possession of the requisite funds to carry out this great work; and
there is no reason why it should not be accomplished before many month's
are over. The Government of this country (Cape Colony) have come to the
conclusion that it is desirable that this work should be carried out,
and an arrangement has been made between the Government of this country
and Mr. Rhodes as representing the British South African Company,
whereby a railway starting from Kimberley up to Vryburg will be
constructed by the British South African Company. Certain conditions
have been entered into between the Company and the Government of this
Colony, under which the Government of the Colony will have the right to
take over the railway at any time they think proper, on certain
conditions to be entered into by one side or the other. This railway
extension is to be immediately proceeded with. You may take it as a
moral certainty that you will be able to travel by railway up to
Warrenton, some time in the course of next year. The Government have
come to the conclusion that it is in the interests of South Africa that
this work shall be carried on; that, in short, it would be highly
injudicious to place any obstacles in the way of an undertaking which is
calculated to have so beneficial an effect on the prospects of this part
of Her Majesty's Empire." This Speech, coming from the Premier of the
Cape Colony, requires no comment from me, beyond the expression of my
satisfaction at its having been made.




[Illustration: Decorative]

COLONISATION.