Genre:

Regular Feature, Editorial, News-Commentary

Subjects:

Imperialism, Telegraphy, Railways, Progress, Astrology

    Reports that 'Mr. Rhodes's dream of an overland telegraph line from Cairo to the Cape [is] beginning to materialise into fact. The wire now works to Berber, and Mr. Rhodes last month ordered another five hundred miles of telegraph wire from England in order to carry his end of the line northward to Lake Nyassa' (442). In addition, the 'opening of the railway line to Buluwayo' will take place later in the month and is 'an outward and visible sign of one part of the work which Mr. Rhodes has accomplished. To plant a railway terminus in the blood-stained kraal of Lobengula is an achievement which ten years ago would have been relegated to the twentieth century. But it is already an accomplished fact' (442–43). Also notes that the myriad 'troubles which afflict India show no sign of abatement', and the 'Hindu astrologers have long held that India is approaching a great catastrophe, which will culminate in the year of April, 1899, and end in April, 1900 [...] Madame Blavatsky also prophesised in the same vein' (443).