Longden interviewed Jameson in Salisbury and commandeered a four-wheeled Government wagonette to transport himself and his kit to Melsetter. He also bought a horse, but it died on the way.

As he approached Melsetter he thought that of all Southern Africa this was one of the most beautiful parts: the great Chimanimani Mountains with springs sparkling and dancing, the cool and crisp nights, the champagne-like air, the parkland, the dense jungle and the birds all combined to affect deeply the man who had been a wanderer for so many years.

On 16th November 1895 the farmers wrote again from Rocklands, this time to welcome Longden, sincerely hoping that his experience and the different appointments he had held would enable him to judge what was required to promote the interests of the B.S.A. Company and the public at large. It was signed by many residents, headed by M. J. Martin, J. Henry and G. B. D. Moodie, but the tone of the letter is distinctly less effusive than that of the one addressed to Heugh six months earlier.

Longden installed himself at Kenilworth and was immediately involved in the tangled problem of the transfer of the township. He investigated the minority opposition to the choice of Dunbarton, wishing to be guided by local feeling. He felt it was important that the whole community should be agreed, and gathered that the unanimity of feeling had been greatly brought about by Strasheim�s tact. Martin had earlier said that, if the proposals for establishing the town on Dunbarton fell through, he would be prepared to grant a portion of Rocklands to the D.R. Church for erecting a church and school, but it was not necessary to take up this offer.

 

Dunbar�s claim to Fairfield was a problem, but by the end of November Longden had persuaded him to relinquish any claim which he might have had to the ground in dispute. Heyns suffered some inconvenience at the unnecessary delay but when the matter was settled he was also granted two stands in the township at the value of �25 each, which were liable for survey expenses, stamps and quitrent.

Longden visited Dunbarton, and described the site as high, well-drained, central, beautifully situated and perhaps the most healthy spot that could have been selected. The only fear he had in regard to its recommendation was that the area available for the town appeared rather small, but Orpen, on roughly measuring the ground, assured him that there was room on specially suitable ground for at least 200 stands and streets, and open ground around for plenty more.

In December Longden said that having the Company�s offices on Dunbar�s private farm was not satisfactory, and that, as considerable expense had been incurred in building huts on Dunbarton, he proposed to move there at once, but he then decided to wait for Llewellyn Cambria Meredith, who was due to take over from T. B. Hulley as Native Commissioner.

About the 1st January 1896 Meredith reached Dunbarton after taking twelve days from Umtali. The journey was rough as it was raining, he had insufficient oxen, and had to drive and do all the work himself. As the Magistrate was expected at Dunbarton in three days� time Meredith decided to wait, and sent a message to Longden to report his arrival. Longden replied on 6th January, saying that Meredith should carry on to Kenilworth as no preparations had been made at the new township for the accommodation of the Native Department and the huts built for the Magistrate and the Police were barely adequate, and that Meredith would be more comfortable at Kenilworth and better placed for carrying on his work.

Meredith carried on to Kenilworth by wagon and met Longden. Hulley had left a few days before on horseback by footpath, so Meredith did not meet him, and had no horse for his own use.

Before leaving Kenilworth Longden asked Umtali Postmaster for an assortment of postal stamps, and said that if they did not arrive soon all letters would be sent in unstamped as stocks had run out. As the public offices had been moved to the new township, he recommended that a branch post office should be opened at Kenilworth for the convenience of residents in the southern part of the district. 

 

A few days later he reported from Dunbarton that things were progressing slowly but satisfactorily, and that he had been able to reconcile the conflicting interests and had managed the move without any opposition. He found the office accommodation ridiculously inadequate, no hut for the Magistrate�s clerk, no gaol accommodation, and no provision for feeding prisoners, and said that if they had white prisoners at any time he would be at a loss to know what to do with them.

Everyone settled down to daily tasks, and Melsetter township, a tiny cluster of poleand-dagga huts, 5000� above sea level, in a beautiful, remote and not easily accessible corner of Rhodesia, was established.

