TO SEE THE GREAT WHITE QUEEN.

Bush Advocate, Volume V, Issue 354, 16 August 1890, Page 8

TO SEE THE GREAT WHITE QUEEN.

A VOYAGE "WIT I EINO LODENOTJI-A'S " MEMOBX" AND " TOSOTE." Tho recent visit to England of two MataLclo chiefs, pi v onully »ouduoted by an enterprising iinauoial agent, was not accomplished without some difficulties. An interesting dcaoription of these, aud of tho chiofs them* Bclvea is given by Lady Frederick Cavendish, (who happened to return to Englaud in tha samo steamer with Mr. Maund and hia protcgix) in the cotirso of a chatty account of her South African trip, which she contribute* to the uew number of Mtwraifs. THE BLACK KING AND THE WHITE OTEKN. This, according to Mr. Maund'a own ao» oouut given to Lady Frederick Cavaudish, is how the affair arose. Said Lobeugula : — " I am afraid of being eaten np by the Portuguese or the Boers. I wish to mako friends with the Groat White Queen, but the Boerri toll mo there is no "White Queen — that England hus been eaten up by the Dutch long ago. I don't know what to believe among them all. You must do thia for me, Maundy — you must take two of my oluofs home with you to England and let them see the Great White Queen for themselves, aud bring me word again." . , Now Lieutenant Maund, being a private gentleman, occupied with his own affairs, had no fancy for this very ticklish misaiou.. He had no authority, he could not possibly obtain instructions from the High Commissioner, for he was about 600 miles from the noareet telegraph wire, and in short he tried to excuse himßelf. In a moment tho King'a countenance changed, and he said ' ' Aaon \ then you are as bad as tho reat of thorn.' k My impression is, though he did not tell mo so, that he would have risked hia neck had he persisted in his refusal. At all events, h* saw that ho would be throwing away a very great chance for England, inasmuch as this was a distinct offer of friendship, on the part of an indopeudout Priuco, whoso dominions may be roughly said to cover a territory about twice the size of Goriuany,and rich in gold,. Had Lieutenant Maund refusod the mission, the King would have believed all the stories of there being no White Queen, and would have gone in for the moat favourable bargain he oould with tho Dutch, as second- Dea», Lieutenant ' Maund accordingly said : 4 ' Web, I will do what you wish ; but I must first know where the money is to oorae from. ! I have none ; and it will require a largo sum." Tho King replied : "Do you think I should ask you to do this thing, and not pay for it ? How much do you want V Lieutenant Maund answered, "£600." Without another word, Lobongula stalked out of luh kraal, went up to a waggon and brought out of it the money in Euglish gold. (Our money ia current through the Dutch States, and no doubt the king had made it by trading.) Lieutenant Maund then naked what men he whs t© take. Two old chiefs were ohoaen,

ono over seventy-Jive, the otlior not much younger. Ho said, " These old men will die of tho colt! in England ; you don't know what an English March is."' " Oh," replied the king, " they won't both die ;" and he explained that theso particular men were to go, boca-uso He ddcr one ivo? Ins "Memory" ami (ho o!l<'f his "Tvn'pie." The name of the "MeTiioiy" was •'' Babyjune," that of the "Tongue"' I lorgfct. The former was a quiet observant old fellow ; the latter a great talkor. , . in "the Gi:'.:.vr kkaat. that nwiES tiirodg-ii THE WAI"i:R." So Mr. Maund started, accompanied by his strango travelling companions. Arrived at Cape Town their difficulties began ; and although Sir Hercules Robinson eventually recognised that the matter, being now well in train, it must needs be put on an official basis, no credentials had am red from Downing street when Mr. Mnuntl shipped . his chief a and sailed with them on the Moor. Oa board, the chiefs wore altogether bewildered, it seems, by the ship and tho sea. For some timo they said not a "word. At last said one of them, "We get up and we go to bod, night after night, day after day, and always water ! always water !" They culled tho steamer " the great kraal that pushes through the water. On reaching •' the Doldrums" (the neighbourhood of tho Equator), one of them said to an Irish gentleman on board, " Does the great water all belong to the White Queen ?" " Indeed it does," replied this very loyal Irishman. WHY DOES NOT THE WHITE QtTHE^ EAT VS PORTUGAL ? "I had an interview with them," continues Lady Frederick, " and took painn to convince them there was a White Quean, assuring them I had had the honour of serving Her Majesty and had kissed her hand. One of them thereupon touched his eyes and replied, 'We believe it is as you say so, but we are taking our own eyes to see.' When we got into rough weather in tho Bay, they paid, ' The river is full to-day.' OS Lisbon, when told it was Portuguese, they sat on deck with their backs turned to it, and said, 'How is it the White Queen allows Portugal between her and Africa?'" * WKRB THE GITARD3 STUFFED ? When at length London was reached there were still obstacles to be overcome before the Great White Queen could be roached. Even at the last moment a hitch occurred. It was altogether contrary to Court etiquette that Mr. Maund, all unaccredited, should be admitted by Her Majesty, along with the Tongue and tbe Memory of Lobengula. He, however, explained that they declined to go before the Queen without their father Maundy. Tho king had said that Maundy would be their father, and that they need not be afraid. Without " Maundy " the poor chiefs seem to have had some idea that Her Majesty might take a fancy to eat them. On these representations Lieutenant Maund wa« admitted. " The Queen reooived thorn with the utmoet kindness, having no doubt by this time become thoroughly interested, in the wholo matter. Her Majesty sent a carriage to meet them, and ordered a turn-out of fifty Life Guardsmen in St. GeorareVhall. These magnificent soldiers, all over Gft. lin., impressed the chiefs extremely when once they had ascertained (hat their were not ntujid. The Queoa then received then in the corridor. They were introduced by Lovd Kuutsford, who related to Her Majesty the whole history, and then plaoed in tho Queen's own hand Lobongiila's letter, in which he askei for tho Queeu'a protection against his enemies, and promised in return to be her friend. When the letter was placed in the Queen's hands tho delight of the chiefs was extreme. Their end was accomplished. The Queen very kindly spoko to - them, and asked them if they felt the cold, to which they replied : ' How should we feel tho cold •when there is a great Queen who can make it either hot or cold ?' They wore then entertained at luncheon, and had golden gobleta to drink out of, which they imagined v/oro from the Queen's own table." Before returning to Lobengula the envoys were taken to see tho great guns at "Woolwich, to n parade at Aldershot, and to Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's, the sight of which struck Bubyjano especially with ro ligious awe.