* * * * * The re-election of Paul Krueger as President of the South African Republic, while fortunate for the citizens of that country, is thought to be detrimental to British interests in South Africa, for since the Jameson Raid, about which we told you in No. 20 of THE GREAT ROUND WORLD, Oom Paul has not held the English in high favor. President Krueger received three-quarters of the votes in the late election. His rivals were General Joubert, Vice-President of the Republic, and Schalk Burger, a member of the Executive Council. The President's term is five years. * * * * * A VERY important event in South Africa is the completion of the railway between Cape Town and Buluwayo. Look on your map and see what a great distance this is. It is just about as far as New York is from New Orleans. The road is to be continued to Lake Tanganyika (Buluwayo lies about mid-way between Cape Town and the southern extremity of this Lake). It is reported that this extension will cost $15,000,000. England controls this railway, and it will probably be the source of great revenue to her, for the natural treasures of this part of Africa are almost unlimited. * * * * * There is a very interesting article in _McClure's Magazine_ for March about Andree and his expedition. The finding of the carrier-pigeon is described. It seems that the captain of the sealer _Aiken_, which was cruising near Spitzbergen, saw this bird in the rigging of his boat. It was very tired, had its head under its wing, and was fast asleep. The captain shot the bird, and it fell into the sea. He did not think anything more of the matter until he happened to remember hearing about the pigeons Andree had taken with him. He turned his vessel, and steered back to try and find the bird. Fortunately he was successful, and attached to a tail-feather of the carrier-pigeon was found a small tube with this message in it: "July 13th, 12:30 P.M. "Latitude 82 deg. 2'; longitude 15 deg. 5' east. Good progress eastward, 10 deg. south. All well on board. This is the third pigeon despatch. "ANDREE." It has been proved that this dispatch really was from Andree, and it is the only word that has been received from him since he started on his perilous trip. * * * * * England seems to be determined to keep her hold in Egypt, and, if possible, to strengthen it. Her troops there have been ordered to proceed to Khartoum and thence to Uganda, with the plan of sending them on to Fashoda in order to make it a British post.