Melsetter�s guide and mentor for many years was Will Longden. Soon after moving to the new site he wrote that he was charmed with the appearance and farming prospects, and would be prepared and would like to be permanently stationed here. His desire was fulfilled, and he took a keen personal interest in everything: he wrote voluminously on every aspect of life, he teased the Government for better facilities, and he was indefatigable in working for the place and people he loved.

 

It took some time for him to be accepted by the Melsetter residents who were very wary of Government officials after their previous experiences, but luckily Longden was an excellent shot, which appealed to them, and he could talk Afrikaans and read and write High Dutch, which was a great help in getting on with them. He had ample opportunity in the first year of proving his worth, and gradually the community�s reserve melted. He is remembered as having had some faults but having been honest, absolutely fair and very strict: if even only a sixpence were involved the debt had to be settled.

The Portuguese had made several moves to try to stop the Gazaland occupation, claiming that the territory was theirs, and one of Longden�s first tasks was to try to get the matter settled. He met Lieutenant Serego on the Border during January 1896 to discuss the problem and some of the tension was relieved, but he found the local feeling very bitter and saw no chance of a lessening of disputes as long as the boundary was undefined. Many landowners were uneasy as it seemed likely that parts at least of some occupied farms would fall within Portuguese territory, and the tribesmen were unsettled at having to pay hut tax to the B.S.A. Co. and also being badgered for taxes by the Portuguese.

 

An Anglo-Portuguese Convention was drawn up, but until the survey was completed there was uncertainty regarding the exact position of the border line. Orpen fixed points with a view to facilitating future survey operations and became acquainted with the intolerable state of affairs regarding the molestation of natives by the Portuguese and the preposterous claims made by them, and his large experience in land-surveying and the advantage of personal inspection of the country enabled him to form an accurate interpretation of the terms of the Convention. During 1896 an Italian arbitrator, who had never seen the country he was dividing up, was appointed to define the boundary.

In the township the administrative offices were functioning satisfactorily, with Twentyman as C.C.�s clerk and Edgar Hoal clerk to the Magistrate at a salary of �20 a month and rations. Longden�s duties apparently included those of storekeeper, as Markham wrote from Westward Ho! asking for paraffin to be sent and the cost to be deducted from pay due to him.

It is interesting to note how payment was made. Longden found that, on account of the scarcity of silver in the cash sent to him, he had the greatest difficulty in paying officials. Silver was exceptionally scarce, hut tax was almost exclusively collected in gold and could not be regularly depended on, and he asked for a large proportion of silver to be sent in future.

Predikant le Roux, in addition to his pastoral duties in his far-flung parish, started a school in thatched huts.
Some farmers owned horses, but most were dependent on walking or on the slow plodding oxwagon for all transport, and the quarterly Nachtmaal (Communion) services held by le Roux were very big occasions for all the scattered families. Wagons from all over the three districts converged on the township, most taking many days to reach their destination, and all spending a long weekend in Melsetter.

 

The Church services were attended by all, and the opportunity was taken for baptisms and marriages � which were also solemnised by M. I. Martin in his capacity of Marriage Officer for the D.R.C. in Gazaland. Melsetter Farmers� Association (F.A.), founded on 27th August 1895, met regularly at this quarterly interval, dances were held, schooling problems were discussed, and all matters talked over during the few days they were all together.

Government officials were very dependent on horses, and Longden found that he was considerably handicapped through having an old, stiff-jointed, knocked-up horse as his only mount when he arrived. He had difficulty in arranging for his clerks to get to Melsetter and he put in an urgent plea for his Department to be supplied with mounts. He wanted to get round the district while his clerks did the office work, and needed at least two good horses, one as a pack animal: as the rainy season had set in he could not attempt the trip without full equipment. Presumably horses were sent, and by the end of 1897 it was possible to buy some locally and he was then personally offered the choice of a mare or a horse for �100 with a six months� guarantee.

Mails came very erratically. To Umtali they came by road coach from Salisbury and from Chimoio, and were sent on to Melsetter by runner or occasionally with official visitors. The Umtali Postmaster kept Longden informed with each batch when the next could be expected, and engaged special runners when there was important news to get through but pointed out, when Melsetter complained of not receiving any mail, that there was no point in sending runners when there was no mail or news of any kind.