THE  TROPICAI 
AGRICULT  UK  1ST, 
435 
[Dec.  r,  1896. 
Town  on  the  4tli  of  September,  and  after  two 
days  and  nights’  travelling  reached  Kimberley.  We 
rose  some  4,000  ft.,  buo  through  a very  bare 
although  rugged  country — no  forests  of  any  sort 
to  be  seen  along  the  line.  Farmhouses  were 
to  be  seen,  buc  generally  at  long  distances  aj>art, 
showing  very  little  cultivation.  Uf  course  the 
whole  country  1 presume  is  suitable  for  graz- 
ing, and  the  only  cultivation  necessary  would 
be  for  foodstutl's— food  for  the  people  which  is  prin- 
cipally mealies — ^Indiancorn— and  forage  for  cattle 
on  transport,  and  it  may  be  exported  to  neighbour- 
ing .states.  We  spent  a most  interesting  twodays  at 
Kimberley  after  a journey  of  about  750  miles  from 
Cape  Town.  Wesp'entan  afternoon  belowinspecting 
all  tl'.e  mines,  and  next  morning  went  through  the 
diamond  stores  and  sorting  room,  where  we  saw  the 
previous  week’s  diamonds  being  sorted,  valued 
and  packed  for  England  and  other  countries — 
valued  at  about  £90,000  sterling.  In  the  afternoon 
wewent  to  see  the  crushing,  washing  and  the  rough 
sorting,  before  sending  to  the  valuing  andas.sorl- 
ing  rooms  for  export.  Since  the  de  Beers  Coin- 
pany  was  founed  there  is  little  bu.sine.ss  doing  in 
the  town  ; the  small  Companies  are  now  rolled 
into  one  large  Company,  which  rules  the  diamond 
market  very  much  as  it  likes  ! Our  next  stage 
was  Bloemfontein,  in  the  Orange  Free  State,  per- 
haps 300  miles  from  Kimberley,  and  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  about  6,000  feet.  The  town  is  small,  bnt 
ciuite  English  in  appearance,  Aberdeen  being  well 
represented  by  a Doctor,  a Lady  Principal  of 
College,  as  well  as  teachers  and  other  business 
men.  I understand  Dr.  Poison,  a brother  of  Mr. 
Poison,  of  Alnwick,  Kandapola,  lives  at  Iliddes- 
burg,  some  distance  out  of  town.  I there  met 
Mr.  Smith,  dairy  expert,  and  Mr.  Murray,  Minister 
of  Lands  and  Works  in  Natal.  Both  gave  me 
introductions  to  their  friends  in  Natal,  for  the 
better  enabling  me  to  see  the  country.  We  then 
left  for  Johannesburg,  in  the  Transvaal,  the 
young  London  of  South  Africa,  and  the  centre  of 
the  great  gold-mining  districts.  1 am  told  that 
nine  years  ago  there  was  not  a house  on  the  plain, 
where  to-day  you  find  a town  of  150,000  in- 
habitants, and  thousands  pouring  in  monthly  from 
all  parts  of  the  world.  Judging  from  the  shops  in 
some' of  the  principal  streets  you  might  fancy 
yourself  in  Regent  Street,  London.  We  visited 
several  mines  in  the  different  districts.  Robinson, 
New  dunes,  Vogulsti-aus,  Durban,  Roodepoort, 
Cyanide  Works,  Clydesdale  Coal  Mine,  Heidelberg, 
and  other  districts,  as  well  as  the  Town  of  Johan- 
nesbur<s  which  is  now  of  considerable  dimensions. 
The  ro”k  from  which  the  gold  is  taken  in  the 
Rand  district  is  what  is  called  IkinJ-et,  more  resem- 
bling porphyry  than  granite  or  quartz,  and  is 
very  rich  in  gold  and  extracted  by  the  Cyanide 
process  after  crushing.  There  is  no  doubt  a great 
luture  for  the  Transvaal,  Matabele,  and  Mashona- 
land  (Rhodesia).  We  visited  Pretoria  and  the 
historic  jail  of  Jameson  fame.  Saw  the  Presi- 
dent and  was  promised  an  interview,  har  ing  got 
letters  of  introduction,  but  he  was  called  suddenly 
away  to  the  country  that  afternoon  by  telegraph. 
We  then  left  Jouannesbnrg,  my  friend,  to 
return  home  by  the  “ Norman,”  and  1 to  make  my 
way  to  Durban,  leaving  Park  Station,  Johannes- 
burg) ^'t  7 p.m.  We  reach  the  boundary  of  Natal 
next  morning  about  daylight.  Charleston  station 
is  not  far  from  the  two  historic  spots — Boer  and 
— Majuba  Hill  sx.m\  Langs  Neck  of  1880-81. 
The  elevation  at  this  point  in  Natal  must  be  over 
6,000  feet,  and  the  country  from  here  down  to  Fieter- 
Maritzburg  appears  most  suitable  for  pasture. 
