AN ENGLISHWOMAN IN RHODESIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 7, 3 October 1907, Page 5

AN ENGLISHWOMAN IN RHODESIA.

North-east : Rhodesia sounds , very much like tho back of the ' backblocks, but. an Englishwoman ■ who writes to tho Queon an account of her home life in the new country gives quito a fascinating account of it— once sho gets there. The journey to Fort Jameson, tho capital of the territory is exciting enough to satisfy oven a small boy's dosire for adventfchough places with unpronounceable names, then a two day's sail across a lake, a tour in a hammock through a country - etc niehthtwmgniim mmiiim . country teeming with tho biggest of ' big game, and tho nightly encamp- j . ment round camp iires. Then' sud-/ ' dunly the travellers arrive at a wide; red road, and in a few miles more at civilisation. •' Fort Jameson, though only boasting of six or seven years' existence, can quito hold its own in the way ot comforts and civilisation. The town lies in a wide .green valley surrounded by wooded hills; to the east "' and west- this valley widens to a plain bounded by bluo, distant ranges of mountains. It is quite English' looking in appcarance, the houses of red brick being mostly detachedami standing each in tlieir own garden'or compound.. They are built in. the Indian bungalow ' stylo, with one "' story, and 'as verandah back and front. Thoy-aro quite comfortably furnished; bamboo mats, - made by the natives, aro used for the floors. All heavy lurluturo, such as. wardrobes, chests of drawers, tables,j etc.,' can be mado by a local carpenter at about tho price 1 they would bo,'at home. Nativo boys trained in the workshops' can also be'engaged by tho month.. They' wQrk 'well under supervision, and can db pip-carving cxcelleiitly. All oth.br articles,oi furniture, such aa bods, lamps, china, and glass have to bo brought- gut from England. Ono peculiarity of Rhodcsian housekeeping is; tlie small need there is ior rooady money. Most things bought at tho door aro paid for in calico"or salt.. Ono' has to lay in a good storo of- these articles at tho beginning or each "month.- Tho price of a fowl is ono yard of calico (-Id.), and for an egg a dessertspoonful of salt.- ii'h-o-wpod; chicken food, etc;, arc also purchased with salt. The board-wages of tho servants used to hi given'in calico, a yard a -week,' bat "latterly they have been content to havo Is. added to their pay. Many people liavo their own, ' vegetable gardens, : aiiH those who have not can, bo supplied by tho farmers round. ' Very nicely assorted baskets of vegetables can be bought for Is. Most English vege- •, tables'do exceedingly well; cabbages, spinach, onions, turnips, beetroot, etc.', do as well as in tho homo cliiaato. Potatoes are not so certain,.sometimes a whole crop being a failure. . In -a' 1 few. years time, says 'the ■'. writer, wo • should have a od' supply of-fruit, as, numbers of vines, oranges, limes, and lemons have been . planted. At present wo ! jre limited to bananas, papaws, Cape ; gooseberries, strawberries, . and mulberries, all of which do very. well. So far living will not appear very expensive, and, indeed, anything procurable in .tho country is cheap; milk. 3d. a pint,; and butter Is. 6d. to 2s. a pound. Anything, however, that > ' has to como out from liume is o.iorbitantly dear; korosencoil £1 a tin, flour 103. a 'tin (141b.), sugar 10s, a tin (141b.), and all other tin things ill ; proportion. Wheat, however, thrives well if it is irrigated, an! sugar can. also be grown in- swampy parts, so. wo look forward to being supplied locally in a few years'" time with these necessaries of life. . The servant question' presents foy difficulties here. Wo can alwavs get a good supply of tho raw mater-, ial. Tljey are. not so quick as Indian servants, which is only to he expected ■ when-one realises . what a short time they have . emerged. from barbarism. They am. liowevnr, teachable, and, indeed, anxious - t<j learn. . . One has always,. how«v..», to be, prepared for surprises, even with the most carefully trained boys. No housewife enters into her kitchen without receiving similar shocks to that of the- lady who found her paragon of a cook washing his feet in tlio soup tureen. The usual wages for a cook aro from 15s. to 30s. a month; a table boy ; gets from 10s. to . 15s. a mouth ; other' servants vary ■ from 3s. to'7s. a month. Most peoplo enjoy six or seven household servants, •so that ■ ■ their wages, tlioukh small, mount up to a fair sum. A largo number of natives have lately returned from the ltand. They look very smart with cheap European suits, coloured waistcoats, and even • pointed leather shoes. Part of their pay is kept back till their return here, so all tho native stores- are reaping, a small harvest. Onocra<e among the natives at present is to possess a sewing machine, and some have paid as much as £7 for a second hand machine, costing originally £2 14s.'. . • They, soon learn to mako men'a suits very-vtell, but they are- not much use. in dressmaking for ladies, everything having to be cut out. and' ' tacked for them. JSnglish women' out hero mostly make their own , clothes ,or have - them sent out oy parcel post from homo. Wo aro fortunate in having a regular weekly mail, which comes up > by train from Capo Town, via Victoria Falls, to Broken Hill; thenca it is'carried by natives, a distance of about 400 miles. For thoso who live in the capital life passes quietly and happily, as in a country town at home. Tho morn-' ings are cliifly occupied' with household duties. For those who have horses there will bo the early ride before breakfast, as in India. After luncheon there will be the hour's siesta", so necessary in tropical coun"trios. The afternoons .and evenings aro generally devoted to social duties and recreation. It is a sociablo little placo; everybody knows everybody. There is d tennis club, a golf club,and a dramatic society, besides. an oxccllont library and reading-room. Every year two or tlire dances are got up. This last year there has been the excitement, of two fancy dress balls. Dinners are also frequently given. ' ■1' . Fo rtliose who are fond of walking there ondless rambles up the lovely valleys and hills which surround the town, and the wealth and beauty of tlio wild flowers, bntterfles and beet- . les.aro a sourco of increasing delight to tho lover of nature. Thore is tho charm and intorest of living in a new, only partly explored country, waiting still for its manifold treasures to be unfolded. The only drawbacks arc'those common to other tropical count,vies— malaria, with its occasional maligr.&a'; forms of btacUwatcr. Hut ever? year of cultivation and good dramas? is making the township more'healthy. It is an extremely pleasant climate to live in— more bracing than India, and with no extremes of heat and cold. Like India, we'havo three seasons: Tho rainy season, which lasts from November to April; this is tho time tlio country looks best, everything io so green an dfresh; (2) the cold weather (May to August.); this is tjie healthiest time; it is sometimes c.ild enough to enjoy a i;ood wood lire ill tho evenings; (3) the hot weather (lasting from August, to November);. it is not s otrving as Indian hot .weather., Fort Jameson being'on a plateau, '3600ft-. abovo the sea.