He was in the habit of
almost daily seeing Mr. Rhodes, financiers from Johannesburg, military
men thirsting for war, who were commencing to arrive from England, as
well as his Cabinet Ministers. To these latter he probably volunteered
information about the other interviews he had had, thereby disarming
their criticisms.
From one great man I must pass to another. A few days after our arrival
at Groot Schuurr, Mr. Rhodes and Sir Charles Metcalfe arrived from
England. Incidentally I may mention the former's marvellous reception,
and the fact that nearly five miles of road between Cape Town and Groot
Schuurr were decorated with flags and triumphal arches, while the day
was observed as a general holiday. This had happened to him in a minor
degree so often before that it did not arouse much comment. The same
evening we attended a monster meeting at the Drill Hall, where thousands
of faces were turned simultaneously towards the platform to welcome back
their distinguished citizen. The cheering went on for ten minutes, and
was again and again renewed, till the enthusiasm brought a lump to many
throats, and certainly deeply affected the central figure of the
evening. This meeting, at which no less than a hundred addresses were
presented from every part of Africa--from the far-off Zambesi to the
fruit-growing district of the Paarl, almost entirely populated by
Dutch--even this great demonstration that one great man was capable of
inspiring quickly faded from my memory in view of the insight which
three weeks as his guest gave me of the many sides of his life,
occupations, and character.
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