, having only about 200 goats. Several persons reside in the place with him, who have come there in consequence of the drought in other directions. On the flats, but especially on the hills, an abundance of dry grass. Close to him are farmers residing with their flocks, and actually the cattle of those individuals may be seen feeding almost upon the very precincts of the house. Wherever the eye can be turned nothing but flocks of sheep and herds of cattle are to be seen together, with here and there a wagon or two, the temporary abodes of the farmers.
Bastards acknowledge one serious inconvenience which is experienced on this side of the Colonial boundary, namely the non-existence of firm and just laws. They speak of the great proportion of inhabitants being in one family and of the chief not being inclined to go against his own relatives.”
Geredigeer deur Percival R. Kirby
Die musikoloog, Percival Kirby, het die dagboek in die Suid-Afrikaanse Museum ontdek waar dit sedert 1913 was.