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Today
Chinde in Portuguese East Africa, is almost an island for the
strong equinox tides have washed away all but a narrow causeway
joining it to the mainland. Nor is there any longer a British
Concession there, for, with the building of the railway from Beira,
Chinde ceased to be the entrance into Nyasaland.
I travelled out with my baby son from England to Beira in the S.S.
Inanda, and from Beira to Chinde in a small German tug. My husband
met me on my arrival and took me to a double-storey building for
refreshments. Then I begged him to take me to our house as I was
anxious to settle in, and to rest, for I was very weary as I had not
undressed nor slept for the 36 hours we had been on the tug. To my
surprise my husband told me that this six-roomed building, with its
lovely view over Chinde harbour, was our home. I was delighted for I
had been quite sure I would have to live in a mud hut in Africa!
The years at Chinde were very happy, though people passing through
often asked “However do you live on this sandpit?” Granted, the
heat and mosquitoes were pretty bad, and we had no fresh flowers,
vegetables or milk. But we did have the beach and the sea and
sufficient congenial company for a happy social life. We played a
lot of bridge and tennis – there were three courts in the
concession – and we usually had a musical evening once a week.
Occasionally there was a Sports Day at the Club at which there were
always special events for the ladies.
One
great boon, which many people to-day will envy, was the great
variety of fish we got. Each householder had his own fisherman who
was paid a fixed monthly wage to bring fish to the house daily.
After the housewife had taken all she wanted, including crabs, and
oysters and prawns, the fisherman was at liberty to do what he liked
with the rest of his catch.
There were only a few little grocer shops at Chinde, but
occasionally, especially at Christmas time, we went out by tug to a
big liner where we did our shopping in the ship’s barber shop.
There was no hospital at Chinde but the Portuguese government
doctors were very good and the British women in the Concession took
turns at nursing the maternity cases. I had five babies born in
Chinde and they all thrived happily.
During the 1914-1918 war Chinde was a very busy place as troops were
passing through continually on their way to Nyasaland and German
East (now Tanganyika). A very large rest hut was built at the Chinde
Sports Club for the troops, many of whom camped out on the playing
field. The ladies in the Concession were kept busy baking for the
soldiers and helping to entertain them.
To-day I am living in Blantyre and nearly all of my ten children and
26 grandchildren are in Nyasaland too. Looking back on the old days
in Chinde I have no regrets. I am proud and happy that I was one of
those privileged to share in the pioneering of Nyasaland.
This article may be
re-published on your website as long as the following by-line is
included.
Copyright 2002.
Maggie Halliday is the founder and owner of International Woman, the
magazine connecting women around the world. Visit her website at http://www.internationalwoman.net
to find recipes, weddings, articles and much more!
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