South Africa is always the land of disagreeable surprises. This
week there are three of them. One is as yet unconfirmed, that the Boers of the Orange Free State expect to be attacked by the Basutos, the most powerful of the remaining Bantu tribes. Another, which seems to be true, is that the Portuguese in Lorene() Marquez recently attacked some Mussulmans for not uncovering while a picture of the Virgin passed by, an act which the Mussulmatts of course would have considered an insult to a lady whom they reverence without worshipping. The Mahommedans sought refuge in the German Consulate, which was wrecked by the mob. It is stated that the English Consulate was also wrecked, which, as the Mabommedans were probably British-Indian subjects, is likely enough. The Emperor has demanded redress, and sent a cruiser to Delagoa Bay. The third incident is an attack by Chirkusi, head of the most northern or "Angoni" sept of the Matabeles, upon Nyassa- land. He has thirty thousand drilled spearmen, is threatening Blantyre, and has already raided one mission station. Mr. Sharpe, Acting Commissioner, has despatched nine hundred men against Chirkusi, half of them Sikhs, and everybody is hopeful, but we do not quite like the reports. A rush of ten or twelve thousand Zulus with spears and maces is a nasty thing, and if Captain Stewart, who is in general command of the defending columns, were wiped out we should have all " Johnstonia," a region about as big as Germany and France, to reconquer. Our British trick of trying to hold kingdoms with a sergeant's guard is really a most foolish one,—it risks lives and prestige so recklessly.
