HISTORIAN Colin Benbow spent a decade as curator of the Bermuda Historical Society's Museum before retiring recently. As a tribute to him, the fourth reprint of his best seller Boer Prisoners of War will go on sale at the Museum at 5 p.m on Tuesday December, 5. Mr. Benbow will be on hand to autograph copies.

The book, which was first published in essay form in 1959, won a special prize in an historical writing competition sponsored by the Bermuda Bakery to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Sea Venture wreck in Bermuda.

In 1962 the Bermuda Historical Society published the work in book form and this was followed by a second edition in 1982 sponsored by the Bermuda College. A further edition appeared in 1994 and is now out of print.

Society President Andrew Bermingham said: "This great historian and curator of the Bermuda Historical Society Museum has ensured the unique events of 1901 and 1902 in Bermuda are recorded for posterity. We are proud of Mr. Benbow's book and the interest it still generates both at home and abroad."

Mr. Bermingham said he wanted to thank the Island Press' Rachel Blakeney for her "invaluable assistance" in publishing this fourth edition of Boer Prisoners.

Mr. Berminghan noted that amongst the distinguished visitors to the Boer Cemetery on Long Island have been current South African President Thabo Mbeki and former President F.W de Klerk. Mr, Mbeki was in Bermuda for secret talks with South African political opponents in 1989 and had travelled from his exile base in Tanzania. Mr. de Klerk visited in 1997.

The book goes on sale at a special price of $10 per copy. The Society will also be selling at reduced rates for Christmas all its publications including the two volumes of the Lefroy Memorials .