Charles Rawden Maclean facts for kids
Charles Rawden Maclean, also known as "John Ross", was an amazing Scottish explorer and sailor. He was born on August 17, 1815, in Fraserburgh, Scotland. He passed away at sea on March 13, 1880, while traveling to Southampton.
Ian Knight, a writer about the Zulu War, honored Maclean in 2009. He said Maclean was a "champion of liberty." His gravestone is special because it celebrates a positive connection between the British and Zulu people. Most other memorials remember conflicts.
Contents
Who Was John Ross?
It's a bit tricky to know everything about Charles Maclean's early life. There are only a few old writings that mention him. One writer, Nathaniel Isaacs, called him "John Ross." This might have been a nickname because of his ginger hair. Some people even think Isaacs made up the name because he forgot Maclean's real one! Isaacs' stories were often exciting, but not always perfectly accurate history.
Adventures in Port Natal and Zululand
In 1825, when he was just a young apprentice, Maclean sailed on a ship called The Mary. The ship was heading to Cape Town. Along the way, it stopped at St Helena. Then, it sailed to Port Natal (which is now Durban, South Africa). They were looking for some missing adventurers.
On October 1, The Mary arrived at Port Natal. But it hit a sandbank and got stuck! The crew had to rebuild the ship, which took three years.
Meeting King Shaka
After getting to shore, the crew found the camp of one of the adventurers, Francis Farewell. King, the ship's leader, and some of his crew visited Dingane, who was the brother of the powerful Zulu king, Shaka.
When King Shaka heard about their arrival, he asked King and his whole group to come to his village, called a kraal. Shaka welcomed them. But when they were leaving, Shaka asked Maclean to stay behind.
Maclean spent a lot of time at Shaka's kraal. He later wrote that he lived there for about three years. This was a very important time for him. He learned a lot about the Zulu people and their culture.
The Long Walk to Delagoa Bay
Two years after The Mary got stuck, the settlement ran out of medicine. They needed to get new supplies from Delagoa Bay (which is now Maputo, Mozambique). Isaacs wrote that "John Ross," who was about 15 years old, was chosen for this important journey.
Maclean agreed to walk to the Portuguese settlement. He had two porters with him. The journey was about 450 kilometres (280 mi) in a straight line. But because they had to go around wetlands and mangrove swamps, it was probably more than 600 kilometres (370 mi)! They also had to cross rivers full of crocodiles and hippopotamuses, like the wide Tugela River.
Maclean and his porters first went to King Shaka's kraal. Shaka was so impressed by Maclean's bravery that he sent 10 Zulu warriors to protect him on his journey. When Maclean reached the Tsonga territory, he paid his respects to a Tsonga chief named Makasane.
When he arrived at Delagoa Bay, people first thought he might be a Zulu spy. But they soon admired him. People were so impressed that they gave him the medicines he needed for free! Maclean only stayed for three days. He was very upset by the slave trade he saw there. He quickly returned to Port Natal by following the coast. His return journey took only three weeks.
Leaving Natal
The rebuilt ship, now called the Elizabeth and Susan, finally left Port Natal on April 30, 1828. It carried Maclean, Isaacs, and three Zulu ambassadors. King Shaka had sent these ambassadors to meet King George in England.
The ship stopped at Port Elizabeth. Sadly, the Zulu ambassadors were not treated well. They returned to Port Natal with King, Maclean, and Isaacs on August 17. King became sick and died on September 7. On September 22, King Shaka was sadly killed by his half-brother, Dingane. Because of this, many white residents, including Maclean, left Port Natal for their safety on December 1.
Life in St Lucia
In 1830, Maclean went back to sea. He mostly worked in the sugar trade, sailing between London and the island of St Lucia in the Caribbean.
In 1846, Maclean showed his strong character in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was the captain of the Susan King. When he docked, he refused to follow local rules that would have forced him to hand over his black crew members. The authorities then refused to let local black workers unload his ship. Maclean stood firm for what he believed was right.
In the 1850s, Maclean wrote many articles for The Nautical Magazine. He shared his experiences and observations from his time in Natal. He later settled in St Lucia. There, he held important jobs, including being a magistrate. This meant he helped solve problems between the white settlers and the people who had been freed from slavery. He was a fair mediator.
In 1856, while he was captain of the ship Gilbert Munro, Maclean and his wife visited the warzone in Crimea. His wife, Mrs. Maclean, was one of the few women at the Battle of Balaclava, alongside famous nurse Florence Nightingale.
In 1875, Maclean was the only white person left from the Port Natal community of the 1820s. He wrote a famous letter to The Times newspaper. In it, he supported Langalibalele, a Zulu chief who had been wrongly imprisoned. This letter showed how well Maclean understood Zulu culture. It also included his own account of his famous walk to Delagoa Bay.
Death and Lasting Memorials
In 1879, Maclean's health began to fail. The next year, he traveled to England on a ship called the RMS Larne to try and get better. He sadly died aboard the ship on March 13, 1880, near Southampton. He was buried in a simple grave in the Old Cemetery in Southampton.
On May 2, 2009, his grave was rededicated, and a special headstone was put up. The grave was draped with the new flag of South Africa and the Scottish flag.
Maclean is remembered in many ways. In the city of Durban, South Africa, there is a statue of "John Ross" outside John Ross House. There is also a plaque at the Old Fort, Durban.
The road bridge over the Tugela River, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from its mouth, is named the John Ross Bridge in his honor. There is also a road called the John Ross Highway that links Richards Bay to Empangeni.
He also gave his name to a powerful salvage tug boat called S.A. John Ross. This tug was built in Durban in 1976. At the time, it was one of the strongest tugs in the world!
Images for kids
-
Statue of "John Ross" at John Ross House, Durban
