THE NEW EL DORADO.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 279, 12 July 1889, Page 3

THE NEW EL DORADO.

[Contributed.] For some months rumouis— more or less vague— have reached this colony, of rich gold fields having been discovered in South A frica, and it is not impiobable that we may witness ere long a considerable rush thither. Fortunately in this case, unlike the disastrous Australian Kimberley, the country is not an entirely unknown one, although judging by tbe ideas expressed by Asmodeus, the facetious correspondent of the New Zealand Times, some reliable information on the subject would not be without .value at the present time. This writer appears'td 'be very much perturbed at the notion that the advtnturous and needy and discon-

tented, and the , man with who m creditors and the woman with a mini* mum of scruples, are likely to leave us. Perhaps he feels that if all the men with many creditors leave New Zealand it wili represent an exodus of considertible magnitude. In order to gratify himself for the task ' of drawing a picture of South Africa so terrifying as to awe the most Adventurous man and the most junscrupulous woman, Asmodeus has been carefully studying " some Cape Colonjr papers^! fetely-" . H® does not appear to jiave obtained much j inspiration froija the source however, for he adds plaintively, " after reading it all I just felt as if I wanted a Cape native. Africanders they, call cm — to come along and explain it to me." I cann .t claim .he honour of being an Africander, but being acquainted with the greater part of South Africa, a description of the country may not be without interest. The British possessions in that part of the world" consisted up to within the last 12 months, of the Cape Colony — comprising the Cape of Good Hope and about 500 miles of territory on the "West Coast, and 800 miles on the east coast, and the colony of Natal, situated 1000 miles to the N I' 1 , of the Cape of Good Hope. But quite recently very important additions have been made, to the British territory. On the 29th of last 'pril. Sir Hercules Robinson delivered a speech in Cape Town, which has since attained World wide notoriety, an injudicious Passage in it having caused his refer sment from the pro-consular service. Speaking however, of recent territorial acquisitions, His. Excellency said • " my policy has been to

secure the acquisition of the high, healthy, central plateau to the north of the cape colony, which has resulted in the establishment of the Crown co'ony of Bechuanaland ; secondly the Bechluanaland Protectorate, and beyond it again an exclusive sphere of British influence extending to tha Lambesi. It will thus be seen that the I'ritish possessioDs extend along the east coast f om the cape, at south latitnte 35 degrees to near the equator, with exception of the unimportant Portuguese settlement at Delagoa Bay. Cape Town situated on the wes« tern side of the Cape of Good Hope, is the oldest European settlement in South Africa, nd may be regarded as the germ from which this immense territ ria wealth has sprung. It is a town of conside able interest, and was founded about the middle of the 18th century, by the Dutch who at that parly date recognised that as a Naval Depot it would give them an immense advantage in the straggle for the possession of India They erect* d a factory or trading esta lishment and a slave mart there, and a large trade was carried on in gold du<t and bl»ck ivory. This last mentioned branch, of commerce is stM tohave originated the term Boss, ]* so copimon in America and the colonies. One of the earliest and most brutal Governors of Cape Town — all Dutchman are brutal in their dealings with native races — was named Baas, and he made himself so rriuch dreaded that the name became sy jonnioug,in. the^ native mind with cruelty aiU oppression. I rora aas it became Boss and when we remember that from the earliest dsftys cargoes of human flesh and blood have been consigned from Africa to America, it is easy io understand that the wo d should soon become naturalised there, and pass for an American invention, ns do as many far more valuable things— on an equally frail basis. In those days Cape Town was considered a strong place of arms. The castle and the Amsterdam Fort, two strongholds which overlook Table Bay to this day were well provided with the ordnance of the time, and the Dutch flattered themselves that the place was impregnable, hut the European complications which followed the battle of Austerletz gave England the opportunity she desired, and in the year 1806, Cape Town was stormed by a British force commanded by Sir David Baird, and fell after an assault that only lasted a few hours. The right of England to retain possession of it was confirmed by the European congress that met at Amiens in 1814, and from that time the British flag has waved from the caste and the Amsterdam fort, whilst the capacious, stone built slave market foms excellent barracks for the Imperial troop*. Perhaps the most at ractive feature of the town consists in the fine public gardens. In addition to the Cape of Good Hope gardens, formed by the Dutch and bearing the date 1788 on the iron entrnnee gates, there are the bexinful botanic gardens, overlooking which are th n Government House, the Hous- of Parliame t, the Museum, nnl the Public Libraiy, nandsomo stone buildi 'g, consisting amongst other literary treasures, n fine co lect'on of boots presented to the co'ony by Sir George Grey. Car c Town hns a very mixed population, ns in nd ition to the European c>lonists. who are mostly of British nnd Dutch* decent, thero nre an immense number of Hottentots, Kaffirs, Oumrse nnd Mnlays. The lnst mentioned are very numerous, thete aie Mohauieduns in religion aud muh resemble tho'Mnories in appcail ice. TO BE O; TIXtTKI*