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VICTORIAN ERA

SOUTH
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H.A.BRYDEN.

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THE
VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA:

A SHORT HISTORY OF PROGRESS FROM THE CAPE
TO BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA DURING
HER MAJESTY'S REIGN,
1837 to 1897.

BY

H. A. BRYDEN", * * #
Author of " Gun and Camera in Southern Africa" " Kloof and Karroo,'
" Tales of South Africa," $c. $c.

WITH PORTRAITS AND MAPS.

3Lon5on:
"THE AFRICAN CRITIC,"
156 and 157, LEADENHALL STREET, B.C.
1897.

INTRODUCTION.

f I ^HE following pages, recording the chief events which
-¦- have marked Her Gracious Majesty's Eule in South
Africa, owe their being to a desire on my part to add to
the many works, for which the Diamond Jubilee is respon
sible, a concise history of " The Victorian Era in South
Africa." Mr. H. A. Bryden, whose knowledge of the subject
dealt with seemed to me to fit him peculiarly for the
writing of the book, needs no introduction to the reader.
There will be no question as to his competency for the
work, or his impartiality in dealing with the task entrusted
to him. Mr. Edward Stanford's establishment has been pressed
into service to supply the two maps which are included in
this volume, and which, at a glance, show more eloquently
than words can do, the enormous strides which Great Britain
has made in South Africa during Queen Victoria's reign.
Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode, Her Majesty's Printers,
are responsible for the typographical portion of the work,
its general get-up, and the two collotype portraits.
To author, draughtsman, and printers, I have given carte
blanche to produce a work which shall be worthy of the
acceptance of Her Majesty on the occasion of Her Diamond

it INTRODUCTION.
Jubilee. I trust also that the book will win the approba
tion of those of the Queen's subjects at Home and abroad
who have interests in the South African portion of Her
Empire, and who, despite the blunders of statesmen who
come and go, have ever gratefully felt the beneficence of
permanent rule by one whose affection for Her Peoples,
even in the remotest confines of Her dominions, is nowhere
more loyally responded to than in Austral-Africa.
Henry Hess.
London, June 22, 1897.

CONTENTS,

CHAPTER I.
PAGE
The Cape Colony in 1837 — Its Area and Population — Imports and Ex
ports — Shipping — Numbers of Stock — No Minerals worked — Albany
Settlers — Natal, a Zulu preserve — The North of the Colony — Its Herds
of Game — The Countries beyond the Orange — The Matabele Chief,
Moselikatse and his conquests — Namaqualand and Damaraland — Other
Territories almost unknown — Conclusion of Sixth Kaffir War — Lord
Glenelg and his policy — Sir Benjamin Durban — Causes of Great Trek
of the Boers — Extinction of Slavery — Legislation for Natives — Rest
less Spirit of the Dutch — Natural results of the Trekking passion —
Numbers of the Emigration — Paul Kruger .... 1-9
CHAPTER II.
Conquests by the Trek Boers of the Matabele and Zulus — Massacre by
Moselikatse's warriors — Dutch victory at Vecht Kop — Successful at
tack on Matabele kraals— Settlement at Winburg and formation of
Volksraad, &e. — Journey of Pieter Retief to Natal — Wild beliefs of
the Boers — Final defeat of Moselikatse and flight beyond Limpopo —
Massacre of Retief and 100 others by Dingaan — Slaughter of 500 set
tlers and natives — Engagements with Zulus — Heroic death of 13
English — Boer victory on the Blood River — Natal declared a Republic
— Despatch of British force — Besieged by Boers — Reinforcement by
Col. Cloete — Emigrant Boers quit Natal .... 10-16
CHAPTER in.
New system of Education in Cape Colony — The " "War of the Axe " —
Eighth Kaffir War — Extension of Cape Colony — Proclamation of
Orange River Sovereignty — Battle of Boomplaats — Defeat of Boers by
Sir Harry Smith — AVithdrawal of British from the Sovereignty in
1854 — Foundation of Orange Free State Republic — Attempt to estab
lish Penal Settlement at the Cape — Successful resistance by Colonists
 Representative Government granted to Cape Colony — War with
Moshesh, Chief of Basutos — Transvaal affairs — Sand River Convention
— South African Republic formed ..... 17-24

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV. PAQB
Sir George Grey as Governor — Troubles with Colonial Offieo — Sympathy of
the Queen — Her Majesty's foresight — New Policy in Kaffraria — Des
patch of aid during Indian Mutiny — Self-destruction of Amakosa Kaffirs
— 60,000 lives lost — Immigration — German Settlement — Sir George
Grey's attempt at Confederation — Censured and Recalled— Restored to
Governorship at recommendation of the Queen — Copper Mining begun
— Oponing of first Railway — Visit of Prince Alfred— Sandilli and the
Prince — A Game Battue in the Free State .... 25-30

CHAPTER V.
Governorship of Sir Philip "Wodehouse — Depression in the Colooy — British
Kaffraria annexed — New Electoral Divisions — Discovery of Diamonds
— The " Star of South Africa " — Rush to Diamond Fields — Rise of
Kimborley — Value of Diamond Output — Native Compounds — Popu
larity of British Paymasters — Responsible Government granted to the
Cape — Griqualand "West annexed by Great Britain — Difficulties with
Orange Free State — Keate Award — Progress of Natal — Native Ques
tion — Coolie Labour — Langalibalele Outbreak — Federation proposed
by Lord Carnarvon Rejected by the Cape .... 31-37

CHAPTER VI.
Poverty of the Transvaal — President Burgers — Attempted loan — Repulses
by Sekukuni — Discontent — Trek to Mossamedes — Cetywayo — Native
unrest — Sir Bartle Frere — Annexation of Transvaal by Sir T. Shepstone
— Boer deputations to England — Kaffir war of 1877-8 — Griqualand
West Rebellion — The Zulu menace — Ultimatum to Cetewayo — Zulu
war — Isandhlwana — Rorke's Drift — Kambula— Zlobani mountain—
Ginginhlovo — TJlundi — Death of the Prince Imperial— Settlement of
Zululand — Death of Cetewayo — Dinizulu — Boer encroachments —
Present state of Zululand ...... 38-49

CHAPTER VII.
Struggles between Basutos and Orange Free State — Annexation of Basuto-
land by Sir P. Wodehouse — Acquisition by Cape Colony — Native
Disarmament Act — Basuto War — Country again annexed by Imperial
Government — Recent progress of Basutos — Visit of Sir Henry Loch —

CONTENTS. vii
PAGE
Sir Owen Lanyon and the Transvaal — Boer Discontent — Sekukuni
Expedition — Meeting of Paardekraal — Boer Triumvirate — "War with
the Boers — Disaster of Bronkhorst Spruit — Battles of Laing's Nek and
Ingogo River — Majuba Hill — Death of Sir George Colley — Mr.
Gladstone's Surrender — Convention of London . . . 50-57

