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A number of years ago while passing thru London, an auction house friend of mine asked me to accompany him to pick up some framed pictures being disposed of. The Dragoon Gds were refurbishing the NCO Reading Room. In the process I expressed interest in this one. An original pen and ink drawing of one of the editorial writer F. Carruthers Gould's famous Krueger as a Tortoise Cartoons. Lo and Behold it soon became mine. Without the original frame. I finally found a frame to fit and it now proudly hands in my Study. It is probably my favorite ABW Item of all time. You can recognize the men riding on the tortoise's back. Last of all, my Baden Powell

BP
Years ago, I was a bit puzzled by the British cartoonist's frequent inclusion of a tortoise when lampooning ZAR President Kruger. The then-current meaning of such allusions becomes lost over the years. However, I did find an explanation for the period combination of Pres. Kruger and a tortoise - as shown in the cartoon gracing your study.
Immediately prior to the Jameson Raid, Pres. Kruger heard rumours of "something" in the wind and was urged to act first. He is reported to have told his advisors; " Wait until the time comes. Take a tortoise; if you want to kill it, you must wait until it puts out its head and then you cut it off". The most definitive attribution of this quote will be found in Chris Ash's book "The IF Man". Chris Ash cites Vol.1, page 137 of the History of the British South Africa Police.
Regards
IL.

Linneyl
Thank you for your comments. I did not know of the reported Jameson Origin. There were a series of the Kruger Tortoise Cartoons, or so I have been told. I have seen only a copy of one other, Kruger with neck extended out and looking around saying " BOBS- Where ?" I would like to find the relevant issues of the Westminster Gazette and see the entire series. The editorial cartoonist, Carruthers Gould, illustrated several adult alphabet books. Next to me is one which also contains ABW related cartoons.
BP

Here are two of the Carruthers Gould Cartoons as mentioned in my previous message. Messed up trying to attach them.
BP
BP

Here are 2 original invitation cards to Carruthers Gould exhibitions of his original cartoons, one for the the Westminster Gazette and one for Froissart's Modern Chronicles, both of which have Boer War relevance.

The cartoons were published in a cheaper paperback version and a cloth covered edition limited to 250 copies. The latter was bound with gutta percha and does not survive well. Both have 50 cartoons. I can scan some of these if anyone wants to see them.