28 Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa. 



treaties with foreign States, excej)t with the 

 approval of the British Government ; while in 

 Matabeleland, a territory as large as France, in- 

 habited by a numerous and warlike tribe of Zulu 

 origin, the burden of government has been 

 assumed by an English Commercial Corporation 

 under charter from the Crown, under the jurisdic- 

 diction of the High Commissioner, and deri^'ing 

 administrative authority from the High Com- 

 missioner acting on behalf of the British Govern- 

 ment. The mere enumeration of these various 

 forms of government, the mere setting out of this 

 com^Dlicated and variegated congeries of powers 

 and authorities all mixed up almost inextricably 

 together, will suffice to give some idea of the 

 difficulties and embarrassments which attend the 

 course whether of a Secretary of State, of a High 

 Commissioner, or of a Cape Colony Government 

 and Parliament. 



For a British coaling station of great import- 

 ance Cape Town is fairly well fortihed. By the 

 courtesy of General Cameron, commanding the 

 forces, and of Colonel KnoUys, commanding the 

 Artillery, I was enabled to make a detailed ex- 

 amination of the defences. I was naturally much 

 interested in noting what had been done, because 

 Cape Town is one of the coaling stations which 

 Lord Salisbury accused me of being desirous, when 

 Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1886, of leaving in 

 a defenceless condition. Five 9 •2-inch breech- 

 loading guns, with hydro-pneumatic moimtings, 

 placed in positions selected Avith admirable art, 



