Friday, 22 August 1997
index day 1 day 2, part 1
day 2, part 2 day 3 day 4
"It can truthfully be said that van Rooyen did more to enhance the reputation of this breed that anyone else." C. H. Edmonds |
La Bonka lodge
On the safari
Mrs Rosenfels
Mangwe laager
Lee's house
The ascent to Lee's house
Mangwe area at Weltevreden
A Weltevreden brick
Cornelius van Rooyen and Mangwe... The afternoon before we had left Eskdale farm heading to Mangwe, the area where the earliest pioneers came from the south to then Rhodesia. This is the area where Cornelius "Nellis" van Rooyen, one of the most famed hunters at the time, used to live and hunt and where he owned a farm. Nellis farm was only 90 Km south of Hope Fountain. The Mission was sited at a crossroad and stopping place for hunters, pioneers, traders travelling across the the region, and among the people visiting the Helms there was van Rooyen. Nellis had a pack of hunting dogs, and hit by the crested dogs Helm brought with him to Matabeleland, he crossed them with his own dogs, producing hunting dogs which started to be known as "van Rooyen dogs". Thus the selection of the breed was started.
La Bonka Lodge is where we spent the night before our visit to Mangwe, after leaving Eskdale farm. In this bush camp we had lovely and lively talks about RRs, watching the pictures many of us had with them from home, snacking on billtong and beer, having gorgeous food in a homy country style dining room with large game trophies hanging on the walls and a cozy blazing fireplace! On the morning of the third day we went to a photo safari in an open truck, where I got my moment of glory: a bruise on my ear due to a piece of tree branch which hit me blown away by the truck...wounded in Zimbabwe, on the 75th anniversary of the foundation of The Parent Club...
Mangwe Laager is the place we visited in the afternoon with Mrs. Rosenfels, descendant of an early pioneering family and owner of the lodge. She showed us the Mangwe laager where Van Rooyen and other pioneers (including Mrs Rosenfels ancestors) with their families, cattles and packs of dogs, gathered for several weeks fearing an attack during the 1896 Matabele Rebellion, known as the first chiMurenga.
Lee's House is where we drove off soon after. John Lee was a pioneer and hunter, a man of inluence at the time, whose house became an important stopping place for many hunters and travellers. He also married Van Rooyen older sister. Cornelius used to spend some time at Mangwe with Lee and going hunting with Lees's sons and he was very likely to have his "Lion dogs" with him. The ruins of the house lie in a wonderfull place between an affluent of the Mangwe river (dry at that time) and Lee's rock and Lee's castle, two rocky outcrops in the far background marking the skyline. The walk to his house was great, across a rocky plateau in the light of an approaching sunset, all the way up to the back of the house where Lee's son Hans at a very young age shot dead a lion attacking the cattle in the pen!
Van Rooyen Farm...a quick visit to the Mangwe cemetery (Van Rooyen is not buried there) and a fast drive to see Van Rooyen first farm in Mangwe, Weltevreden, before the night dropped. There we met Mr. Rosenfels (Mrs. Rosenfels brother-in-law) who guided us through thick bushes to what was left of Van Rooyen farm: a pile of earth and a few bricks. Mr. Rosenfels could not believe we all came from several countries in the world just to see that debris! "I cant believe it" he kept saying banging his walking stick on the bricks! The way back to the camp in the dust of the car ahead and in the dark was a hard task for our driver, but Linda made it safely! We had then good food, maybe not so good wine, but a very good time together, and a sound sleep to gain forces for our fourth day trip!
La Bonka dining room
La Bonka's throphies...
Mr Rosenfels
Weltevreden debris
Myself
