ts, as we have been the slaves of every petty circumstance, as
South Africa is so contentious and fault-finding, as the English
uitlanders themselves have threatened to lift their rifles against us if
we move to exert pressure on the Boers, it seems to me that we must wait
upon Johannesburg and let the people of that city point the way. Every
civilised people in Europe can furnish instances of how to resent
injustice and defeat oppression. England, Ireland, Wales, France,
Spain, Italy, Germany, etc., all have their examples of what courage can
do when nerved by despair, and I think, if it is really serious, it is
the turn of Johannesburg to show what it can do; otherwise we must wait
until Mr Kruger's nature changes, which will be "Never, no, never."

CHAPTER SIX.

SUMMARY OF A FEW IMPRESSIONS.

On my return from South Africa I was interviewed by a representative of
_South Africa_. I had proposed to write on my voyage to England a
closing communication describing my visit to Natal and summarising my
views on the South African outlook generally. Unfortunately, I was
attacked with severe rheumatic pains shortly after the steamer left Cape
Town, and was not able to put pen to paper. I, however, gave the
representative of _South Africa_ the impressions I should have written
on the voyage, had circumstances permitted me to do so.

THE LABOUR QUESTION IN NATAL.

"How were you impressed with Natal?"

"I was very much struck by its beauty and its fitness for a white
population. There was one curious anomaly, however, in the fact that
the natives in Natal are very numerous, and yet the Colonists suffer
from a deficiency of labour. Ships often lie at the wharves for days,
waiting for coal, because labourers cannot be got to put it on board.
At the same time the labour party, or the white man's party, at Durban
are complaining that the coolies are being brought to Natal in too great
numbers."

"Those are points in economic development that want immediate tackling?"

"Something should be done to start the enlistment of Zulus of Natal in
its labour forces for the development of the State. It is a most
interesting little State, very quietly governed, and the people are an
exceptional class of Colonists, but they seem to have some problems
before them which will tax the ability of future Ministries."

"The coolie immigration question, I take it, is not one of the least of
these?"

"That is so. There are masses