An item dated Cape Town 2 April reported that the transport Chicago was sent to Beira with on board of the Australian corps (2), horses, mules and materials for the Rhodesia railways.(3) War stores and victuals were also underway to Beira (1). The newspaper De Zeeuw dated 5 April confirmed the sending of troops from Cape Town via the Portuguese harbour Beira towards Rhodesia [Zimbabwe]. With the transport Chicago was a part of the so-called Australian bushmen corps send with horses, mules and material for the Rhodesian railways. The newspaper believed that the Boers would regarded Portugal not longer neutral in this war allowing England using Beira.
Notes
1. The town Beira was in 1890 under the name Chiveve founded by the Portuguese royal Mozambique Company (Companhia de Moçambique) and became the main port in this Portuguese colony.
2. For more details about the Australians in the Anglo-Boer War see the following link http://www.bwm.org.au/site/Background.asp
3. The website http://www.geoffs-trains.com/Museum/history.html mentioned that the construction of this railway temporarily was stopped as the Anglo-Boer War broke out when materials was used for the Beira line.
Notes
1. The town Beira was in 1890 under the name Chiveve founded by the Portuguese royal Mozambique Company (Companhia de Moçambique) and became the main port in this Portuguese colony.
2. For more details about the Australians in the Anglo-Boer War see the following link http://www.bwm.org.au/site/Background.asp
3. The website http://www.geoffs-trains.com/Museum/history.html mentioned that the construction of this railway temporarily was stopped as the Anglo-Boer War broke out when materials was used for the Beira line.