CHAPTER VHI.
Rise of Afrikander Bond — Mr. Rhodes — Bechuanaland and its History —
The Boers and Livingstone — His great Discoveries — Boer Filibustering
— Stellaland and Goshen — Sir Charles Warren's Expedition — Khama
and Bamangwato country — British Bechuanaland — Bechuanaland Pro
tectorate — Transkeian Annexations — Namaqualand and Damaraland —
Prince Bismarck and Colonial Expansion — German Annexation —
Sharp Practice — Walfisch Bay — Prospects of German South-West
Africa ......... 58-63

CHAPTER IX.
Discovery of Transvaal Gold Fields— Barbeton and Johannesburg — Rise of
South African Republic — Outlander Troubles — Railway Competition
— Closing of Vaal River Drifts — Mr. Chamberlain's Ultimatum —
President Kruger's Dream — Matabeleland and Mashonaland — Mr.
Rhodes — His character and achievements — Treaty with Lobengula —
Mashonaland Concession — British South Africa Company formed —
Pioneer Expedition — Matabele War — Death of Lobengula — Allan
Wilson  64-70

CHAPTER X.
Matabele rebellion— Extension of Railway north — Sir Frederick Carring-
ton  Prospects of Rhodesia and Chartered Company — Concessions
beyond Zambesi — Nyasaland — British Central Africa — Enormous ex
pansion of territory — Causes of Jameson raid — Mr. Rhodes and
President Kruger — Stormy Interview — Transvaal National Union —
Preparations for rising — Jameson's Ride — Krugersdorp — Surrender
at Doornkop — Fines and sentences — The Emperor's telegram — Mis
chief of the raid — Outlander oppression — Imperial movements — Mr.
Rhodes and the Dutch Afrikanders ..... 71-79

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XL

Steady Advances of British Civilisation — Dutch Position in 1806— Gover
nor Janssen's Despair — Qualities of Dutch Settlers — Their Industries
— Wine and Fruit Farming — Wheat Growing — Horses, Mules, and
Donkeys — Cattle Breeding — Bechuanaland and the Kalahari — Sheep
and Goat Farming — Mohair — Ostriches — Tobacco — Railways and
Telegraphs — Principal Towns of Cape Colony — Exports and Imports
— Shipping — Natal Statistics— The Dutch Question — Boer Advances
— Need for British Rural Immigrants — Present Policy towards Dutch
Afrikanders — The Native Question — Final Survey of Advance during
The Queen's Reign ....... 80-91

Index ........ 93-102

THE YICTORIAN ERA IN
SOUTH AFRICA.

CHAPTER I.
The Cape Colony in 1837 — Its Area and Population — Imports and Exports —
Shipping — Numbers of Stock — No Minerals worked — Albany Settlers— Natal, a
Zulu preserve — The North of the Colony — Its Herds of Game — The Countries
beyond the Orange — The Matabele Chief, Moselikatse and his conquests — Nama-
qualand and Damaraland — Other Territories almost unknown — Conclusion of
Sixth Kaffir War— Lord Glenelg and his policy — Sir Benjamin Durban — Causes
of Great Trek of the Boers — Extinction of Slavery— Legislation for Natives-
Restless spirit of the Dutch — Natural results of the Trekking passion — Numbers
of the Emigration —Paul Kruger.

HEN Her Majesty the Queen and Empress entered
in 1837, at an age of almost extreme youth, upon
that reign which has proved at once the longest
and most glorious in the annals of Great Britain, English rule
had been established in South Africa for no more than
31 years. The contrast between South Africa of that day
and of the present, which may be best understood by a re
ference to the maps in this volume, is extraordinary. In
1837 the British possessions in South Africa were represented
by but a small portion of what is now known as Cape
Colony. The north-western boundary of the colony
S 6263. A

2 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
extended only to the Buffalo, a periodical water-course a long
way south of the Orange River, while the eastern limits had
been recently fixed by Lord Glenelg at the Great Fish River.
The area of the colony was then not more than 110,256 square
miles ; the present area is 282,088 square miles. The entire
population of the colony, black and white, then numbered no
more than 150,110 souls, of whom 76,987 were males and
73,123 females. At the present time the total population of
Cape Colony, including British Bechuanaland, recently incorpo
rated, exceeds 1,590,224 people, black and white, of whom the
white population, British and Dutch, certainly exceed 440,000.
The total imports of the colony were then worth no more
than £819,270, of which Great Britain contributed £685,702 ;
while the total exports amounted to a pitiful £384,229, of
which Great Britain took £254,549. Of these exports wool
represented £7,333 only, the value of 116,574 lbs. ; while
Cape wine, now but little exported, accounted for £84,220.
The imports and exports of Cape Colony, including the
interior trade, have increased during the Queen's reign
twenty-fold and forty-three-fold respectively. The figures
for 1896 are shown in the final chapter.
In 1836, the shipping — inwards — of all South Africa,
including the coastwise trade, amounted to no more than 486
vessels, having a tonnage of 134,875 ; while the outwards trade
was represented by 479 ships, with a tonnage of 130,512.
There were then in the whole colony no more than 63,301
horses, 224,549 head of cattle, 1,510,194 sheep, and 306,785
goats. Native African sheep then composed the bulk of the
farmers' flocks. Woolled sheep had only been recently intro
duced, and were making their way slowly yet steadily among
the conservative Dutch population.
There were no mines or minerals known of, with the ex
ception of a small reputed deposit of lead in the district of
Uitenhage, which has long since fallen into oblivion.

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.] 3
The Albany settlers of 1820,1 who and whose descendants
have since proved themselves the backbone of the British
element in South Africa, were still waging a bitter and un
certain struggle with the difficulties of a new country and
the tribes of fierce and untamable Kaffirs who periodically
swept down upon the frontier, plundering, murdering, and
destroying the homesteads of these sturdy and unconquerable
colonists. Natal, at that time in the undisputed possession of the
Zulu tyrant Dingaan and his hordes, was then almost un
known to Europeans. A few traders and elephant hunters
had established themselves among the Zulus, and a small
settlement had been made upon the site of the present town
of Durban, but the Cape Government had refused, upon the
ground of expense, to extend its recognition and aid to the
struggling settlers.
It is worthy of note that in the first year of the Queen's
reign a Legislative Council was established in Cape Colony.
The colonists had, however, little real interest in this Council,
the members of which were all practically under Crown
nomination. A great portion of the northern region of Cape Colony
was in 1837 still an uninhabited wilderness, tenanted mainly
by the vast legions of game, which, from the dim ages of the
past, had found sustenance there. Lions still roamed these
wastes. Nearly all the large antelopes were to be found
abundantly towards the Orange River. Blesbuck, black
wildebeest, hartebeest, gemsbuck, quagga, and springbuck
roamed the Karroos in hundreds of thousands. The spring
buck, in those astonishing migrations,— known to the Boers

1 These settlers were brought to the Cape Colony and planted in the eastern
district called Albany by an excellent and well-planned scheme of State Aided
Emigration, which in this instance, at all events, produced the most satisfactory
results. A 2

