a b id in g re sp e c t fo r th e w h ite th a t th e lin e is n o t s to len
w h o le sa le .
I can say that, with the exception of Rhodesià, nothing
I saw in Africa struck me more than the astonishing
transformation effected in a savage country in a couple
of years by the Commissioner and his able assistants.
I c an s a y , w ith o u t p re ju d ic e a s a F r e n c hm an , th a t I
m u ch d o u b t w h e th é r th is p re c ise w o rk cou ld h a v e be en
d o n e b y a n y b u t E n g lishm e n . I f it com e s to th a t , it
co u ld p e rh a p s h a v e b e en d o n e b y n o m an b u t S i r H a r r y
Jo h n s to n , an d c e r ta in ly h e d e s e rv e s a s w e ll o f h is c o u n try
a s a n y o f h e r g r e a t e s t C o lo n ia l A dm in is t r a to r s . E n g l i s h m
en o u g h t to b e p ro u d to c a ll th em s e lv e s h is c o u n trym en .
I w ill n ow re tu rn to m y ow n u n im p o r tan t d o in g s . A f t e r
a few d a y s a t B la n t y r e I w e n t to C h ir ad z u lu , to th e co ffe e
p la n ta t io n o f M r. H a s t in g s , w h e re a lso I s t a y e d fo r a few
d a y s , le a rn in g w h a t I co u ld o f th e m e th o d s an d p ro sp e c t s
o f th is c u ltiv a tio n . A f t e r th a t I w e n t on to Z om b a ,
w h e re S i r H a r r y Jo h n s to n e n te r ta in e d me in th e k in d e s t
m an n e r. H i s h o u se is an id e a l o f b e a u t y— b u ilt o f b r ic k ,
w ith a tow e r a t e a ch c o rn e r , an d tw o la r g e v e ra n d a h s ,
th e w h o le c o v e r ed th ic k ly w ith m o s t lo v e ly cre ep e rs .
B e h in d th e h o u s e th e g ro u n d r ise s to a h ig h h ill c o v e red
w ith th é m o s t lu x u r ia n t v e g e ta t io n , an d em b e llish ed b y
a p ic tu r e sq u e c a sc a d e . In fron t, a flig h t o f s te p s le ad s
d ow n to a te r r a c e c o v e r ed w ith flow e r b ed s , an d fu r th e r
d ow n to a b e a u t ifu lly la id -o u t g a rd e n . I to o k g r e a t
d e lig h t in S i r H a r r y ’s a v ia r y , e sp e c ia lly in a tam e
g u in e a fow l, w h ic h fo llow e d lik e a d o g . T h e te r r a c e
com m an d s a m a g n ific en t v iew o f th e M la n je M o u n ta in s
th ir t y m ile s aw a y . T h e g ro u n d is h ig h an d th e c lim a te
p e r fe c t ; 9 0 d e g r e e s is th e g r e a t e s t h e a t kn ow n .
I n ow b e g a n to c o n s id e r m y fu tu re m o v em en ts . U p to
n ow m y jo u rn e y h a d a lw a y s b e en a b o u t to con c lu d e , an d
th e n som e fre sh v i s t a w o u ld o p en b e fo re me, an d I w a s
in fo r a th o u s an d m ile s o r so m ore . I h ad a lr e a d y fa r
e x c e e d e d th e o r ig in a l lim it o f m y tr ip ; b u t now, a s on so