3<d Mr. John Broivn— 



separation of the party into cliques by a most injudicious manage- 

 ment of the Association authorities, which had been all along a 

 great blot on the otherwise harmonious character of the trip. Only 

 a select few were permitted to view the ceremony. The majority 

 of the members were brought to the bridge and there held back 

 out of sight by a military cordon. Among many other such 

 instances might be given the high-handed attempt at Capetown to 

 evict the less distinguished members from their berths on the 

 Durham Castle to make room for the so-called official party ; also 

 the attempt to evade promises of free passes to certain members of 

 the party. Both of these latter attempts met with an undignified 

 but well-deserved collapse. The berths were retained and the 

 promises kept. This matter is mentioned to show that, while it 

 is desirable to induce distinguished people to join these far-away 

 meetings, it is the reverse to emphasise their separation into 

 cliques. The business capacity and organising power of the B.A. 

 officials was also sadly lacking, especially when compared with that 

 of the local officials. 



The party now returned to Buluwayo, and divided, some going 

 home via Capetown and the rest of us via Beira and the East 

 Coast in the Durham Castle, specially chartered for the trip, 

 though most of us were greatly afraid of the hot Red sea or red-hot 

 sea, as it was sometimes called. We called at Salisbury, and 

 enjoyed a well-arranged luncheon, and we also spent a few hours 

 at Umtali. 



I endeavoured to ascertain from various people in those places 

 what were the agricultural conditions in Rhodesia, and gathered 

 that so far there were difficulties in transport and want of markets 

 and in disease of stock, though one man was hopeful, and said a 

 settler could recoup his outlay in a year or two. The unhealthiness 

 of the country, the dust and dryness, and the tendency to a craving 

 for drink were mentioned. 



As we journeyed eastward into Portuguese territory the 

 vegetation improved till near the coast it became green once more. 

 At Beira the Portuguese gave us a most hospitable reception, after 