4 [THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
as " trek-bokken " — which old frontier settlers can still recall,
devastated in their march hundreds of miles of country, de
voured the farmers' crops, and sometimes swept away whole
flocks of sheep and goats before them in their irresistible
progress. The ivory hunters still pursued their calling on
the eastern frontier of the colony, within sight of the Indian
Ocean. Beyond the Orange River lay a terra incognita, scarcely
known even by report to the average colonist. The Griqua
and South Bechuana country had become slowly opened up,
since the period of Waterloo, by the exertions of a few enter
prising missionaries, traders, and hunters, but very little
was known of these regions by the general public. The
territory now known as the Orange Free State was then a
wilderness, tenanted only by bushmen, a few shuddering
Bechuana fugitives, and innumerable herds of game. Moseli
katse, the terrible father of Lobengula, had swept across the
country a few years before, on his march from Zululand, and
with his fierce warriors had carried slaughter and devastation
among the less warlike peoples then sparsely inhabiting
it. Moselikatse was in the year 1837 settled with his tribe
and conquered vassals at Mosega, in the fertile north-west of
the present Transvaal country, where he had practically
succeeded in establishing the present Matabele nation.
Save by Moffatt and one or two other missionaries, David
Hume, a Scotch settler from Albany, who had turned trader,
and the Englishman, Capt. (afterwards Sir William) Corn-
wallis Harris, the Transvaal country was then absolutely
unpenetrated by men of British blood. Capt. Harris, the
fore-runner of the British big game hunters who have since
exploited the uttermost parts of South Africa to such pur
pose, found the whole of this magnificent region teeming with
almost every conceivable kind of game. He interviewed and
was well received by the redoubtable Moselikatse, who was

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 5
just at this period at war with the emigrant Boers from Cape
Colony, then pushing their way north. It is to be remarked
that Moselikatse — one of the ablest and shrewdest native
chiefs, as he was one of the bloodiest that ever ruled in South
Africa — who formed his first impressions of white men from
Moffatt, Dr. Andrew Smith, the naturalist, Hume, the trader,
Cornwallis Harris, the hunter, Livingstone, and other mis
sionaries, hunters, and traders, remained to the close of
his life, in 1868, on friendly terms with the English people.
It is to be feared that natives of the present day are not
always so favourably impressed by European representatives.
Namaqualand and Damaraland had, for the first time, just
been penetrated by a man of British blood, Capt. Sir James
Alexander, who conducted a successful expedition through
these regions in 1836-7. A missionary or two, and a few
Dutch hunters, were the only other Europeans who had then
crossed the Orange River in this direction. Basutoland,
Swaziland, Amatongaland, and the Gaza country lay then
almost utterly unknown. Of the Portuguese possessions on
the south-west and south-east of the continent scarcely any
thing was ever heard by Englishmen.
In Cape Colony, at the beginning of the Queen's reign,
the settlers of the eastern frontier were only just recovering
from the trouble, loss, and bloodshed of the sixth Kaffir war,
begun in 1834, when 10,000 Kaffirs, under the chiefs Hintza,
Macomo, and Tyali, had suddenly swept over the border, and
spread death and destruction in many a frontier home. Sore
as they had been with the losses and terrors of the war
itself, the colonists had been yet more exasperated by the
conduct of Lord Glenelg, then Secretary of State for the
Colonies. Sir Benjamin Durban having successfully put
down the Kaffirs, had advanced the colonial boundary as far
as the Kei River. Lord Glenelg took his views from two
private individuals, a Negrophil missionary and a superseded

6 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
official. He censured Sir Benjamin Durban, one of the best
Governors the Cape ever had, threw the whole blame of
the war upon the white settlers, and restored the eastern
colonial boundary to its former limit, the Great Fish River.
Sir Benjamin was shortly after dismissed from his Governor
ship, to be replaced by Sir Andries Stockenstrom as
Lieutenant-Governor of the Eastern Province, while Sir
George Napier became soon after Governor of the whole
colony. It can scarcely be doubted that Lord Glenelg's policy was
one of the final determining causes of the Great Trek of the
Dutch farmers, which began about this period. Upon many
of the burghers of the Eastern Province the war had, as had
all former Kaffir wars, fallen very heavily. Some had been
murdered, with their wives and families. All had lost stock
and crops. Their services — freely given on such occasions —
had been required in the field. Their horses and cattle had
been commandeered. After all these troublous burdens, the
restitution of such dangerous neighbours as the Cape Kaffirs
to the country between the Fish and Kei Rivers seemed to
the Dutch not only a policy of madness, but an act of gross
ingratitude. It was, in fact, the last straw upon a burden of
discontent. Large numbers of the Queen's Cape Dutch sub
jects had, in truth, for some time been in a state of extreme
dissatisfaction. One of the chief causes for this was, un
doubtedly, the unreasonable and unfair manner in which the
extinction of slavery had been carried out in the Cape
Colony. The amount of compensation allocated to the Cape
had been small enough, £1,247,000 as the value of 35,000
slaves. The official estimate had been £3,000,000. But the
chief injustice connected with this manumission lay in the fact
that payment for the compensation due to the various slave
holders of the colony could only be obtained in London. It
is not surprising to learn that ignorant back-country farmers

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. "
were in consequence cheated out of their money by swindling
agents ; others only recovered their due after infinite trouble
and anxiety ; while others, again, disgusted with the whole
proceeding, declined to accept the proffered compensation at
all. Nearly £6,000 remained in 1843 unclaimed at the
National Debt Office.
But in addition to these grievances the Cape Boers had
others, some real, some sentimental. They had submitted
unwillingly to the inauguration of British rule in 1806, and
to the extinction of the Dutch language in all official matters
in 1827. They were vexed also at the paasing of an Ordi
nance placing Hottentots and Free Blacks on an equality
with white settlers. They considered that the magistrates
were too much inclined to listen to the complaints of natives
against Dutch, and they were angered and amazed that
the indiscriminate punishment of natives themselves, after
the old masterful Dutch fashion, was now prohibited, and
even punished. An old-fashioned and discontented Boer
put his complaint thus : — " What can be worse than this ?
If I give a kiopje (cuff) to a native, he immediately runs off
to a magistrate and complains, and I am sent for from the
middle of my harvest work, perhaps, and am obliged to ride
20 or 30 hours to answer the complaint. And I come away,
leaving £5 as a fine. When I get home, I cannot help
giving the Hottentot another kiopje, when I am fined £10.
And then to make up for taking away our black slaves, the
English have made slaves of their own children,* and send
them out here. What can be more disgraceful than this
in Christian men ? I shall sell my place and be off to Natal."
A further incentive to the Great Trek of 1835-7 and the
following years lay in the restless and wandering spirit of
the Boers themselves. For a century past many families had
* This, an absurd reference to some hundreds of destitute children sent out
from England and apprenticed with great care and selection in Cape Colony.

