212 Timehri. 



with the aid of a map in the previous September. We had had no 

 correspondence in the interval. I learned that he had formed and 

 registered a Syndicate containing some well-known financial names, and 

 that he was satisfied that capital could be found for construction on the 

 basis of a ten years' guarantee of *U per cent, plus a land grant 

 in alternate blocks on the lines of that given to the Canadian Pacific. 

 With the previous knowledge of the Government I drew up a scheme 

 and wrote for him the application of 8th April, 1908, but had to 

 withdraw soon after from professional connection with the scheme, 

 as it was clear that Sir Frederic Hodgson would not consider it. 

 Colonel Link gave up negotiation as hopeless and, against advice, pub- 

 lished the correspondence in the Press, which transferred the matter 

 to the political arena. As a Government officer, although with right 

 of private practice, I could not deal with the matter further pro- 

 fessionally. The nominal fee I received, I returned. Colonel Link's 

 personality no doubt complicated the case and the fact that he had 

 either been made bankrupt or had made a composition with his cre- 

 ditors during the troubles of the South African market, as to which 

 he made no secret whatsoever, prejudiced his advocacy in a some- 

 what conservative but solvent community. I never quite learned 

 the facts of his financial misfortunes but was assured, on what 

 I regarded as very good authority, that they were not discreditable to 

 him individually but were due to difficulties caused by the war. To the 

 last he remained able to influence considerable sums of capital. His 

 occupation, however, at this declining and least successful stage of his 

 life, was that of company promoter. In that suspected capacity he 

 deserved well of this colony for he advocated schemes that were perfectly 

 sound and made no attempt to water his stock. 



Colonel Link returned to the colony in November, 1911. I had 

 severed my professional connection with him on the formation of the 

 Consolidated in 1909 and never renewed it. Had I withdrawn earlier the 

 combination w 7 ould have collapsed and innocent negotiators would have 

 suffered. In a small community it is difficult to secure differentiation of 

 professional and personal responsibility, but I had no wish to repeat my 

 experiences. He was still hopeful of his trunk railway. An English 

 Syndicate had with his assistance been formed which had secured a 

 valuable concession from the State of Amazonas to build the Bra- 

 zilian end of the line from Manaos. A flying survey had been made 

 to our frontier opposite Boa Vista by their engineer, Mr. Targett. 

 The line followed by the engineer can be seen drawn on the map 

 of the Amazon Valley, at the entrance .to the Eoyal Agricultural & 

 Commercial Society's Booms. In consequence of Brazilian requirements 

 as to gauge, his original scheme of a standard or 4 feet 8 A inch 

 gauge had been altered to the metre. Colonel Link had many other 

 projects afoot but he died in January, 1912. The Syndicate for the 

 Brazilian section melted into air, I never ascertained its exact compo- 

 sition Messrs. Farquhar secured another concession later, but have 

 relinquished it for political reasons. 



