CAPE TO CAIRO.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 215, 16 October 1909, Page 3

CAPE TO CAIRO.

A LADY'S REMARKABLE JOURNEY. London, August 21. Alter a remarkable journey from the Cape to Cairo, extending in all some 0728 miles, and covering a period of 218 days, Miss Charlotte -Mansfield, novelist anil traveller, reached London on Saturday night, when she was coiigratulu.id by' her friends on her achievement. When it is mentioned that Miss Mansfield made the journey unaccompanied, except for native servants, that her itinerary embraced parts of Central | Africa about which only little is known, and that for weeks at a time she saw no civilised being, the courage required to undertake such an investigation will be only partially appreciated. The motive was to find out bow much of tile undeveloped country of Central Africa tnigh. be opened out profitably, and to ascertain to what extent Rhodesia answered the laudations of those who have previously spoken of its wealth. On this point Miss Mansfield states: "T hope a great Rhndesian artist will arise able not only to depict the grandeur of the scenery, but also the wealth of the colors and bloom lying on every -ide within one's hand's grasp. Everywhere 1 found civilisation more advanced than I expected. A RIVAL TO CANADA. "It now only needs individual effort to bring to a speedy issue tile glorious insults of the great founder's dreams." On the prospect of Rhodesia as au agricultural country, Miss Mansfield, who was seen by a l'ress Association representative shortly after reaching London, is distinctly optimistic. "It is one of the best countries in the world for fat.iiing, and is a serious rival in the future of Canada. I met one man in NorthEastern Rhodesia who had tried Canada anil had given it up. He started seven years ago with only £.30, and he leased HIO cattle from tile Government. Now he has 750 head of cattle, and everything also that a prospering fanner can desire. This is no isolated instance of the reward of enterprise and perseverance." A< far as all practical purposes could be served, Miss Mansfield realised the object i>' - her long journey. Her presence in the more remote parts of Africa occasioned much alarm anil curiosity on the part of the natives. Many of them ran ahead to the villages announcing that lite "White Donna" had arrived. They had never seen a white person, and gathered in crowds at the villages through which she passed. The color of her liair and the fact that she more boots at first startled the people, who would stand at a respectful distance until receiving the assurance that she meant lliem no harm. Once accustomed to the spectacle of a white woman .n 1 the habilament of Western civilisation, they would stand round and laugh : n their peculiar native way, and would interrogate the servants upon the ante-! cedents and intentions of their strange visitor.