8 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
been in the habit of moving with their waggons, families,
flocks, and herds further into the wilderness, in search of
better pastures and more freedom. The ' Trek-Geist ' had
its origin probably in the wish of the frontier farmers to
place themselves beyond the reach of the petty and often
exasperating restrictions with which the Dutch East India
Company at the Cape had always fettered its colonists. The
trekking spirit sank deeply into the blood of these rude
frontier settlers ; it became a habit, almost a passion ; and it
may be observed to this day among the Transvaal Dutch
farmers, numbers of whom have penetrated in recent years
even to the far Portuguese settlements in West Africa near
Mossamedes and Benguella.
The trekking passion and the life of the wilderness
developed in these people a rugged and determined indepen
dence of character, which has served them well in their long
warfare with savage tribes and dangerous animals. It has
aided them, undoubtedly, in their conflicts with trained
British troops, who, in the warfare of the veldt find them
selves greatly handicapped by the superior shooting of their
opponents, their active movements, their wonderful know
ledge of the country in which they operate, and their skill
in choosing the ground upon which they offer battle! But
the same factors have contributed also to an unreasoning
hatred and contempt for laws and taxation and the ordinary
restraints of the civilized state. The natural development of
these sentiments gave and have always given, since the
foundation of the Transvaal Republic, considerable fiscal
trouble to the rulers of these primitive people. It scarcely
needs to be pointed out that the life of these farmers of the
wilderness has not been conducive to progress and civiliza
tion. The Transvaal Dutch, especially, who represent the
more restless and determined of the Trek Boers of 1836,
are as a body almost devoid of the ordinary rudiments of

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 9
education, their ideas are the ideas of the 1 7th century, and,
even since the astonishing advances in their country during the
gold developments of the last ten years, progress and modern
civilization creep very slowly into their dwellings and
families. The first year of the Victorian reign saw, then, a great
movement of discontented Dutch farmers towards the coun
tries north of the Orange River. It is computed that 20,000
souls quitted the Cape Colony during this emigration. These
farmers and their families carried with them a rancour and
hostility to British rule, which sixty long years have not
sufficed to quench. And it is remarkable that as the first
year of the Queen's reign saw this anti-British movement in
fuU progress, so the present year, 1897, sees the Transvaal
descendants of these very settlers still ranged sullenly against
British friendship and British progress.
Amongst the families which inspanned their waggon and
took part in the strange migration of this period was one
from near Colesberg, in the north of the colony. A lad not
yet in his teens was a member of that family. The name of
the boy was Paul Kruger, a name destined to be long
familiar in the future history of South Africa.

CHAPTER II.
Conquests by the Trek Boers of the Matabele and Zulus — Massacre by
Moselikatse's warriors — Dutch victory at Vecht Kop — Successful attack on Mata
bele kraals — Settlement at Winburg and formation of Volksraad, &c. — Journey of
Piater Retief to Natal — Wild beliefs of the Boers — Final defeat of Moselikatse
and flight beyond Limpopo— Massacre of Retief and 100 others by Dingaan —
Slaughter of 500 settlers and natives — Engagements with Zulus — Heroic death of
13 English — Boer victory on the Blood River — Natal declared a Republic — Des
patch of British force— Beseiged by Boers— Reinforcement by Col. Cloete —
Emigrant Boers quit Natal.

0 Englishman, who has followed carefully the great
and stirring history of the emigrant Dutch in their
early years beyond the Orange River, can refuse a
tribute of admiration to the skill, obstinacy, resource, and
daring displayed by the Boers in their conquests of the Zulu
and Matabele hosts. These events form, indeed, a vigorous
and striking epic in themselves, and deserve to be recorded
with far more completeness and particularity than has yet
fallen to them. If the Boers could govern a country as well
as they can conquer and defend one, the British of the
present year of her Majesty's reign would have little reason
to complain of Transvaal rule. The government of the Cape
viewed with dismay the exodus of so great a body of white
settlers from the sparsely populated colony, but the legal
officers advised that there was no law to prevent it. The
Trek Boers moved into the country now known as the
Orange Free State. Here, a party of them was attacked by
Moselikatse's Matabele ; all were slain, men, women and

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 11
children ; their waggons were looted, their cattle driven off
Hendrik Potgieter, one of the leaders of the trek, on hearing
of the disaster, collected his scant forces and went into laager.
He was assailed at the place now known as Vecht Kop
(Battle Hill) by a strong army of Matabele warriors, flushed
with success. The Dutch farmers, assisted by their women
and children, who loaded their guns for them as they were
discharged, kept up a continuous fire and succeeded in
beating off their assailants with considerable loss. Potgieter
now joined forces with another body of emigrants under
Gert Maritz, and a force of mounted men was despatched
against one of the principal Matabele kraals. The Matabele
were again defeated with the loss of nearly 500 men, and the
Boers returned to their head-quarters with some 6,000 head
of cattle. Fresh bands of emigrants continued to cross the
Orange River. A great meeting was held and a settlement
fixed at Winburg, a Volksraad was formed, laws were drawn
up, and courts established. Pieter Retief was chosen as
Commandant General of the forces.
One or two of the farmers, who had been down to Natal,
came back with the most glowing reports of that country.
The average Dutch Africander of the back settlements is,
from his very ignorance, one of the most credulous persons
under the sun. No tale, even at the present day, is too wild
or too preposterous for his belief. He seems to be ever in
search of some fabulous promised land. So lately as 20 years
ago, when the disastrous trek beyond Lake Ngami was
gathering forces, the wildest beliefs were current among the
simple farmers. Many of them asserted that the country
towards which they were moving contained mighty snow-
clad mountains, that the pastures were always green, the land
flowed with milk and honey, game was as thick as sheep in a
kraal, and that the Nile River took its sources there. In
1837. much the same reports were spread concerning Natal.

12 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
" There," said the Boers, " was the Garden of Eden, where
Adam and Eve dwelt, every game animal was to be found,
the trees were loaded with fruits of the largest and finest
description. Among other things of an extraordinary nature,
the potatoes were so large that it required a span of 12 oxen
to draw one of them."
While Retief and others went to Natal to spy out the
land, Potgieter and Pieter Uys, with about 150 farmers, rode
north-west to attack Moselikatse in his stronghold at Mosega.
Despite the fact that the Matabele numbered some 10,000 of
the bravest and most ferocious warriors in South Africa, the
little band of mounted men engaged them in a series of
skirmishes, lasting for the space of a week. After that time
the Matabele had been so harried and had lost so many men,
that Moselikatse drew off his forces and retreated to the
present territory of the Matabele nation, north of the
Limpopo River. The emigrant farmers were then left in
possession of the whole of the present Transvaal country and
a great portion of the Orange Free State. They had cap
tured from the Matabele nearly 10,000 head of cattle, and
they were, naturally enough, extremely well satisfied with
the results of their first campaign.
Meanwhile Retief accomplished his mission to Natal,
interviewed Dingaan, the Zulu Chief, and, under certain
conditions which he duly fulfilled, obtained leave to settle in
the country. It is important to remember that Retief and
his friends found the British — represented by traders,
hunters, and others — already settled at Port Natal, and
looked up to as over-lords by a considerable number of
natives, and that by these settlers he was introduced to
Dingaan. The English in Natal, despairing of getting help
from their own Government to assist them in developing the
country, were, in fact, not sorry to welcome the Voor-
Trekkers. Retief returned to Winburg, and his report

