A WARNING FROM AFRICA.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 454, 15 March 1890, Page 5

A WARNING FROM AFRICA.

o EXPERIENCES OF A NEW ZEALAND M.AN. Bv the Auckland papers (says a Southern contemporary) we observe that the new line of steamers to South Africa has induced many persons to migrate to that country, there to seek for a bettor condition of things than they find in New Zealand. Already many New Zealanders have found their way to South Africa, but the contradictory accounts which they send make it very difficult to form a fairly accurate judgment. The truth appears to be that there are great prizes to be obtained, but the blanks are so numerous that one has to take risks and encounter hardships which few would care to attempt if they otdy had previous knowledge of the existing state of things. A letter dated January 24th, received last mail by thp Wellington “Press,” from a correspondent who left Wellington in July, is deserving of serious attention. He is a man of sterling worth, with a large experience in the mining districts of the South Island. He was attracted bo Africa by the tales of almost unbounded enterprise that reached us. He went out by way of Soutli Australia, and made for Durban. Ho seems to have found the journey a difficult one, and broken by long intervals when no passage could be obtained. When he arrived in Durban he got his arm broken in getting off a tramcar, and terribly lacerated. Misfortune did nob leave him there. On arriving at Johannisberg he was thrown off an omnibus and had his head severely wounded and the drum of one ear broken. Before this was healed he caught typhoid fever, and at the bitpe of writing \?as only just out of danger. Then follows his warning. Hp says:—“Just after my arrival here everything went up to famine prices, hotels from 30s to 40s and 50s per diem; for my little room in a boarding-house they charge me £3 per week. If you know of anybody coming here, for God’s sake tell them to stop whops they are. The whole place is a fraud. The reports sent from here to the Australian colonies were gross falsehoods and positively oruel. Black labour absorbs everything. If white labourers had not the money to take them back from here, they might and would positively starve. I know some men from New Zealand who are prepared to do any kind of work for any wages, yet work they cannot get. They tell me if there is one vacancy on a mine or any sorb of job there are at least 100 applicants. Food is of the worst description imaginable. Positively, dogs in New Zealand would nob eat what white men do here ” Of course the accidents which befel him might be met elsewhere than in Africa, and are among the ordinary risks by which life is surrounded, bub after making , fair allowance for the depression of spirits caused by his misfortunes there is so much solid truth conveyed by his warning that it ought tQ be fully considered before any more of our young men are tempted to quit “ slow ” New Zealand to throw themselves in with tho crude social' organisation -of South Africa, where only persons of •very' Strong constitution and' comfortable nidans c&ri hope' to Vise ; above t'he miserable siJrrouridings.'