27 



^th December^ 1899. 



Mr. Thomas Workman, J. P., President, in the Chair. 



PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS OF THE TRANSVAAL, 

 NATAL, AND CAPE COLONY. 



{Abstract.) 



South Africa has attracted a great deal of public attention 

 of late years, especially since the important episode of the 

 Jameson Raid, and the denouement now taking place had not 

 been altogether unexpected by those who really knew. It has 

 been said that South Africa was the " grave of the reputations 

 of prominent men," but it has also produced its successes, 

 among whom are Cecil Rhodes and Sir Alfred Milner. To 

 Mr. Rhodes Great Britain owes her predominance in South 

 Africa to-day, and to him is due the fact that we have a vast 

 empire in that part of the world. Sir Alfred Milner is a star 

 which has shot into brilliancy at a later date, but his conduct of 

 affairs during the crisis has marked him as a coming man. 



South Africa is at present in a transition state, and we can 

 only guess at what its future will be. Unlike some of our 

 other colonies, which are entirely white men's country, South 

 Africa has its great native question always present, and always 

 will have it, for Great Britain has stopped the cruel and bloody 

 wars by which thousands formerly lost their lives, and has taken 

 measures to keep down epidemic diseases, such as smallpox, 

 which claimed its thousands of victims also. This is character- 

 istic of us as a colonising power, for whenever Britain puts her 