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 13
proved so favourable that a large portion of the Dutch
elected to trek with him into the Natal country and settle
there. Retief went ahead, with nearly 70 other farmers
and some native servants, taking with him a large herd of
cattle, which he had untertaken to recover for Dingaan from
another Chief. He found the tyrant at his great kraal of
Umkungunghlovu, and was received in the most friendly
manner. But in reality Dingaan had planned the basest
treachery. He granted the concession of land asked for ; but
at a given signal a number of Zulus fell upon the defenceless
farmers, who had left their guns outside the kraal, and slew
them to a man. The native servants and one or two English
men who accompanied the Boers were similarly massacred,
and close on a hundred corpses marked the perfidy of the
Zulu king.
Dingaan at once despatched an impi of many thousand
warriors to murder the rest of the settlers, outspanned
on the uplands of Natal. The Zulus fell upon them at early
dawn of the following day, and slaughtered 500 men, women
and children in cold blood, with every accompaniment of
cruelty. Nearly 200 Dutch children, nearly 60 women,
more than 40 men, and a large number of native servants
were included in this number. The district in which this
massacre took place still bears the name Weenen (weeping),
bestowed upon it by the Dutch settlers after that dreadful
night. An attack on other bodies of emigrants, who, happily,
had been warned by a fugitive, failed, and the baffled Zulus
drew off, leaving large numbers of dead behind them. But
the Voor-Trekkers were not the men and women to give in
and retire after this appalling massacre. They sent back
to Winburg for more fighting men, and, headed by Potgieter
and Uys, presently advanced against the Zulu king. They
were assisted by the English settlers, who brought with them
a number of friendly Zulus. Several engagements were

14 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
fought, in the main with small success to the white allies.
In one engagement Uys and his son were slain ; in another,
near the Tugela, 13 out of 17 Englishmen, backed by 3,000
native allies, after fighting desperately and inflicting enormous
losses upon the Zulu host, were themselves slain. The bodies
of a thousand friendly Zulus, who had taken part with the
British, lay dead upon the same field. It is computed that
nearly 3,000 hostile Zulus fell in this battle of the 17th
April 1838 — a battle which ought to be far better re
membered than it is by the British and Dutch in South
Africa. The leaders of this heroic band were John Cane,
Robert Biggar, and John Stubbs, all of whom fell fighting.
Potgieter presently left Natal with a considerable follow
ing, and was succeeded as leader by Andries Pretorius, a man
of strong character and great influence among the Dutch
farmers. Pretorius collected some 450 men and advanced
once more against the Zulus. The commando was attacked in
laager by an army of more than 10,000 warriors — the flower
of the Zulu nation — on a Sunday morning in December.
The Boers defended themselves desperately and inflicted
enormous losses upon their assailants, who charged time
after time right up to the waggons. Finally the Zulus re
tired from the field in confusion, leaving 3,000 dead warriors
behind them. The river on which that battle was fought ran
red that day with the blood of the slain, and has ever since
been called the Blood River. The Dutch have never for
gotten that crowning mercy of the 16th December 1838.
They built, as they had vowed, a church at Pietermaritz-
burg to commemorate their victory, and Dingaan's Day has
ever since been celebrated in the Transvaal on the anniver
sary of that hard- won fight. Dingaan, after the losses he had
sustained from the British and Dutch, was bereft of much of
his prestige. He was driven from his great kraal in Zululand,
lost large quantities of cattle, and presently, after various

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 15
engagements, in which Panda, his half-brother, and other
chiefs sided against him, his forces were defeated in a great
native battle. Dingaan himself became a fugitive, and was
shortly afterwards murdered, when Panda became King of
Zululand. Panda, owning himself vassal to the Boers, was
formally installed by his ally Pretorius, who, on behalf of the
Boers, declared Natal a Republic. The Dutch now erected
a township at Pietermaritzburg, elected a Volksraad, and
settled themselves in the occupation of the whole country
between the Umzimvubu and Tugela Rivers.
During the hostilities with the Zulus, the Cape Govern
ment had maintained a small force of troops at Port Natal ;
these troops were subsequently withdrawn. In 1842 the
Boers attacked a native chief between Natal and the Cape
border. The Cape Governor had been watching with some
anxiety the progress of the Dutch farmers, and this step
decided him for action. He despatched a force of 200 men
to re-take Natal. This force was received with hostility by
the Boers, and, after suffering severe loss in a skirmish, was
presently confined to its camp at the Port and closely
invested. An urgent request for aid was despatched over
land by the half-starved little force, and Col. Cloete with
reinforcements arrived in the Bay just in time to relieve
the worn out garrison. A British frigate accompanied the
troops. No serious hostility was offered by Pretorius and
his farmers to this force, and Natal became practically a
British Protectorate. In 1843 it was declared a British
Colony. It must be admitted that the attitude of the British
authorities had not been very consistent. The Cape
Governor had declined to assist the English settlers at Port
Natal before the coming of the Dutch, and yet now inter
fered to rescue the country from the grasp of the emigrant
farmers, who had spent much blood and labour in overcoming

16 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
the Zulu power. The Boers, however, remained in the new
Colony another two years, during which time tens of
thousands of Zulus, fugitive from the despotic rule of Panda,
made their way into Natal. The Dutch were rightly dis
gusted with this black immigration — which, in truth, has
been a constant and growing curse to Natal ever since — and
they were ill-pleased with other measures of the British
Government. Their leader, Pretorius, was refused an inter
view by the Cape Governor, Sir H. Pottinger, and thereafter
the bulk of the Voor-Trekkers shook off the dust of Natal
from their velschoons, once more crossed the difficult pass of
the Drakensberg, and settled themselves anew in the ter
ritories north and south of the Vaal River.

CHAPTER III.
New system of Education in Cape Colony — The " War of the Axe " — Eighth
Kaffir War — Extension of Cape Colony — Proclamation of Orange River Sover
eignty — Battle of Boomplaats — Defeat of Boers by Sir Harry Smith — Withdrawal
of British from the Sovereignty in 1854 — Foundation of Orange Free State Re
public — Attempt to establish Penal Settlement at the Cape — Successful resistance
by Colonists — Representative Government granted to Cape Colony — War with
Moshesh, Chief of Basutos — Transvaal affairs — Sand River Convention — South
African Republic formed.

