Mikandani Bay, Southern Tanzania. www.tendegreessouth.com info@tendegreessouth.com
An Edwardian childhood | | The Great War | An Atlantic Journey | Tanganika The colonial years | The Sultan and Msimbati |Life at Ruvula| Dr Guard I presume | Latham’s | The Royal Connection | The search for Shangrila The official Records | The Africa Passion Video | Links and dead ends Latham Leslie Moore The Sultan of Msimbati 1893-1982 It was a chance viewing of a documentary called the “Africa Passion” in 1992 that begun my obsession with Latham Leslie Moore and Africa and led to the establishing of Njaya Lodge in Nkhata Bay Malawi in 1993 and in turn Ten Degrees South In Mikindani Tanzania The programme by John Hemminway followed the life Latham the English Eccentric from the Edwardian Age, through the battles of the Somme during world war 1, Where Latham was ‘mustard gas’d and left for dead, to the colonial service in Tanganyika and eventually to his life’s pinnacle at his wonderful house ‘Wind’s Whisper on the ‘rose du barrie pink’ sandy shore of Msimbati. Here in the early 60’s Latham converted to Islam and appointed himself The Sultan of Msimbati and the Msimbati peninsula a separate independent state, with it’s own flag, Describe, passport control and laws. Latham went as far as writing to the United Nations and the British High Commissioner the Queens representative in Tanganyika declaring his independence. For a while Latham was tolerated by the newly independent Tanzanian Government as a harmless eccentric, but the outbreak of civil war in neighbouring Mozambique in 19xx that brought about Latham’s demise. The Msimbati Peninsula had taken on a strategic importance as the border post of Tanzania, and also as the site of large Gas reserves. So it was in 19XX Latham was forcibly removed from the Island and began a twenty year struggle to recreate his Shangri-La of Wind’s Whisper in other outposts of the Africa and England. Latham ranged from Shaka’s Rock in South Africa, to Harare the capital of what was then Rhodesia and is now Zimbabwe, to PiddleTranthide in sleepy Dorset in the Uk, and back to the Swahil coast in Lamu Kenya, and ultimately to Nanyuki in the Highlands near Mount Kenya where he died in 1982
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