South Africa General Mission

The four South African Republic half-penny green (disselboom) postage stamps are each tied by a Darkton double circle datestamp in black and dated 2^nd December 1897. These have 'Z.A.R. in the lower circle. On the reverse there is a single Pretoria datestamp for December 1897.

I pondered whether the envelope illustrated here held a letter reporting recent Swazieland proceedings, which were later published in the monthly editions of: South African Pioneer. A few months later we read in the January 1898 journal, that 1897 had been a famine year. ‘Miss Harris had given a local women food for her physical needs’. The Cattle had been dyeing of Rinderpest, but by 1898 they had been treated and were “Salted”, which increased their value. In February 1898 we read that the ‘Swazies very restless’ even so Georgina Gabb reported that there was, ‘Nothing definite to report this month’.

The strain on these missionaries, spiritual and physical must have been challenging for them, and there are reports of them being unwell. Hot summers were known as the fever season. During August 1904 we read that Miss. Porter and Miss. Gabb have at their disposal a furnished house in Jeppestown a suburb of Johannesburg, at a low rental thanks to Sister Evaline. Georgina Gabb sailed in the s.s. Umvolosi* in September 1904, ‘she hopes to go back to work in Swazieland should her health permit.’ Despite all these problems she soon returned and lived a long life and like all the other missionaries, appears to have found God everywhere.

* This was the second cargo ship named the s.s. Umvolosi, she was built during 1902, for 'Bullard King & Company, Limited’, London, to be engaged on the ‘Natal Direct Line’ from London to Durban (Natal) and, Delagoa Bay and Beira (Mozambique). She was 340feet long with a beam of 42feet 7inches, and by this time was able to use the Port of Durban which was then open to shipping for ships of her size.