ETWEEN 1839 and 1841 a new system of education
was adopted in Cape Colony, chiefly based upon
the recommendations of Sir John Herschel, the
famous astronomer. Up to this time education had reached
the rural colonists in the most haphazard manner, and,
except where private individuals had combined to provide
some better kind of education, the children of the back-
country settlers derived their teaching from decayed soldiers,
broken-down tutors, and, indeed, any person who chose to
represent himself as capable of imparting knowledge. Sir
John Herschel's scheme was the forerunner of the present
Government aided system, which, inadequate though it still is
to the needs of the colony, is, at all events, the source of
instruction to many thousands of children.
In 1846 the seventh Kaffir war, known as the " War of
the Axe," broke out upon the eastern frontier. A Kaffir
stock-thief, manacled to the arm of a Hottentot, was rescued
by his own people, who cut off the unfortunate Hottentot's
arm with an axe — leaving him to his death — freed their
fellow-tribesman, and made their escape. The surrender of
S 6263. E

18 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
the criminal and his rescuers was refused, and war ensued.
The depredations of the Kaffirs had been of late unbearable,
and it was felt that a severe lesson must be administered.
Sandilli, the young chief of the Gaikas, with Tola and other
chiefs, took a leading part in the two years' struggle that
followed. In the earlier stages the colonists and troops suf
fered severe reverses, one column losing 60 waggons and the
whole baggage of the 7th Dragoon Guards. The Kaffirs in
vaded the colony and plundered and destroyed for a time
unchecked. A strong force was collected, and the British,
under General Somerset, succeeded in inflicting heavy loss
upon the Kaffirs at the battle of the Gwanga. The chiefs were
gradually reduced, and at the end of 1847 Pato, the last of
them, completely starved out, yielded himself.
Four years later, in 1850, the eighth Kaffir war followed.
It seems to have arisen from the natural unrest of these war
like tribes and the wild prophecies of a native soothsayer.
Many settlers were murdered ; villages and homesteads were
destroyed ; the Governor-General, Sir Harry Smith, was for
a time besieged in Fort Cox ; and at first, as usual, matters
went very hardly with the colonists. To add to the trouble,
large numbers of Hottentots rose in arms and sided with the
Kaffirs. The war dragged on, Sir Harry Smith was replaced
by Sir George Cathcart, and at length, early in 1853, the
campaign was brought to an end, having cost the British two
millions of money and nearly 500 valuable lives..
In 1847 large additions were made to the territory of the
Cape Colony. The northern boundary was pushed to the
Orange River, the eastern boundary to the Keiskamma and
the Chumie, while the Queen's sovereignty was proclaimed
over the country between this frontier and the Kei River,
under the title of British Kaffraria. After the Kaffir war of
1850-53, British Kaffraria became a Crown Colony, with
King William's Town as its seat of government.

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA, 19
Meanwhile the emigrant Boers were steadily settling
themselves in the territories beyond the Orange River. Those
south of the Vaal had frequent disturbances with the Griquas,
who enjoyed a certain measure of protection from the Cape
Government. In 1848 the Governor, Sir Harry Smith,
entered the country, and, after due consideration, proclaimed
it British territory, under the name of the Orange River
Sovereignty. This step was not likely to meet with the
approval of the Voor-Trekkers, who had already risked so
much to escape from English government. They assembled
in arms, under their old leader, Andries Pretorius, and
marching to Bloemfontein, the village capital of the new
State, and Winburg, insisted on the withdrawal of the British
officials. Sir Harry Smith, instantly upon hearing of these
events, collected a force of Regulars and Cape Mounted Rifles,
crossed the Orange River, and came up with the Dutch forces
at Boomplaats. The numbers were pretty even, each side
putting into the field some 600 men. The Boers, well
sheltered among boulders and rocks, fought extremely well,
but thanks to the aid of some field pieces and the determined
charges of the British, they were dislodged and driven from
one position to another. Finally, they fled and dispersed.
The Dutch farmers, even with the short range smooth-bore
guns of those days, inflicted on the British force a loss of 50
killed and wounded, and were not greatly punished them
selves, losing only some ten dead and a few wounded. The
fight is described as extremely hot. General Sir Harry Smith,
an old Peninsular and Waterloo veteran, had his horse
wounded and his own foot grazed, and the language of the
fiery old soldier on this occasion is reported to have been
worthy of the best traditions of our men in Flanders. Only
some 400 British troops were actually under fire, so that our
loss of 50 killed and wounded must be regarded as, propor
tionately, a very heavy one. It is worthy of note that
B 2

20 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Boomplaats, fought on the 29th August 1848, was the last
action in which British troops have defeated the Boers.
The Orange River Sovereignty remained British territory
until 1854. The Colonial authorities at home at that period,
however, took little interest in South African affairs, and had
not the least wish or intention to attempt to develope the
great and promising regions north of the Orange. In fact
English ministers, who were perpetually being worried by
Kaffir wars, detested the very name of Cape Colony, and seem
to have looked upon the whole country of the interior as a
hopeless wilderness, destined never to be of interest or utility
to the British people. Never was there a more short-sighted
policy. The Orange River Sovereignty was maintained — or
rather starved, as British Bechuanaland was more recently
starved — in a half-hearted sort of way, until the Imperial
Government at length made up its mind to cast it off. Not
withstanding the protest of many British settlers and not a
few Dutch, a convention was signed at Bloemfontein in
February 1854, by which the Queen's Sovereignty was re
linquished and the territory handed over to its own settlers.
In April 1854, a Volksraad and President were elected, and a
constitution formed. Since that date the Dutch Republic of
the Orange Free State has enjoyed a steady if not very pro
gressive existence under this form of government.
In 1849 occurred an event which is still well remembered
at Cape Town. Earl Grey, then Colonial Secretary, attempted
for the first time to turn the Cape Colony into a convict
settlement. The news, received early in the year, created a
strong hostile feeling at Cape Town. Public meetings were
held, and it was determined to resist to the uttermost the
landing of convicts in Cape Colony. When the Neptune
arrived in September with the first ship-load of felons, and
cast anchor in Simon's Bay, peremptory orders were given
by the Anti-Convict Association, absolutely forbidding the

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 21
colonists to supply food and necessaries, not only to the con
vict ship, but to the troops stationed at the Cape and all govern
ment officials, until the obnoxious Order in Council should be
repealed. The Governor soon found that the question could
not be settled in favour of the British Government without
recourse to the employment of troops — a method not to be
thought of. He promised, as far as he was able, that the
matter should be righted in accordance with the wishes of the
colonists. The " boycott " was then temporarily relieved, and
meanwhile petitions to the Queen and Imperial Government
were sent home. Finally, by the order of Earl Grey, the
Neptune quitted the Cape with her unwelcome freight, and the
colonists were left in possession of shores virgin to the home-
reared convict.
About this time a renewed and vigorous attempt was
made to induce the Queen's ministers to grant the colony
representative government. In April 1850 a great public
meeting was held in Cape Town and a petition set on foot,
asking on behalf of the colony a further and greater share
in its own management. Mr. Fairbairn and Sir Andries
Stockenstrom, two well-known colonists, were sent home
to present the case of the settlers before the British Legis
lature. The demand was considered reasonable by the
Home government, and, after a draft of the proposed con
stitution had been sent to the colony for discussion, an
Order in Council, dated March 11th 1853, formally sanc
tioned the new Cape Legislature. A House of Assembly
was provided, consisting of 46 members, elected by 22 divi
sions, together with a Legislative Council of 15 members.
No member of either House was to hold office or emolument
under the Crown. The first Cape Parliament was opened
by Lieut-Governor Darling on July 1st, 1854. Sir C. J.
Brand, head of the Cape bar, was elected as first Speaker
of the House of Assembly.

