The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-09-19
LIFE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Timely Volume Written by a
Washington Author.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BOERS
Have Intense Antipsthy for the English,
and Name Unruly Oxen After Them-Ex-
petition of Mr. brown Full of Incident
and Adventure-NativesI 10th Preacher
Gus and Lazy-PowerfuI Personality of
Cecil Rhodes-Great Railroad Scheme.

| At time when the eyes OF the world
are turned exTectantly 10 South Africa
over which the war cloud seems liable TO
Dufst al any moment, there comes very
| opportunely from the press of Charles
Scribners Sons 2 handsomely Illustrated
volume OF some 400 pages, entitled ION the
South African Frontier, being the ad-
ventures and observations of an Ameri-
can in Mashoaaland and Matabelclani
What lends local interest to the volume
is the fact that il is written by William
Harvey Brown, who was formerly con-
| nected with the Smithsonian Institu-
| ton in this city, by which he was sent
in 1883 10 the west coast Of Africa as
naturalist with a party of scientists who
went 20 observe an eclipse of the sun.
/ Brief experience en- the CoanZl River
served TO give Mr. Brown the African
fever both literally and figuratively, fer
when he had recovered from the malady
he was smitten with an uncomfortable
desire to explore the Dark Continent,
which desire ne proceeded 20 crafty.
| The result was that ne spent seven years
In South Africa. first as a collector. big
game hunter, and explorer, aftcrward.
as he was unconsciously drawn into
the life of the land, as gold
seeker. land owner, citizen, and SOL
der, participating In the early set
Element and development of Rkodesia.
! He came 20 know personally, and in
some Instances intimately, Cecil Rhodes,
the Colossus Of Africa whose shadow
+ seems over the continent from the Cape
TO Cairo; DR.. Jameson, the leader of the
/ famous raid. and President Kruger. the
outwardly Placid Gibraltar of the little
| Dutch republic. which is at present de-
| flying the blooT-red wave of British in
( vasion. All this is live matter at this
/ time, and although mostly history. COM
| paratively little known or understood by
An orleans. Therefore, the publication is
| most timely.
| Expedition 10 frica.
Hurrying over the Introductory chap
| tiers. which contain an account of the
| expedition on the United States ship Pen
sacola, with snap shots at Sierra Leone
and Saint Paul de Loanda. the latter an
other OF Portugals colapsing colonies,
| like those of DelagOa Bay and Beira, on
| the east coast of Africa and Macao in
| Indo-Chino; together with some interest
| ing and humorous observa tons among
! the lazy and superstitious Cunga natives,
| the writer transports the reader at one
| bound to Cape Town. His first impress
| sions are as follows:
Although much literature concerning
South Africa has appeared during the
| last few years, doubtless there are many
Americans who still entertain vague ideas
as to the state of civilization at the Cape
of Good Hope. Regarding Africa gener-
| ally. we usually think of il as a wild.
half-explored country; but whoever APP
plies this idea to Cape Town would be
surprised, as I was. upon landing there,
| to find 1t place where it takes but little
| imagination to think ones self in his own
| country"
Then follow descriptions of Cape Town.
with its picturesque Table Mountain,
| whose top, always shrouded in dense
mist, serves as perpetual condenser and
water reservoir for the city; the harbor
and city built about it. the handsome sub
urbs, and mixed inhabitants. According
to Mr.. Brown, the latter consist of Eng
| fish, Dutch, Malays, and negroes. The
Malays, who were originally imported as
slaves by the Dutch East India Company,
| constitute the bulk of the laboring popu-
| lation. Their language is still Dutch, and
most of them are Mohammedans. claim
| ing their religious privilege to plurality of
wives, with which custom the authorities
do not interfere The Hottentots, or
| aborigines are pretty nearly played out,
| owing TO their natural inertia and &C
| quired taste for strong liquors, but they
have a queer habit of getting out and
bowling like dogs occasionally, in order
10 prove to the rest Of the population
| that they are not yet extinct
Disrove ''tfCt
At the time Of Mr.. Browns visit to the
Cape. the people there were wild over
the discovery Oh gold and diamonds in the
Iambesi country, which subsequently at
uacted the attention of the civilized
| ycrid, and was the primary cause OF the
present South African trouble. This then
unclaimed territory. which has since been
designated on the maps as Rhodesia was
coveted by the Beers, Germans, POrtu-
guese, and British, whose posse ssions
bounded il on various sides, but it was
under the control Of the powerful and
warlike Lobenguela. ruler of Matabele-
! land and MashOnaland whom nobody
! could approach until Cecil Rhodes, with
his diplomacy and caring secured a con-
cession from the savage monarch, giving
his company complete and exclusive con-
troi of all he mineral products OF his
| kingdom. This was the beginning OF the
| British South Africa Company. with
capital of 900 pounds sterling, and
Mr.. Brown accompanied its pioneer corps
! which cut out the first roads into the
new territory. II is interesting TO note
that the advice given by an American
| missionary who had been among the
Zulus was to Kill as many as he could OF
! the bloodthirsty Matabeles, assuring him
! that thereby he would be doing a service
10 humanity.
The pioneer corps was practically mill
| tary organization, ewing TO the dangerous
country it was 10 traverse. so Mr.. Brown
was Obliged 10 enlist under contract with
the company, although not actually In the
service Of the queen. He secured per-
mifsion from the Smithsonian Institute
to make the trip, but although his coli
slant collecting won for him the nick
name or "Curio BTown," many OF his
best specimens Of African big game never
got back to civilization. but were lost in
the wilderness or devoured by wild beasts
Into the wilderness
From Cape Town to Kimberley the corps
| Travelled by rail. and Mr.. Brown remarks
that the scenery along the way reminded
him very much OF Montana, Western
Kansas. Colorado, and New Mexico. Kim
berIey and It's diamond mines. which Co
Gil Rhodes had just succeeded in uniting
under one company. are briefly described
and then, after recruiting al Rhodes
farm. the pioneers started out on the.E
long journey into the wilderness. From
Kimberley to Msfeking that travel led by
Dutch wagon train, In style very similar
TO that in which the Beers made theii
great trek into the Transvaal afte:
being crowded out OF Cape Colony II
Rider Haggard. Olive Schreiner, and 9TH
er South African writer's have given IA
descriptions OF the strong, though cum
bersome, wagons. drawn by spans OF
sixteen oxen each. and creaking slowly
over the traekless yeldt. Although ths
expedition never touched the TTanEvaai
passing to the westward Of Kruger :
country on practically the present line OF
the Rhozesia Railroad Mr. Brown sa "