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In
1855 David Livingstone, missionary and physician, travelled
down the Zambezi river to see for himself the area known locally
as ‘the smoke that thunders’. It was during this
expedition that he became the first European to witness the
magnificence of Victoria Falls. The whole scene was extremely
beautiful and prompted him to write ‘scenes so lovely
must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight’.
David Livingstone and The stunning Victoria
Falls.
Victoria
Falls is Zimbabwe’s contribution to the world’s
great attractions. The Falls measure 1.7km wide and drop between
90m and 107m into the Zambezi Gorge. During the peak flood
an average of 5 million cubic metres of water plummet over
the edge every minute.
The
19th Century period witnessed the expansion of European countries
into Africa. During this period Cecil John Rhodes, British
national and imperialist, aimed at colonising a great deal
of Africa, had a dream to build a railway line linking the
Cape to Cairo. This was not achieved as it only reached the
Copperbelt in Zambia.
Cecil Rhodes, a pin recovered
from a tie, the Victoria Falls Bridge under construction in
1904, an old locomotive and the bridge as it is today.
The
Victoria Falls Bridge carries the famous Cape to Cairo railway.
The bridge was commissioned by Cecil John Rhodes in 1900,
although he never visited the Falls and died before construction
began, he expressed his wish that the “railway should
cross the Zambezi just below the Victoria Falls. I should
like to have the spray of the Falls over the carriages.”
The
railway sleepers were cut at the beginning of the Century
from exceptionally durable African hardwoods. Because of the
years spent on the railway lines where they were exposed to
the full fury of the elements and hugely heavy trains thundering
over them, the sleepers develop a particular character or
‘distressed’ look. We purchase these sleepers
as they are replaced by concrete, and transport them to our
workshop where they are hand crafted by African craftsmen.
The designs are kept simple to enhance the natural beauty
of the grain and texture of the timber.
From
left - Smooth character, medium character and heavy character
Railroad Tie Wood.
African
Teak is an exceptionally beautiful timber harvested from the
Baikaea Plurijuga tree. It is a very dense, and therefore
hard, wood. However, because it is so hard it is extremely
resistant to biological attack and physical wear and tear,
and will last, if looked after, for many hundreds of years.
You are purchasing a future antique!!
From
left - Smooth character Mine Railroad Tie, Harvested Teak
and Zambezi Teak (good for outdoors).
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