22 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
During the British occupation of the Orange River
Sovereignty, a good deal of trouble occurred in keeping the
peace between the white settlers and natives of the terri
tory and the adjacent Basuto tribesmen. Moshesh, one of
the most remarkable native chiefs known to modern South
Africa, had been long building up his power and consoli
dating the various septs, and was now firmly established
as the leader of the present Basuto nation. In 1852 a
small force sent to assist Moroko, a Bechuana chief under
British protection, was repelled by some of Moshesh's
people. An ultimatum was set at defiance, and Sir George
Cathcart, with a force of 2,000 horse, foot, and artillery,
entered the country. But Basutoland, the most mountainous
region in South Africa, is an extremely difficult country to
operate in. Moshesh had assembled 10,000 fighting men, and
in the eyries of his own country was well-nigh impregnable.
The Basutos have, during this century, always been great
horse breeders and horsemen, and clouds of their cavalry
hung upon the skirts of the British force. One British
division, which had captured 4,000 head of cattle, was
severely handled, and lost 27 lancers. Another had hard
work to fight its way to a junction with the general.
These two divisions, drawn up in square, had to withstand
a tremendous attack by the whole force of the Basuto
warriors, large numbers of whom were armed with European
weapons. Again and again the plucky tribesmen charged
down upon the British square. But the steadiness of the
infantry, aided by field guns, loaded up with canister,
finally repelled the assault, and the Basutos drew off after
night-fall. Next morning, carrying with him the captured
cattle, Sir George Cathcart marched back to his camp at
Platberg, 14 miles in rear. He had suffered something
very like a reverse, and had lost 38 men killed, and
15 wounded; but his troops were burning to avenge

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 23
their fellows, and he proceeded to make preparations for a
fresh assault on the Basuto chief. Moshesh here displayed
that wisdom and foresight which always characterised him.
He knew the ultimate strength of the British, and, unflushed
by his successful defence, was wise in time. Aided by a
missionary, he wrote a most skilful letter to the English
general, acknowledging that he had been chastised, and
asking for peace with the Queen of England. Sir George
Cathcart was not sorry to escape from a most difficult
position. He replied that he was satisfied with the cattle
taken, that he accepted the chief's submission, and that the
war was at an end. Despite the discontent among his troops,
he forthwith retired south of the Orange River. It is
scarely necessary to add that Moshesh, who did not fail
to make the most of his success, so soon as the British
general had turned his back, emerged from the struggle with
greatly added prestige.
We turn now for a brief space to the Dutch farmers
beyond the Vaal. After the final defeat of Moselikatse at
Mosega, and his retreat north, the Voor-Trekkers were
steadily replenished in numbers by accessions from the
south. In 1844, at an assembly at Potchefstrom, a
Volksraad was formed and a code of government agreed
upon. In 1849, Andries Pretorius, who had headed the
Boers of the Orange River Sovereignty in their struggle
with the British, and had retired beyond the Vaal after the
fight at Boomplaats, was appointed Commandant General.
Various negotiations with the British officials in the
Sovereignty took place, and in view of the fact that the
Home government was at this period only too anxious to
limit its responsibilities north of the Orange, it was deemed
advisable by the Cape Governor to meet the advances of
Pretorius and his followers, and come to an understanding.
In 1852, at a farm in the Orange River Sovereignty, the

24 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Sand River Convention was signed, by which the British
Government acknowledged the independence of the Trans
vaal Dutch, and guaranteed them in the right to govern
themselves. From that date the South African Republic
entered upon the first phase of its career as an independent
Republic. The two principal leaders of the Great Trek,
Potgieter and Pretorius, both died in the following year,
and, thereafter, there was a good deal of dissension and
unrest among the various sections of the scattered farmers
of the little Republic. Martinus Wessels Pretorius, son of
Andries Pretorius, was in 1856 elected President, which
office he held till 1871 ; when, owing to popular disapproval
at the part taken by him in the Keate award, he resigned.
He was succeeded in 1872 by Mr. Burgers, who remained
President until the taking over of the country by the British
Government in 1877. In 1856 the Grondwet, or Constitu
tion of the Republic was proposed and adopted at Potchef-
stroom. During the period 1856-71, although Dutch
farmers spread themselves over the country and steadily
increased in numbers, there was little advance in progress
and civilization. Groups of political parties were constantly
at variance, and there was occasionally civil war. Paul
Kruger, now grown to man's estate, took an active part in
these affairs, as he did also in numerous petty wars against
independent or quasi-independent native chiefs. He rose
before 1866 to the post of Commandant General of the
Republic.

CHAPTER IV.
Sir George Grey as Governor — Troubles with Colonial Office — Sympathy of
the Queen — Her Majesty's foresight — New Policy in Kaffraria — Despatch of aid
during Indian Mutiny — Self-destruction of Amakosa Kaffirs — 60,000 lives lost —
Immigration — German Settlement — Sir George Grey's attempt at Confederation —
Censured and Recalled— Restored to Governorship at recommendation of the
Queen — Copper Mining begun — Opening of first Railway — Visit of Prince Alfred
— Sandilli and the Prince — A Game Battue in the Free State.

N the year 1854 Sir George Grey, one of the ablest
and most distinguished men who have ever been
at the head of affairs in Cape Colony, became
Governor and High Commissioner. Sir George Grey, like
other men who have had ideas and the strength of character
to carry them out, had, during his seven years period of
service at the Cape, many bad moments with the Colonial
Office and its occupants. The Imperial Government at that
time knew little and cared less for South Africa and its in
cessant Dutch and native troubles. The country had little
apparent worth, and was eclipsed by its brilliant Australian
sister, where the discovery of gold was attracting crowds of
colonists, and building up prosperity as if by magic. It was
Sir George Grey's uphill task, amongst other things, to con
vince unwilling statesmen in Downing Street that South
Africa was in truth a valuable possession, and that the lands
beyond the Orange, which had been so eagerly abandoned,
were fertile and productive. It was his task to pacify and
civilize the Kaffirs ; if possible to federate the various South
African states, and to erect gradually a great British South
African Empire, or rather, a great congeries of States, owning

26 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
the supremacy of the Queen. Sir George Grey was not only
unsupported by the Colonial Office in these efforts, he was
more often than not thwarted and hindered in every possible
way. Nay, he was constantly worried and harassed by cares
and difficulties, which it is scarcely too much to say seemed
themselves invented for the express purpose of driving him
from his post. The Queen has, time after time in the history
of her long reign, shown that her judgment, foresight, and
sagacity are often far superior to those of her ministers. She
and the Prince Consort recognised Sir George Grey's worth,
sympathized with his ideas, and supported him as strongly as
possible in his struggles with the Home Government. If the
Queen and Sir George Grey could have had their way in the
fifties, South Africa would long since have been consolidated
— content, prosperous, and united under the flag of Great
Britain. After a survey of affairs, Sir George Grey inaugurated a new
policy among the Kaffir chiefs. He offered them an annual
pension by Government in lieu of fines, suppressed witch
craft, and established English magistrates in their country.
Large numbers of disbanded Hottentots, who had served in
the Cape corps, were in a state of great disaffection, for the
reason that they had been unjustly deprived by the Imperial
Government of a great portion of the small pensions due to
them. Sir George Grey at once restored their loyalty. He
promised them payment of what was justly due, and suc
ceeded in inducing the Cape Parliament to find the money.
For this the Home Government never forgave him. He
inaugurated a new era of road-making throughout the
colony, encouraged native training institutions, introduced
telegraphs, facilitated the sale of Crown lands, erected light
houses and harbours, and, in fact, strove in a hundred ways
to open up and develop the then starved and backward
colony.

