Zambezi Blogger

|

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

A Baines Eye View of the Falls


Its 1858 and Livingstone is viewing the awesome spectacle
that he was to name Victoria Falls.

John Thomas Baines had been appointed the artist to
Livingstone's expedition to the Zambezi.
After quarrelling with Livingstone Baines was unfairly
discharged for theft.

Its now 23 July 1862 and Baines is on another expedition
to Victoria Falls.

He has come to clear his name but Dr. Livingstone
has moved on.

However it is on this expedition that he was to paint
many of the famous scenes of the Victoria Falls and
Zambezi river.

Baines was certainly not an under-achiever.
Scenic and portrait artist, cartographer, diarist and scientific
observer of fauna and flora, he was also an explorer,
store keeper and writer.

The Thomas Baines Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape (South Africa)
is named after the illustrious man who left invaluable
records of the diversity of fauna and flora in the region
including the now extinct guagga.

It was not only southern Africa that he explored, he headed up
an expedition to northern Australia to explore the Victoria
River.
For his contribution Mount Baines and Baines River
are named in honour of him.

1 Comments:

At Thursday, March 18, 2010 6:08:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I join. So happens. Let's discuss this question. Here or in PM.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com