What is it and Where in the World is it?

[Amatikulu]

Buzzard has correctly identified it as a Long Tom (155mm Creusot, french cannon).

It is in South Africa but not at Mafeking, Spion Kop or in the province of Natal - all are great gueses (except Ed's).

The location of this cannon will be revealed later if no one gets it. I will say it is in a very picturesque area of South Africa - an area full of history where I used to work and hunt.

[Amatikulu]

The location is at the head of the "Long Tom' Pass between Lydenburg and Sabie, In the old Eastern Transvaal Province of South Africa. The pass is part of the old wagon route between Delagoa Bay (Lourenzo Marques/Maputo) in Mozambique and Johannesburg. I believe that it was at this site that the last formal action of the cannon occurred before they were destroyed and the Boers changed their tactics to guerilla warfare.

[RJW NZ]

It looks like one one good round would knock the wheels off.

[Edward Horton]

OK Amatikulu lets test your knowledge of American geography.

What mountain was I standing on last week and what famous lake is in the background when I called my wife on my cell phone and asked her “Can you hear me now”.

[John R.]

Ag man ek used to hunt a klein bikkie to the north of there.Twee legged bokkies if jy verstaan . We even had a version of that Irish bit about "Come out you black and tans" only ours was "Kom jou bliksem muntu".
Hunting to the north for all manner of buck was REALLY lekker too.Pity that the houties flushed it all down the pan isn't it ?
That field piece looks a LOT like the ones fabricated at the De Beers shops in Kimberley and that last photo could almost be the van Reenen Pass except for that lake in the background.

Tot siens boetie,

JR

[Amatikulu]

"Ek verstaan baie goed, maar jy moet weet dat ek is 'n sotie en nie 'n rockspider!"

I used to hunt a bit on the Limpopo as well, not far from the Bushman Hotel in Botswana.

Now Ed, you're famous lake is in some way connected with the British Empire - isn't it? If not, that's hardly fair and I'll just simply have to use my sleuth techniques.

[Edward Horton]

Amatikulu

I’ll give you a clue, the South African named “The Oom Paul Botha” never wind surfed at this lake north of New Jersey and south of Montreal, and the American Benedict Arnold fought the British at a bigger lake to the east of where I’m standing.

[Amatikulu]

Well, you may have made it too easy now, I was busy analyzing the geology of Pennsylvannia around Harrisburg in the belief that you were a self declared "cheap person" and wouldn't travel more than one hour from home

Benedict Arnold always brings to mind the invasion of Canada during the Revolutionary War. Fort Ticonderoga and the Battle of Lake Champlain come to mind - now just to identify what lake is west of Champlain?

[Amatikulu]

How about Lake George in the Adirondacks?

[Edward Horton]

Amatikulu

At Lake Champlain Benedict Arnold stopped the British from invading the American Colonies from Canada. Many Americans think of Benedict Arnold as a traitor but at Lake Champlain he was a hero, by stopping the British from invading from the north he prevented the games of Cricket and Rugby from becoming our national sports. Our victory at Lake Champlain assured that the American games of Baseball and Football would become as American as Apple pie and Chevrolet. (It also screwed us out of the Enfield Rifle from being our nation rifle)

Unfortunately in the end this didn’t stop the Canadians from illegally sneaking that silly game of hockey across the border into the “Colonies”.

Benedict Arnold stopped the British at Lake Champlain and at the lake below me we stopped and soundly defeated the Russians in their worst defeat in modern history.



The mountain might be little known but the lake below it is world famous.