Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-26

| IOTtuSdI II pflCtlcdllN mOrtSaStu 10 Eng
| land. and We're going to have this coun-
| try some time We must get DelagOa bay
and BeiTa. We need them in our business.
Well the colonial office wants 10 soft-sOap
the Portuguese and make the deal in a
gentle way. so il does not come down on
them when an Englishman is outraged
here, with the consequence that a white
man cannot look sidewse at one of these
puppet policemen without being stuck like
a pig. The British consul says his hands
are tied, and its shame how Were
treated
Beira "a Necessary Doorway.
This is the secret of the friction twixt
populace and soldiery in Beira. The town
itself is not worth two common balls to
the English, but it is the key 10 South Cen
trail Africa, and England needs. it. If you
glance at the map OF South Africa YOU viii
see that with the exception of Cape Colo
ny, Natal and the little shore of Zululand,
Great Britain owns absolutely no seacoast.
Germany and Portugal are supreme both
on the east and west The Transvaal is
blocked off high and dry. and viii remain
so, for Portugal dare not sci! her DelaGoa
bay.
The situation of Beira makes it valuable.
1t lies 1000 miles north of Cape Town,
600 miles south OF Zanzibar and fast
steamer makes the run across to AIadagas-
car in twcnt y-f0ur hours. Excepting pe.a-
goa bay, il furnishes the only good harbor
in \ stretch of IouJ miles, one is the
ural outlet to the Transvdal, the other for
RhodeSia. They are both becoming busy
ports.
South African passenger traffic. which
formerly was carried almost entirely by
the English lines from Southampton to
Cape Town ard Durham by way Of Madeira
and St. Helena. has been switched of to
some extent now. and the favCrite passage
is by way of the German EaSt-AfTiaan
line. This takes one through the Med
iterranean sea, the Suez canal and down
the east coast, touching at Zanzibar Oar
Elisa laam ('6inlA RpiF1 lnD3 rDbdrp De-
lagoa bay and Durham. A French line
goes over nearly the same route, taking in
Madagascar and Mauritius.
In addition to these ships the long bia k
steamers OF the British India line put IN
there every week bringing from the orient
every species OF humanity; and there are
several coast steamers which do y good
trade with Madagascar in meats and vage-
tables.
Beira has been selected for this proba-
tiorary gathering, because it is cheaper to
reach than the inland towns OF Bulawayo
ard Salisbury. Mozambique is only ninety
miles wide at this point, that British
territory can be reached in few days
trip by way of little railroad which is in
process of construction.
= City Of Torrid Swamp.
Beira itself is a combination Of sand, tor
rid enervating heat, and corrugated iron
shanties. For water front there is a large
bay into which flows the Pungwee river;
tI6 grand piazza Is q huge swamp WneTe de-
caying vegetable matter nourishes deadly
miaSma. The country for a long distance
inland is simply reclaimed shore and Is
so low and fiat that the tide goes up the
river ffty-five miles and if you dig one foot
in the sand anywhere water bubbles up.
In addition to the iron shanties there are
light weatherboard houses, shipped out in
pieces from Norway and Sweden; and on
the Point, where life is more endu-ao!e. the
weIl-to-do citizens have erected decent little
villas. The life of the town is centered in
two hotels one at either end, and every Cne
takes a personal interest in the rivalry be
tween them. The Beach is situated near
the boat landing on the bay and is owned
by Roland Creech, ex-sherif of Butte,
Mont. The other rejoices in the name of
Royal, and has for its proprietor a ferret
faced Frenchman, who knows the game OF
faro.
AS a stranded American with good inten-
tons, Mr.. Reeder, who is brother-in-law
of the eX-sherif, insisted on my accepting
the hospitality of the Beach Hotel until the
next German steamer arrived although
there no outlook for remuneration, and
was a total stranger to him. You're a
long ways from the Bowery," he said, land
know you want to get back. But look out
for these LITTLE policemen"
A Ball and a Fight
1 had an opportunity the first night of
witnessing a little fray that well illustrat-
ed the doings of the police. The governor
held a grand reception in the Royal Hotel.
to which all the prominent Portuguese, the
French English and the German merchants
had been invited. In spite OF the mercury
drifting about high in the nineties, every
one came in immaculate evening dress, for
the English customs have taken hold there
and the women wore their most elaborate
toilets.
Half of Beira, from 8 o'clock until TO-
blocked the street watching the arrival of
guests, for only at night is it possible to
remain out of doors long on account of the
extreme heat.
The ball well worth seeing, for It
looked like pageant in Tie time of Nero
such was the contrast between the beauti-
full women in very decollete gowns, spark
ling with Jewels and the stalwart blacks
clad only in Jack strap, who trundled up
The little pale nquin cars. decorated for tho
occasion in garish bunting.
As each car unloaded its burden a captain
of police would hurry 1t off to make room
for another, facilitating the movements Of
the rear guard with the fiat of his sword
In the crowd there Were constant hirk-
arippS and half a dnZAn ls.ia