That is very interesting and a little sad to, but, so often borders were an issue and so many people had their own particular interests at heart, actually defining a border was not always clear cut either.
The end result here comes as no real surprise whatsoever, the companies forces were all powerful, even as early as 1891 and it would be a brave man to take them on, they were not to be messed around with and their masters had their own agenda which was often at odds with the wishes of the British Government.
Certainly well before the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War, the Colonial Office had made an attempt to shore up the Portuguese issue, of course, they were a long term ally of Great Britain, although, the establishment here seemed to have been rather complacent in making a treaty with them, because they could only envisage waging war upon the ZAR, I suppose it was understandable and would certainly have made sense at the time.
After all, not only did they not want to go to the expense of having to fight the OVS government, but, there was no wretched gold in that country either.
BereniceUK wrote:
THE CHARTERED COMPANY'S EXPEDITION.
CONFLICT WITH PORTUGUESE.
LOSS OF SEVERAL LIVES.
[REUTER'S TELEGRAM.]
CAPETOWN, Sunday.
It is reported here from Beira that a conflict has occurred between the Portuguese and the forces of the British South Africa Chartered Company. From the meagre accounts received up to the present it is not clear whether the collision occurred in Manicaland or on the Mashonaland side of the Maskeke River, which forms the boundary between the British and Portuguese spheres under the old convention, but it would appear that the Portuguese were the aggressors. A force of 200 Portuguese and 500 natives reached Massi-Kessi on May 11th, and finding that the place had been evacuated by the Chartered Company's officers pushed on across country in direction of Fort Salisbury. On the way they met a detachment of 60 men of the Chartered Company's police, and a collision ensued, in which the Portuguese were defeated with the loss of seven killed and several wounded. The Pungwe route to Mashonaland has been again closed by the Portuguese authorities.
(South Wales Daily News, 25th May 1891)