Large  droves  of  cattle,  hoises,  sheep  and  goats  are 
to  be  .seen  grazing,  ami  all  look  remarkably 
healthy  comiiared  to  the.  half-slitn-ed  .,apj)carance 
of  the  cattle  on  the  Transvaal,  side  of  the  border. 
Lower  down  in  Weenen  and  Maritzburg.. counties 
there  is  more  cultivation,  farming  being  carried. on 
to  a very  large  extent  in  these  two  counties,  and 
most  farms  are  said  to  be  jiaying  well.  ' There  Is 
also  a portion  of  this  land  rich  in  c.o;il.  Several 
mines  already  opened  are  paying  well,  but  for  want 
of  labour  and  rolling  stock  on  the.  railway,  the 
owners  are  unable  to  send  it  down  fast  enough  to 
meet  requiieineuts  of  steamers  calling  at  Durban, 
Steamers  at  [iresent  are  lying  for  a week  at  a 
time  waiting  for  coals,  while  one  mine,.!  .was 
told,  was  capable  of  putting  out 800  tons  a day.  1 
called  to  see  an  old  Skene  man,  Mr.  Masson, 
who  is  now  Surveyor-Ceneral  in  Natal,  and  lives 
with  his  family  in  Maritzburg.  We  called  in  the 
afternoon  to  have  tea  with  Sir  Walter  and  Lmly 
Wragg  (late  of  Ceylon).  Sir  M'alter  " lias  veiy 
keen  recollections  of  his  Ceylon  days.  He  tola  us 
his  knowletlge  of  Tamil  and  Sinlialese-  had  been, 
and  was  still,  very  useful  to  him.  Duly  the othoi’ 
day  a Sinhalese  man  came  to  him  in  trouble-und 
was  so  pleased  when  he  was  able  to  explain' hi$ 
troubles  in  his  own  language.  Sir  Walter  takes 
a great  interest  in  gardening  ; he  has  a very  large 
collection  of  ro.ses  and  in  great  variety,  as  well  a? 
many  rare  llowers.  He  is  looked  npoii  as  a lifsl* 
class  judge  and  specially  in  native  cases. 
The  journey  to  Durban  shews  some  good  scenery 
as  you  get  near  the  Court.  Durban  is  a very 
pretty  town,  but  especially  the  Bereu  where  most 
of  the  towns-people  live.  On  the  face  of  a small 
hill  which  overlooks  the  town  and  the  sea  beybmL 
tramcars  run  all  day  to  and  from  the  jioinc  wherb 
the  ships  di.scharge  and  load,  about  2 miles  from 
the  Town-house,  and  to  the  Bereti  other  2 miles 
but  in  the  opposite  direction.  The  ]io'r£s' along 
the  East  Coast  of  Africa  are  so  often  blocked  by 
the  accumulation  of  sand  on  the  bars.tluit  it  is  im- 
possible to  kee])  regular  dates  of  sailing.  From 
Durban  we  went  to  Delagoa  Bay  to  .dischaige 
cargo.  This  is  the  terminus  of  the  Netherlands 
railway  from  the  Transvaal,  between  the  Portu- 
guese and  Netherlands.  1 have  never  seeib  such 
mismanagement  and  such  carele.ss  treatmbut '.  bf 
goods.  Judging  from  api»earances  some  of  ’ the 
goods  must  have  been  L'ing  the.re  for  years  qhd 
exposed  to  the  weather  all  the  time.  The  Dut^i 
and  Portuguese  ought  to  . be  ashamed,  of  thenr- 
selves.  ■ ■;  . ; 
Beira  was  our  next  and  last  port  of  call,':  and 
will  eventu.ally  become  the  terminus  of  the 
Cape  Town,  Kimberley,  Mafeking,  Matabele, 
Mashonaland,  Halisbury  Railways  and  tlirough  the 
Portuguese  territory  to  Beira,  aVlistance,  I slionld 
think,  of  over2,0U0  miles.  It  is  to  be  workeil  I 
understand  bj^  the  British  Coverninentr-  And 
now  in  bidding  good-bye  to  the  “ .Clan  Menzies,’’  .! 
have  to  thank  the  Cajitain  and  hi.“  olfice'rs  for 
making  what  might  have  heen  a very  ic'di nets 
and  tiresome  voyage  a most  pleasant  and  agree- 
able one.  J.  1'., 
/■qHAFED  SKIN,  PILES,  SC^ALDS,  BRUISESi 
Vy  CUTS,  STINCS,  NEURALCIC  ami  RTIe;U.' 
MAITC  PAINS,  SORE  EVES,  l-:.\B-ACHF, 
THROAT  COLDS,  and  SKIN  ATL^ll■:^■.'L■^quff•LI'y 
CALVERT’S  CARBOLIC  OIINTm’eNT. 
Large  Pots  IJ.Ul.  each  (English  rate).  Sold  at 
Chemists,  Stores,  v'tc, 
F.  c.  CALVERT  & C0-,  Manchester.  . 
