CHAPTER XXVIII. 

 TRAVELS IN EUROPE. 



For some years I had wished to revisit Europe 

 which I had not seen since I left it as a boy from 

 school in 1850, but something had always prevented 

 my leaving the Transvaal. However, we deter- 

 mined to go at last. We started via Natal and the 

 East Coast on February 19th, 1880. 



We first visited Delagoa Bay, which was then a 

 miserable fever-stricken village of a few houses. 

 The place was bankrupt, the little black soldiers 

 were months in arrears of pay, and the mutinous 

 official's salaries were unpaid. The only source of 

 revenue was a tax of 1 per head imposed on 

 natives returning from Natal sugar plantations. I 

 found the Eastern Telegraph clerks operating in a 

 small tin hut, all down with fever, and reported to 

 Sir Bartle Frere at Cape Town on this and other 

 matters. When I arrived in England, I found 

 letters from Sir Bartle Frere introducing me to the 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Kimberley, 

 and to Mr. (afterwards Sir Robert) Herbert, Per- 

 manent Under-Secretary. The latter was an intelli- 

 gent and able official, full of knowledge of Colonial 

 affairs, and took much interest in my report. At 

 this time, the Transvaal, was in possession of the 

 British, who had their ports of entry in Natal and 

 Cape Colony: Delagoa Bay was of little value to 

 Portugal, and I strongly urged the authorities in 

 Downing Street to acquire it, as it could be had 

 cheaply then, and if in British hands, would make a 

 South African war (engineered by European powers) 



