Children of Hope: The Odyssey of the Oromo Slaves from Ethiopia to South Africa

353 Pages·2019·6.81 MB·English

by  Sandra Rowoldt Shell

Childrenhope
of
The odyssey of the oromo
Slaves from ethiopia
to South Africa
Sandra rowoldt Shell
CHILDREN OF HOPE
HOPE
Children of

SANDRA ROWOLDT SHELL
The Odyssey of the Oromo Slaves
from Ethiopia to South Africa Ohio University Press
Athens
HOPE
Children of

SANDRA ROWOLDT SHELL
Ohio University Press
Athens
Ohio University Press, Athens, Ohio 45701
ohioswallow.com
© 2018 by Ohio University Press
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Shell, Sandra Rowoldt, author.
Title: Children of hope : the odyssey of the Oromo slaves from Ethiopia to
South Africa / Sandra Rowoldt Shell.
Description: Athens, Ohio : Ohio University Press, 2018. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018025973| ISBN 9780821423189 (hc : alk. paper) | ISBN
9780821446324 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Child slaves--Ethiopia--Biography. | Slave
trade--Ethiopia--History. | Oromo (African people)--South
Africa--Lovedale--History.
Classification: LCC HT869 .S54 2018 | DDC 306.3/62092393550963 [B] --dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018025973
To the memory of Robert Shell
and the courage and
resilience of the Oromo children

Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xv
Introductory Ruminations 1
Part I
Roots: Memories of Home 13
Chapter 1 Ethiopia: The Lie of the Land 15
Chapter 2 The Family Structure of the Oromo Captives 29
Chapter 3 Wealth and Status of the Oromo Captives’ Families 42
Chapter 4 Topography, Domicile, and Ethnicity of
the Oromo Captives 52
Part II
Routes: From Capture to the Coast 61
Chapter 5 The Moment of Capture 63
Chapter 6 On the Road 73
Part III
Revival: From Osprey to Lovedale 95
Chapter 7 Interception to Aden 97
Chapter 8 Sojourn in the Desert and the Onward Voyage 111
Chapter 9 By Sea and Land to Lovedale 122
Chapter 10 Education at Lovedale 131
vii
viii CONTENTS
Part IV
Return: Forging a Future 155
Chapter 11 Going Home 157
Part V
Reflections 185
Appendices 201
Appendix A The Variables and Authentication of the Data 203
Appendix B The Oromo Narratives 213
Appendix C Gazetteer of Place-Names in the Narratives 257
Appendix D “My Essay Is upon Gallaland,” by Gutama Tarafo 261
Appendix E Repatriation Questionnaire, 1903 263

Notes 265
Selected Bibliography 307
Index 323
Illustrations
Figures
1.1. Mountainous terrain between Axum and Lalibela in Ethiopia 17
1.2. Holy tree festooned with cloth and votive offerings for
Oromo worship 20
1.3. Ancient walled city of Harar 25
2.1. Oromo children shortly after their arrival at the Keith-Falconer
Mission 34
3.1. Oromo oxen 48
3.2. Cavalry on the Wadela plateau in Ethiopia 50
6.1. Billy King’s descent from highlands to coast 75
7.1. Cross section of a two-masted slave dhow 98
7.2. Gardner gun 100
7.3. Tadjoura in the mid-nineteenth century 102
7.4. Modern Rahayta/Raheita/Araito 104
7.5. Slave ship captured by HMS Osprey, ca. 1885 106
8.1. Aden in 1882 112
8.2. Oromo children on arrival at Sheikh Othman, September 1888 114
8.3. Reverend William Gardner at Sheikh Othman 115
8.4. Keith-Falconer School: boys on ground floor;
girls on upper floor, 1889 117
8.5. Keith-Falconer Mission: Oromo children and missionaries 118
8.6. Berille Boko at Lovedale, ca. 1899 119
8.7. Oromo children at Sheikh Othman, 1890 120
9.1. Conway Castle, 1880 123
9.2. Fillis Circus poster for World’s Fair, Chicago, 1893 124
10.1. Oromo boys at Lovedale shortly after their arrival, ca. 1890 136
10.2. Oromo boys at Lovedale shortly after their arrival, ca. 1890
(same photo as 10.1, with Lochhead replaced by Alexander Geddes) 138
10.3. Oromo girls in their Sunday best at Lovedale, ca. 1892 143
10.4. Samuel Edward Krune Mqhayi 144
ix