A 'first' glimpse into the Maloti Mountains: the diary of James Murray Grant's expedition of 1873-74

Abstract

An unforseen consequence of the suppression of Langalibalele's Hlubi in 1873 was Joseph Orpen's encounter with the Bushman Qing, which led him to publish an account of Bushman myths and paintings that has proven crucial to the development of an ethnographically informed understanding of Bushman rock art. Rather less well known is the fact that Orpen was one of two British officers on this expedition across the Maloti Mountains of Lesotho. Here we publish for the first time the complete diary kept by his superior, James Murray Grant of the Frontier Armed and Mounted Police. As well as casting light on the political and military background to the Langalibalele affair, Grant's diary helps contextualise Orpen's encounter with Qing and provides important information on the social and natural history of the Maloti Mountains at a point midway between the disappearance of their Bushman inhabitants and their settlement by Basotho farmers.

To cite this article: Mitchell, P. & Challis, S. 2008. A 'first' glimpse into the Maloti Mountains: the diary of James Murray Grant's expedition of 1873-74. Southern African Humanities 20: 399-461.