IN TIME OF THE WAR - UNPUBLISHED AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT OF THE BOER WAR

This is a 219pp. neatly handwritten manuscript notebook bound in half leather and buckram. Original photograph of the author (as an older man) tipped in on a preliminary blank page. Circa 100 blank pages at the back. A photocopy of a handwritten note by the author laid down on the front pastedown states the following: 

"Whilst on commando, I whiled away portion of my leisure time by writing down my thoughts and impressions. These I kept in small note-books which I carried with me. Whilst in Delagoa and afterwards in Portugal, I continued these notes and afterwards had this book made at the printing works in Alcobaca, and transcribed into it the notes aforementioned. I regret that I discontinued the notes shortly after my arrival at Alcobaca in Portugal, because there was much to tell. But 'there was a woman' - the cause of it. A Portuguese courtship took up my time and inclination. Hence these notes must remain incomplete."

J.P. Malherbe was one of 900 Boers who crossed the border into Mozambique to end their part in the war in September 1900 and were transported to Portugal and held there until the cessation of hostilities. C R de Wet in Chapter 7 of his book Three Years War, says "This harbour (Delagoa Bay), then the only harbour in South Africa open to us, was subsequently forbidden us by the Portuguese Government, whose officials even went so far as to arrest eight hundred of our burghers (who, for want of horses, had taken refuge in Portuguese territory), and to send them to Portugal. (Ref: AngloBoerWar.com - which gives the full list of the 900 Boers including Malherbe). The story of these Boers is retold by Professor O.J.O. Ferreira in his book: Viva Os Boers! published in 2000 by Protea Bookhuis. 

The above is the background to this manuscript diary which is written in four parts.  Part 1. At the front. (121pp.) commences with the Siege of Ladysmith and the ten chapters include one on Amajuba. The last chapter is entitled "Across the Border". Part 2. (19pp.) Delagoa Bay. Part 3. (26pp.) Life on board a Portuguese Transport Ship. Part 4. (51pp.). Life Amongst the Portuguese. The manuscript is a narrative/part diary written in sophisticated and fluent, often poetic, English although Malherbe was presumably Afrikaans speaking. (The last two pages, written much later in Feb 1925, are in fact, oddly, written in Afrikaans). Malherbe was also something of a poet and a 1pp. foreword is a poem "Peace on Earth. Goodwill to Men". At the rear of the book is a 2pp. poem "The Fallen Flag". Other poems are scattered throughout the text. The main body of the work is a detailed and moving description and commentary on the War and in addition to battle details, the writer also delves into descriptions of the everyday existence of soldiers in the veld - how they prepared their meals, how they ate, how they slept. how they survived the bitter cold of winter and the heat of summer, how they spent their leisure time etc. etc. The manuscript offers perspectives on the nature, character and humanity of fighting men which is rarely dealt with in other accounts of the South African War. It is difficult to briefly give a more comprehensive description of this work, so I am including several images of several pages to convey the flavour of the work and will be happy to provide more information on request. Here is just one quote written just before the author crossed the border into Mozambique: 

"Again, farewell to the Transvaal. where war has been changed into savagery, where women and children were being turned out on the veldt, and where farmsteads were being burnt down by Lord Roberts and his humane policy (Heaven save the mark!). Adieu to a country, where at the beginning of the twentieth century, a civilised nation was resorting to the practices of barbarians who torture women and children in order to break the spirits of patriots who were defending their country." 

Condition.   There is some damp staining of lower corners of some pages - mainly affecting the blank pages at the rear of the book and a few preliminary pages including the page with the author's photograph. The title page has a 3x3cm. chip at the lower fore corner. Page 43 has a 5cm. tear repaired with archival tape. Generally the pages with the text are in good condition. 

A unique and probably previously unrecorded item.