Rhodes and Delarey.

Manawatu Herald, 10 April 1902, Page 2

Rhodes and Delarey.

It is interesting to-day to know that Rhodes was godfather to one of Delarey’s grandsons—-Delarey, that is, who dealt so chivalrously with his prisoner, Lord Methuen, the other day. It came about in this wise. From the very first Rhodes determined to thwart Kruger in his designs to annex Bachuan aland to the Transvaal. When the Rooi Grond Boers were attacking the chief, Montesoia, Mr Rhodes, at great risk, visited the camp of the leader, Van Niekirk. The Stellalauders were taken back at his daring. When Rhodes saw the power that Delarey wielded, he determined ,to win him over, and, strolling over to the Boer’s tent one morning, quietly invited himself to breakfast. With that hospitality which is one of the pleasantest features of the Boer character, the unexpected visitor was made welcome and a meal hastily got ready. While this was being done, Delarey turned to Rhodes with a grim look, and said abruptly, “ Blood must flow!’’ If this ogre-lika remark startled Rhodes at all, he was careful not to show it. “Well," he retorted coolly, “give me my breakfast, and we will talk about blood afterwards.” Even the most truculent mortal would be unable to make much headway against such total unconcern as Rhodes displayed, and in the end Delarey was won over to Rhodes’ way of thinking. In describing in after days the course which events took with Delarey, Rhodes said: —“ I stayed with Delarey, a week ; I became godfather to his grandchild, and in the end we made a settlement. Those who were serving under Van Niekirk and Delarey got their farms, and I secured the government of the country for her Majesty, which I believe was the right policy, and so both sides were satisfied."