VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 
281 
Time will not permit of reference to the lovely suburbs of Cape 
Town, the vineyards, notably Constantia ; nor of description of the 
unique Groot Schur, Mr. Rhodes’ place, which I visited before and 
after the disastrous fire. 
If you will look at the map you will find that when you come to 
travel the railway system of the Cape is very awkward. There is 
still a want of railway development throughout the colony. If 
one wants to go by train into the Transvaal from Kimberley, or further 
north from Mafeking, one has to come all the way south to De Aar. 
If one wishes to go from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, or from Cape 
Town in the direction of Graaff-Reinet, one has to make tremendous 
rounds which take days. 
In fact the Cape government railways look for their seven per cent., 
and the policy of making railway follow trade is adopted in opposition to 
the Rhodesian and American plan of making trade follow the railway. 
Soon after leaving Cape Town one begins to pass through what is 
called the Karoo ; desolate flat-topped hills rising out of plains of 
stunted burnt-up bush. Here are herds of goats, sheep and ostrich, and 
a number of springbok may be seen ; but not a blade of grass nor a 
drop of water. 
This particular bush on the Karoo I believe has a considerable 
amount of moisture in it, and the flocks manage not only to live but to 
thrive with little or no water. 
The dry climate of the Karoo is wonderful for cases of lung disease, 
and many people with consumptive tendencies go there to the benefit 
of their health. Possibly a more suitable climate is found further 
north, near Kimberley. 
Kimberley is thirty-five hours from Cape Town. At the last meeting 
of the De Beer’s Company at Kimberley it was agreed to erect a home 
for consumptive people. That is a little plan of Mr. Rhodes’, and there 
was discussion amongst his friends as to what name should be given to 
this home. Now Mr. Rhodes particularly dislikes two things in this 
world, of course the one being “ unctuous rectitude,” and the other a 
pun. 
It was suggested to him that a native word, meaning ‘ our home,’ 
should be used ; which appeared satisfactory. The word however is 
pronounced like 4 Lungeeley,’ which approaches ‘ Lung-healey ’ ; 
needless to add the place will not be called “ our home ” in native 
language. 
It is a great cruelty to send advanced cases of consumption to these 
parts. The comforts and requisites for a sick person are not easily 
obtained. 
There is a tremendous want of water all the way up country, from 
Cape Town right up to Buluwayo, and it is extraordinary that the 
country should not have had any big schemes for water conservation, 
or canals, developed, such as India and Egypt have. 
Consider the Orange River, one of the few rivers that is not a dry 
sandy track at any time of the year ; now that river is allowed to run 
to waste into the Atlantic Ocean, no real attempt being made to turn 
its splendid volume of water into the north of the Karoo, and through 
many parts of the country where it would make the land of enormous 
value. 
While I mention the Orange River I might point out the bridge where 
the railway crosses the Vaal River. 
