HISTORY OF RHODESIA.
History of Rhodesia. By Howard Hensman. (W. Blackwood and Sons. 6s.)—Most of us would be surprised to think that the history of so recent an acquisition as Rhodesia would fill more than three hundred pages. But the country has been the theatre of a native war and a native rebellion, and the wrestling ring for statesmen and a Chartered Company. We would not forego any Portions of Mr. Hensman's work, though some of it is rather prolix. It is very fair, surprisingly so, if we take the nearness of the events which he relates, and the style and the treatment are intended to be without bias. This is an extremely difficult per- formance, yet Mr. Hensman seems to have achieved it. Perhaps he has a leaning toward the Chartered Company—it is merely a guess—and he has no two opinions of the Matabele. He could scarcely, considering the trend of events for the last twenty years, take up any other attitude. Say what we may, the original cause of all these wars is the land- hunger of the British, and their determination to see, hunt, and live in countries held by inferior races. The black man as over- lord must go, and it is better that we should settle with him than let other white races attempt to do it. Fewer lives are lost in the process, and it leaves, on the whole, a better taste in the mouth. Mr. Rhodes saw all this, and Rhodesia is ours to-day. The campaigns are carefully detailed by Mr. Hensman ; also the causes and conduct of all negotiations with Lobengula. It is in a work of this kind that incidents begin to assume their proper place in history, this being the first history of Rhodesia. The treachery of the two troopers who intercepted Lobengula's letter and its gold dust, and the fatal letter from the A.P.S. which upset wha little faith Lobengula had in the white man, stand ou distinctly ; yet, after all, we must regard these unfortunat
incidents as accidents that will happen. The later disputes with the Chartered Company are interesting reading; on the whole, the experiment was of doubtful value. Powerful companies have not, can never have, quite the necessary feeling of responsibility. This history is compiled from " official sources," and we are sure that Mr. Hensman has done his best to be impartial.
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