CECIL RHODES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 73

CECIL RHODES.

(By One Who has Mkt Him.) While lhir.g at the Cape during the latter part of '96, and again a year or tw o later, I was three times at the house of Mr Rhodes. On the first occasion, " the great white chief who eats up countries for his breakfast,"' as the Mntabeles. called him, was a-vray in the Matoppos. That was the time of the native war. when he held his j famous indaba with the Matabele chiefs, alone and unarmed. It was- a daring bit of work — his capture piobably not only meant death but torture as well, and it was- so id that those who accompanied him and remained afar off during the inteiview had positive instructions to shoot him if any attempt at treachery was observed. Groot Schuur (which signifies " great barn ") is situated at Rondebo.«ch, about three miles fiom Capetown, the grounds in •which it is built being part of the Table Mountain range, the Devil's Peak sloping up to the height of 3000 ft right above the house. It is a lovely site, and the house is approached by a fine avenue of stone pines abaut a quaiter of a mile in length. The building, with its thatched gables and wide stoep on. three sides, was £ fine specimen of the Cape Dutch architecture, which is such a peculiar and interesting feature of the colouy. I say was. because the night before its owner returned from Rhodesia it was destroyed by fire. He, however, had it rebuilt in the same style, so that it still retains its quaint characteristics. Over the entrance is a fine bas-relief in bronze, representing the landing of Van Biebeck at the Cape. Van Riebeck was one of the earliest Dutch Governors and is considered to have done a great deal for the success of the settlement. The rooms inside to which visitors had access were the dining and drawing rooms, the library, and study. They were largely furnished* with old Dutch chairs and cabinets, grandfather clocks, quaint mantelpieces, and other furniture of the Queen Anne period, which the early settlers brought out with them, and so hod a peculiar value. For many years Mr Rhodes was a collector of such, and employed an expert from Euiope to vi&it the farms and purchase what he considered good. In the library were two or three tattered flags which had figuicd in «undry South African fights, and «me other interesting mementos of various kinds ; alSo a fine collection, of books, including a specially typewritten edition of the clas-sics. Some handsome tapestries adorned the walls of the dining room. One of Mr Rhodes's happy ideas was to collect and preserve specimens of the big gtt.ine of Africa, many of which were in danger of becoming quite extinct through the efforts of over-zealous sportsmen and the onward march of civilisation. With this end m view he had formed the nucleus of a zoological collection in bis grounds at rhe rear of his house, which he added to from time to time. It was here I the fine young lioness was born which, on being coveted by a scientific gentleman from the Transvaal, Mr Rhodes generously presented to the Pretoria Zoo. It will be remembered that Oom Paul took the matter as a personal insult, and returned the animal without thanks. My second visit to Groot Schuur was for the x^urpose of photographing the famous lioness. It wa.s a very troublesome undertaking, as the was as playful as a kitten, and, being on a long chain, hail considerable liberty. Once during the operation fhe charged me in a very businesslike manner, and I narrowly escaped being mauled. Eventually, with the assistance of a, Kaffir, who stioked her down with a long-handled broom, I got a satisfactory picture, which wa.s afterwards published in the London Graphic. The first time I ?:iw Cecil Rhodes himself was in the Cape Legislative Assembly during the session of 1898. when Mr Schreinei''- Ministry was in power. The Colossus occupied a front Opposition bench. being seated neai Sir James Sivev. right. He made frequent comments of a more or less humorous nature during the speeches of supporteis of the Government, and spoke himself during the debate. Again 1 saw him on his return from England after the Rdid inquiry. He was given a public reception at Capetown, and addressed a big gathering of admirers on the fir>t night of his arrival. He was^ iin the best of spirits that evening, and laughingly told of his experiences at Oxford on the occasion of the conferring upon him of the degree of LL.D., in company *\ nh Lord Kitchener ; also of his interview »mh the firman Ivmperor regarding The proposed Cape to Cairo railway, and the difficult w.it Ut of <-eU!ing the commercial aspects of- the question, which was one materially aHectmg the Kaiser's people. He was certainly in ijreat form on that night, and took the audience into his confidence in lc-gaid to the great schemes he had in .view for the futuie development of the ttontinem. He laughed and joked, and the big assembly cheered the hnn gentleman vociferously on every possible opportunity. The thud and Last time 1 saw him was at his home. Having heard t!hat he required the services of a shorthand writer. I called to inquire if it were true. As I mounted the flight of step> leading up to the front entiance (a laat-Mve teak doot, which he picked up on !-omc Dutch farm ,aud paid £300 foi). he appealed in the lia.ll. showing out two ladie 1 - who were evidently staying with him foi thp day. a.-, I heard h>m t-ellius them he would expect them back to lunch. When they had gone he turned to me and a--ked if I desired to svieuk to him. Thereupon I told my errand, aud iu 1 . njforniid that the lummir was not true He waved hi>- hand in the cliicd .on of hi* «.tudy, and '■aid that his piiva'e ;<-c2etary u;>s quite capable of doing all his woik. and he had no intention of employing anyone else, lie spoke jerkily j and rather grufiiy. and theie ua.s almost a tone of complaint m his voicr. which made me feel I had intruded. However, iie .•nraund. uq hj telling pas I mifiJlt filioto-

gr.i.ph his house — a little camera in my hand had caught his eye. I liad heard some time before that his Jieavt was weak, but did not reali>e that .lie had such a short time to live, and that his career, despite hi*- public statements to the contrary, was then practically closed. He ha& gone leaving much to be done, which he had planned and schemed for. His ideals were great, and in the end un.ielfish. unless personal ambition can ba classed a 1 * selfishness. His methods were not always- above reproach ; but we must be generous to a man who cannot now defend himself, and who carried beneath a iough surface a kind heart and fine nature, and whose strong desiie was to use his vast jvealth and great ability to benefit the huge Empire of which we foim a part, ■and, thiough it, humanity at large. K.