Dear Melvyn, You are right when you suggest exercising caution before criticising and well-meaning to suggest that Selma Carvalho may have been given the wrong story about German whisky and passed it on.
Certainly any book written is prone to error and such errors must be contested and can be corrected in later editions of the book. However, those pointing out errors must do so with some authority and supply references to the contrary. Both Mervyn Maciel and I have been involved in the consultation process of this book and are familiar with the subject matter. Selma is not only depending on information provided by East African Goans to recreate this story. She has meticulously researched this book at great length through sources dating back to the 1800s. Almost each sentence has a citation. If one is questioning that citation, they must first look it up. With reference to the question of German whisky, it must be viewed in the context of history at the time, when Britain had decided to restrict access to alcohol in parts of Africa. The ‘German’ she is referring to is not in Europe but the German coast of Tanganyika and the contraband emerging from this territory into Zanzibar, less than fifty miles away. One reference to check for Goans selling contraband German alcohol is the Pall Mall Gazette, June 16, 1885. There are many others but such scrutiny takes time and effort. Rather, a few prefer to sit on the side-lines and make spurious comments. Eddie Fernandes ========================================= -----Original Message----- From: Goanet [mailto:goanet-boun...@lists.goanet.org] On Behalf Of Melvyn Fernandes ... If Selma Carvalho's book mentions that there was German whisky it may have been possible or she may have been given the wrong story and is passing it on. It is up to everyone of us when we see something wrong to correct it and not go ya ya ya ya that will be chanted on with generations yet unborn all with the wrong story hence the phrase "Are Goans Stupid?".
