Reasons for the Journey. 3 



rumour iiucl repute, was not unlikely to distin- 

 guish the close of the century. English and 

 foreign interests had ]jeen and were clashing ; 

 spheres of influence for respective European 

 Powers had been marked oif in a hap-hazard and 

 lighthearted manner ; knowledge of the soil, of 

 the climate, of the inhabitants, of the resources of 

 Africa to the south of the Equator, was slight and 

 by no means diffused among our people at home ; 

 I thought that the day might not be distant when 

 it might be useful and beneficial that a member of 

 Parliament might be able to offer to the House of 

 Commons observations, oj)inions, and arguments 

 based ujDon personal ius^Dection, actual experience 

 of those localities, and to place before the public 

 the views and desires of Ca^De Colonists of authority 

 and of Afrikanders generally which might have 

 been personally confided to him. The attractions 

 of travel, of the chase, and specially of seeking for 

 gold oneself, of acquiring gold mines or shares in 

 gold mines, contributed also to decide me on the 

 enterprise, and the few weeks before departure had 

 been well occupied "wdth the somewhat elaborate 

 preparations necessary for the journey and with 

 business arrangements with fiiends who were 

 similarly interested and attracted. 



In the comj^osition of my party I was fortunate. 

 Major George Giles, late of the Royal Artillery, of 

 considerable South African exj^erience, who had 

 seen much military service in that country, had 

 undertaken to act as managei' of the travelling and 

 director of the route, and had preceded me by 



B 2 



