The Marquis de Soveral, Portuguese Minister in London, and a
great friend of King Edward. has thought it advisable to explain the position of Portugal in respect to her East African colonies through an Austrian interviewer. King Carlos, he says, is not coming to England to arrange any b Ininess, but only to enjoy some shooting. In particular, his Majesty will not arrange for the sale or lease of Lourenco u arqUeS, which was discovered by Vasco da Gama, and is as much an integral portion of the Portuguese. Monarchy as Lisbon itself. .. +9 * says the Minister, "would never put my name to such a treaty." Portugal will, however, permit foreign States—France, Germany, and England—to invest capital there and will give them every. security. The tone of the speech is a-little bitter, but it is possible that it is addressed rather to Lisbon and Berlin than to London, and that the concessions which are refused to England will be made to a railway company. All we require is a right of free entry, both for troops and goods, with some local jurisdiction for those pur- poses of sanitation which Portugal finds too expensive.. It is rather hard that we cannot obtain a port for the Transvaal because a possession useless to its owners lies in the way; but as the Marquis de Soveral philosophically remarks, "serious politicians understand that all wishes cannot be fulfilled,"—
at least, not without waiting. ' •
