to take a side in local politics.  Froude found his position by no means agreeable.  Molteno, though never discourteous, received him coldly, and objected to his making speeches.  The Governor, who liked to be good friends with his Ministers, gave him no encouragement.  The House of Assembly, after proposing to censure 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 Carnarvon has been frightened at the first bad news, there will be danger of real disturbance.  The despatch has created a real enthusiasm, and excited hopes which must not now be disappointed.”