ensure Carnarvon in their
haste, censured Froude at their leisure. That did him no harm. But
he disliked the new position in which he found himself, and in his
private journal he expressed his sentiments freely.

He had not been long in Cape Town when he wrote, on the 9th of July,
1875, to his eldest daughter a full and vivid account of the
political situation. "I am glad," he said, "that no one is with me
who cares for me. No really good thing can be carried out without
disturbing various interests. The Governor and Parliament have set
themselves against Lord Carnarvon. The whole country has declared
itself enthusiastically for him. The consequence is that the
opposition, who are mortified and enraged, now daily pour every sort
of calumny on my unfortunate head. I don't read more of it than I
can help, but some things I am forced to look at in order to answer;
and the more successful my mission promises to be, the more violent
and unscrupulous become those whose pockets are threatened by it. I
wait in Cape Town till the next English steamer arrives, and then I
mean to start for a short tour in the neighbourhood. I shall make my
way by land to Mossel Bay, and then go on by sea to Port Elizabeth
and Natal, where I shall wait for orders from home. Sir Garnet* has
written me a very affectionate letter, inviting me to stay with him.
Here the authorities begin to be more respectful than they were.
Last night there was a State Dinner at Government House, when I took
in Lady Barkly. Miss Barkly would hardly speak to me. I don't
wonder. She is devoted to her father; I would do exactly the same in
her place. I sent you a paper with an account of the dinner, and my
speech, but you must not think that the dinner represented Cape Town
society generally. Cape Town society, up to the reception at
Government House, has regarded me as some portentous object come
here to set the country on fire, and to be regarded with tremors by
all respectable people. Outside Cape Town, on the contrary, in every
town in the country, Dutch or English, I should be carried through
the streets on the people's shoulders if I would only allow it, so
you see I am in an 'unexampled situation.'+ The Governor's dinner
cards had on them 'to meet Mr. Froude.' I am told that no less than
eight people who were invited refused in mere terror of me ....
Things are in a wild state here, and grow daily wilder. I am
responsible for having lighted the straw; and if Lord