Scrapbook with numerous contemporary cuttings from English newspapers, in the main relating to the Zulu War (1879) and the First Boer War (1880-1881); together with some poetical transcriptions in a contemporary hand.

The cuttings are laid down in a contemporary landscape 8vo scrapbook (dimensions of leaf roughly 15 cm x 25), with brown calf spine and marbled boards and endpapers. The scrapbook is worn and loose, but the cuttings, although on high acidity paper, are clear and entirely legible. A unique assemblage, casting valuable contemporary light on the two conflicts from the British point of view. The cuttings, many of them extensive, relating to the Zulu War begin at one end and those relating to the First Boer War at the other. The Zulu War section consists of 64 pp, and begins with a report from the ' "Times" Office, Saturday, 6 p.m.', headed 'THE ZULU WAR' and reporting the British defeat at Isandlwana. Other articles are headed 'Colonel Bellair's Circular', 'Latest New up to This Morning. Arrival of the General in Town. No Zulus in Natal.', 'Hendrik Potgieter's Campaign', 'A Second Visit to Isandhlwana', 'Quarter Evil. To the Editor of the Natal Colonist', 'Isandhlwana. Burial of the Dead', 'The Future of Zululand', 'A Black Philosopher', 'The Treatment of Caffres in South Africa', 'Imperialism', 'The Zulu Army', 'Dean Green on the Zulu War' and 'Sir Garnet Wolseley on Sir Bartle Frere'. Perhaps half of this section consists of unrelated material, mostly poetical, and some of it in a contemporary manuscript hand, by which a few of the printed items are docketed or corrected (i.e. the poem 'Isandhlwana and Hlobane' by 'A Colonial Girl' is attributed to 'Miss Potter'). The First Boer War section, beginning at the other end of the scrapbook consists of around 190 pages of newspaper cuttings, exclusively relating to the War, and covering it from beginning to aftermath. The first cutting is headed 'The Boer Rebellion. Her Majesty's Mails Stopped. The Boer Army near Heidelburg. All Quiet at Sanderton.' Other headings include 'Murder of Capt. Elliott', 'The Attack on the 94th. Narrative by a Survivor', 'The Attack on Potchefstroom', 'The Fight at Laing's Neck', 'Further Details of the Fight at Schuins Hoogte', 'Taking of Wakkerstroom', 'Colonel Lanyon's Account of the origin of the Rebellion', 'Another Account of the Bronkersspruit Affair', 'The Boer Version of the Ingogo Battle', 'Action at Amajuba Hill', 'Telegrams from the Front. The Peace Negotiations. Meeting of General Wood and the Boer Leaders', 'The Late Boer Rebellion', 'The Late War. Our Transvaal Letter. Our Special at Sanderton, Sanderton, Transvaal, March 31', 'Dr. Barbour's Murder' and 'The Siege of Potchefstroom. Splendid Conduct of Young Officers'. One or two items of later date loosely inserted, as well as the bookplate of Ellis Fasser, an ancestor of whom appears to have compiled the scrapbook.