User:David Kernow/Charles John Andersson

Charles John Andersson

Charles John (Carl Johann) Andersson (1827 – 1867) was a Swedish ornithologist and explorer of southern Africa.

In 1849, Andersson accompanied Francis Galton on his expedition to southern Africa

http://htpprints.yorku.ca/archive/00000125/00/biographyterminable.html

Charles Andersson, for example, was Galton's second-in-command on his African expedition. When Galton became exhausted and returned home before fulfilling all of his original goals, Andersson stayed behind and continued to explore for two more years. He achieved the original goals, and most histories of Namibia name Andersson rather than Galton as the territory's most important early explorer.

When the weary Andersson returned to England, he solicited Galton's help in finding a publisher for a book about his travels. In one sense, Galton was gracious, for he publicly praised Andersson's work, and arranged for him to be presented with a gift set of surveying instruments by the Royal Geographical Society.

But when Andersson asked for a loan of £40 to tide him over, Galton replied with a patronizing letter quoting Shakespeare to the effect that "loan oft loseth both itself and friend." Then came a gratuitous scolding. If only Andersson had worked his passage home from Africa as a common sailor, or had written his book while on shipboard so as to have a manuscript ready to sell upon his arrival, he would not be in this fix. Andersson knew full well that this advice was coming from someone who had not done a lick of work on his own return from Africa, and who had required several additional months of convalescence upon getting home.

He also knew that Galton had received the RGS Gold Medal for an accomplishment that was objectively considerably less than his own. To his credit, Andersson replied with dignity. He accepted his token recognition from the RGS gracefully, and thereafter maintained civil but decidedly cool relations with Galton.

http://www.sunvil.co.uk/Africa/namibia/guidebook/ch02.htm

By around 1850 ... Charles John Andersson was particularly important, both for his own role in shaping events, and also for the clear documentation that he left behind, including the fascinating books Lake Ngami and The River Okavango (see Further Reading) – chronicling his great journeys of the late 1850s.

In 1860 he bought up the assets of a mining company, and set up a centre for trading at Otjimbingwe, a very strategic position on the Swakop River, half-way between Walvis Bay and Windhoek.

http://www.michaelstevenson.com/paintings/baines1.htm: At Otjimbingwe, Baines was hoping to meet Charles John Andersson, an Anglo-Swedish explorer who had recently bought the Walvis Bay Mining Company's establishment there and had travelled the interior extensively.

http://www.henckert.com/karibib/otjimbingwe.htm: Six years later, in 1855, rich copper deposits were found in the Khomas highlands, and the Walwich Bay Mining Company was founded in Cape Town, with its offices in Otjimbingwe, to exploit the deposits at the Matchless Mine, which then were transported with ox-wagons from Otjimbingwe to Walvis Bay. By 1860, the copper deposits were yielding too little for further mining activities, and subsequently the mine closed down and sold its buildings in Otjimbingwe to Charles Andersson for a whopping 1500 pounds.

In the early 1860s he traded with the Nama groups in the area, and started to open up routes into the Herero lands further north and east. However, after losing cattle to a Nama raid in 1861, he recruited hunters (some the contemporary equivalent of mercenaries) to expand his operations and protect his interests.

In 1863 the eldest son of Jonker Afrikaner led a foolish raid on Otjimbingwe. He was defeated and killed by Andersson’s men, adding to the leadership crisis amongst the Nama groups. By 1864 Andersson had formed an alliance with the paramount Herero chief, Kamaherero, and together they led a large army into battle with the Afrikaner Namas at Windhoek. This was indecisive, but did clearly mark the end of Nama domination of central Namibia, as well as inflicting a wound on Andersson from which he never fully recovered.

http://darwin.lib.cam.ac.uk/perl/nav?pclass=name;pkey=Andersson%2C%20C.%20J.

Swedish-born ornithologist, hunter and explorer. Accompanied Francis Galton to South Africa in 1849. Organised a successful expedition to Lake Ngami and published an account of the expedition in 1856. Continued to explore the South African interior and to carry out ornithological studies.

The Damara did indeed have a flag for a while. In 1864 Charles John Andersson, an Anglo-Swedish explorer, was elected Chief of the Damara.

http://www.baobabexpeditions.com/expeditions/guided_expeditions/andersson.php

In 1850, the intrepid Swedish explorer Charles Andersson explored the un-chartered territories of Namibia. Putting Damaraland on the map was one of his greatest achievements, and in doing so, he was elected Chief of the Damara. He has since been heralded as one of Africa's greatest explorers.

http://www.polybiblio.com/shapero/43523.html

ANDERSSON, Charles John. Lake Ngami; or, explorations and discoveries, during four years´ wanderings in the wilds of South Western Africa. Hurst and Blackett, London 1856

The narrative describes two expeditions, one in which the author was accompanied by Francis Galton in the Ovampo country, and the other when he travelled by himself to Lake Ngami. The courage and endurance of the explorers were remarkable ... few, if any, books give so full and complete an account of Namaqualand, Damaraland, and the Ovampo country and the description of the fauna of these countries is absolutely unequalled. (Mendelssohn). A cornerstone book of African hunting in the middle of the nineteenth century.

http://www.african.gu.se/aa/pdfs/aa03041.pdf - page 8 to 9