Across Africa for Love and Glory

December 14, 2010 12:06 PM

Ewart Scott Grogan was a British-born figure of controversial sorts, the kind of fellow who would either end up buried in Westminster Abbey-or hanging from a yard-arm. After he survived as soldier in the Second Matabele War, he went on to be the first European to traverse the distance of the African continent from the South in Cape Town to Cairo in the North to win the hand of his bride-to-be from a skeptical father. He started the trek with the uncle of his bride-to-be in February 1898. Two years later, Grogan returned to London, a lone hero (the uncle turned back part way through). In 2007, MeFite Julian Smith retraced Grogan's path, "in part to dispel [his] own pre-wedding jitters," and wrote a book about Grogan's journey, and his own. [via mefi projects]

Julian Smith's site has a photo gallery and an excerpt from the book, and a link to an animated map of the path of his trip. The book is also available in part on Google Books.

posted by filthy light thief (5 comments total)

Never heard of Ewart Scott Grogan or his journey, but this looks like a great read based on that excerpt. Adding to buy list right now.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:58 PM on December 14, 2010

The story of Ewart Grogan, aka "Grogs," “Kenya’s Churchill” or "the leopard", extends well beyond those two years of his life. Other books cover his trek from south to north, and the rest of his life, and there's his own tale of the long journey, From the Cape to Cairo. That old tome was published in 1900 and is available on Google Books, including his ugly views on slavery.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:13 PM on December 14, 2010

That old tome was published in 1900

And dedicated to and forwarded by Cecil Rhodes, I see.
posted by IndigoJones at 2:34 PM on December 14, 2010

And when Cecil Rhodes had already set up a worldwide monopoly on diamonds. Interesting.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:42 PM on December 14, 2010

Wow, lots to dig into and read here. Thanks for posting this.
posted by Forktine at 5:06 PM on December 14, 2010