Another year's experience has confirmed and
strengthened my conclusions as to the remarkable salubrity of the
South African climate in cases of chest disease and of nerve wear,
which I laid before the Royal Colonial Institute in November last.
While regarding the neighbourhood of Cape Town and Grahamstown as
beneficial for a short sojourn, among the upland stations I would
call attention to Middelburg and Tarkestad. Hotel accommodation and
adequate comfort for invalids, as regards food, quarters,
attention, occupation, and amusement, are still most deficient.
During the recent drought the dust storms proved very trying to the
eyes and to the bronchial membranes at Kimberley, and at
Johannesburg the dangers were great. I rejoice to learn that Sir
Frederick Young has found his winter trip so health-giving, and
believe that a similar expedition might prove of immense value to
many Englishmen who are overwrought in body or in mind.

The CHAIRMAN (the Right Hon. the Marquis of Lorne, K.T., G.C.M.G.):
I propose a hearty vote of thanks to Sir Frederick Young for his
kindness in reading the Paper. I was extremely interested myself,
as I think you all were. In his political observations, and in
speaking of a firm policy, I think that, after all, what the reader
of the Paper meant was firmness in allowing each nationality to
develop itself as it best might, with aid from home. I think that
is the sense of his observations, and I am sure we are obliged to
him, not only for speaking of more personal matters, but also for
telling us the actual impressions he derived from the journey. I
entirely agree with Mr. Merriman--and I believe Sir Frederick Young
does--that, finding ourselves in South Africa with the Dutch, we
must work with them and through them. I hope the Dutch will allow
themselves to be helped in one matter which Sir Frederick Young
impressed on President Kruger--apparently not with great
results--viz., in the matter of railways, and that they will allow
railways to pierce the Transvaal. I am sure he is a man of too much
intelligence very much to object to railways. That policy would be
too much like that of the Chinese. I remember, when I was at the
head of a society in London, asking the representative of China to
come and listen to a paper in regar