2110-1-8-10

[printed letterhead: image of UK royal coat of arms] [printed letterhead] HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE] [printed letterhead] JOHANNESBURG,

Dec: 9: : 1901

My dearest Nan

I have had no home letter this week, all on account of the mail having gone awry: nor shall I get any till Friday or Thursday at the earliest. So I will probably have the pleasure of getting two mails on two successive days - a new experience in these outlandish parts. I suppose my devoted parents would start last Saturday. I hope they may have a fair voyage, & that they have brought plenty of cool clothes.

I see from the telegram that Miss

Hobhouse has started her campaign. Most sensational news too, about the domestic quarrels of the Queen of Holland & the Prince Consort. A Prince Consort is a hard job at the best, but the Queen seems to be a regular little minx.

Life has been moving very quietly this last week. I have been very busy, chiefly with wearisome hand-to-mouth telegraphic business about refugees. It is very difficult to do this and at the same time prepare my reports for the Secretary of State. At home we have been drowned by every manner of creeping and flying insect. There was a hornet's

nest in the chimney which our niggers were ordered to destroy. They put string all over & then the hornets came down into Hugh Wyndham's room and stung him! then they attacked me when I was sleeping on the verandah. We finally lit a fire and smoked them out, destroying the remainder with Keating's Powder. I must say I prefer our homely bum.bees to that terrible insects.

Yesterday I went with Lord M. to visit the Refugee Camp on Johannesburg Race-Course. The Governor of Natal (Sir Henry Maccallum) went with us & two A.D.Cs. We got a great reception in the Camp. It is on is the best of the lot, very well managed by a little Scotsman

called Noble. I daresay he comes from Skarlin? (Do you know my confidential clerk is a relation of Willie Sim-mar-ill?) The hospital was very clean, but they had no mosquito curtains, and the poor children, ill with Enteric, were tormented by flies. I have ordered great quantities of curtains from Cape Town. The nurses seemed to me a very capable lot. There is a good school which 90% of the children attend. I was most struck by the hearts of these small ragamuffins and their good manners. I surprised a gang of 4 ragged urchins making mud pies. They all stood at once to attention, and saluted. I tried to

[printed letterhead: image of UK royal coat of arms] [printed letterhead] HIGH COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE [printed letterhead] JOHANNESBURG,

talk to them in Dutch , but we didn't get very far. The old men are very handsome hawk-eyed fellows, like patriachs. The women are fat & typical Dutch vrouws, except the very young girls who are pretty. The children struck me as too good-looking to be quite healthy. Their eyes had a feverish brightness. On the whole I think they are very well off. They are well fed, & they have the whole big race-course for a playground.

We have made the acquaintance of a splendid Dutch child of six years