The Great Nyasaland Land Swindle 1885 - 1893

The June Newsletter about Sir Harry Johnston, precipitated a number of communications concerning my comments about Sir Harry's relations with Cecil Rhodes and, most particularly, the Rhodes agents land grab. Comments ranged from "The land acquisitions were fair and equitable" to "Rhodes and his agents and, in fact, all of the early Nyasaland and Central African settlers, were extremely fair in their land arrangements with the natives".
In a word, these comments are patently "absurd"! The "Treaties Negotiated Between the African Lakes Company, Limited, and the Nyasaland Chiefs", concluded the first stage of the settler land swindle, and clearly speak for themselves. These 23 separate "treaties" were "negotiated" between 21 April, 1885 and 24 August, 1885, by an African Lakes team, led by John W. Moir and his traveling witnesses, William Harkness and Alexander Carnegie Ross. …