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. It
In 1857 the new Governor earned the thanks of the Home
Government by despa.tching, on the outbreak of the Indian
mutiny, aU available troops, munitions, and horses to the aid
of the Governor-General. For this invaluable service he
received from the British Government not only no thanks but
even cold rebuff, although the Queen herself was warmly
conscious of the greatness of the service.
At this critical period happened a piece of incredible folly
and self-immolation by the Amakosa tribe, one of the most
warlike of the Cape Kaffir clans. A fanatical native prophet
named Mhlakaza declared that if the tribe had faith enough
and would destroy their cattle and grain, their dead ancestors
should shortly rise from the grave and endow them, not only
with immense quantities of cattle, grain, and crops, but with
much strength and physical perfection. The ancient glories
of the tribes were to be revived and strengthened a thousand-
fold. The white men, meanwhile, were to melt away and perish.
Astonishing to relate, large numbers of the natives followed
the behests of this madman. The great day arrived, the
prophet was put to shame, and the tribe was now face to face
with absolute starvation. Thanks to Sir George Grey's per
sonal influence with the other chiefs, no outbreak occurred.
Public works were opened, large bodies of starving natives
were distributed among the farmers as herds and servants,
and the calamity was greatly lessened. But it is computed
that more than 60,000 Kaffirs perished of famine and its
results, and no less than 150,000 head of cattle had been
wantonly destroyed. It was a part of Sir George Grey's
system to impress the natives with the attributes and powers
of the British Crown. It cannot be doubted that much of the
extraordinary influence which the name of the Great White
Queen bears to this day among natives, not only throughout
South Africa, but far beyond the Zambesi into the heart of
the continent, is due to the wise policy of Sir George Grey.

28 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
During Sir George Grey's term of office, immigration to
the colony was encouraged. Disbanded soldiers of the Ger
man Legion, who had fought in the Crimean war, were
settled on the frontier, and about 2,000 agricultural settlers
from North Germany were located in the eastern province.
Many of these colonists have prospered greatly since their
introduction to South Africa.
In 1858 the Volksraad of the Orange Free State passed a
resolution in favour of union with the Cape Colony. Sir
George Grey recommended this resolution to the attention of
the Cape Government, and proposed the formation of a
federal union of South African states and colonies. At that
moment he could have united all save the Transvaal Republic.
He was at once called to account by the Imperial Government.
He defended his ideas, and was not only censured but recalled
from the Governorship of the Cape. The Queen and the
Prince Consort were strongly upon the side of Sir George
Grey at this conjuncture, and Her Majesty declared to Lord
Derby, the then Premier, that " she contemplated with feel
ings of repugnance " the removal of so excellent and tried a
public servant. Sir George Grey came home backed by
numerous petitions for his restoration to the colony. Just at
this time Lord Derby's short lived administration fell ; that
statesman was succeeded by Lord Palmerston, and Sir George
Grey, upon the strong recommendation of the Queen, was
forthwith re-instated as Governor at the Cape.
The first year of Sir George Grey's governorship (1854)
saw the practical opening up of the mining industry in South
Africa. It had been long known that deposits of copper were
to be found in the north-west of the Cape Colony. Miners were
brought out from Cornwall, works and explorations were insti
tuted, and companies and syndicates rapidly sprang into exist
ence. It cannot be said that many of these companies justified
expenditure, but the excitement led to more systematic research.

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 29
Very rich deposits of copper were presently found at Ookiep
and Springbokfontein, near the Orange River. In the year
1863 the Cape Copper Mining Company was inaugurated, and
from that date a very large and remunerative output of copper
ore has been steadily produced from these mines.
In 1859 the first piece of railway in South Africa was
begun, the line from Cape Town to Wellington. This under
taking was completed and opened for traffic in the year 1863.
In 1860 Prince Alfred — now Duke of Coburg and Saxe-
Gotha — then a midshipman in Her Majesty's navy, visited
the Cape.1 The Prince was present at the opening of the
works of the present harbour in Table Bay, and afterwards
accompanied Sir George Grey on an important tour through
the country. Everywhere the Queen's son and the Governor
of the Cape were received with the greatest enthusiasm.
Sandilli, the Kaffir chief, and his head men visited the war
ship Euryalus, and, to their supreme astonishment, found the
young Prince at early morning, barefooted, engaged with
other middies in swabbing down the deck. Here are San-
dilli's remarks on this occasion, embodied in an address to
the captain of the ship : — " Up to this time we had not ceased
to be amazed at the wonderful things we have witnessed and
which are beyond our comprehension. But one thing we
understand, the reason of England's greatness, when the son
of the great Queen becomes subject to a subject that he may
learn wisdom ; when the sons of England's chiefs and nobles
leave the homes and wealth of their fathers, and with their
young Prince endure hardships and sufferings, in order that
they may be wise and become a defence to their country.
When we behold these things, we see why the English are a
great and mighty nation."

1 This was the first visit of any member of the Royal family to South Africa, and
by the Queen's wish an extensive programme was arranged for the young sailor.

30 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
On this tour Prince Alfred visited, among other places, the
Orange Free State, where he was heartily received even by
the Dutch farmers. The territory in 1860 still swarmed with
herds of game, which the skin-hunting Boers had not yet
succeeded in exterminating. A great hunt was got up in the
young Prince's honour. A thousand of Moroka's Barolongs,
then settled at Thaba Unchu, drove in the game from a large
tract of country. It was computed that at least 25,000 head
of game — wildebeest, zebras, quaggas, blesbok, springbok,
hartebeest, and ostriches — were in sight of the sportsmen.
Some thousands of animals were slain. It is probable that
the Duke of Coburg and Saxe Gotha retains to this day a
keen recollection of that extraordinary spectacle — a spectacle
which could have been afforded in no other country than
South Africa.

CHAPTER V.
Governorship of Sir Philip Wodehouse — Depression in the Colony — British
Kaffraria annexed — New Electoral Divisions — Discovery of Diamonds — The
" Star of South Africa " — Rush to Diamond Fields — Rise of Kimberley — Value
of Diamond Output — Native Compounds — Popularity of British Paymasters —
Responsible Government granted to the Cape — Griqualand West annexed by
Great Britain — Difficulties with Orange Free State — Keate Award — Progress of
Natal — Native Question — Coolie Labour — Langalibalele Outbreak — Federation
proposed by Lord Carnarvon — Rejected by the Cape.

IR PHILIP WODEHOUSE succeeded Sir George
Grey as Governor and High Commissioner in
1861. For the next few years a period of depres
sion set in, the Colony was visited by droughts and bad
seasons, and the farmers and wine-growers suffered severely.
Trade was dull, and the general outlook of the Colony was
not encouraging. In 1865, after some conflict of opinion
between the Cape Legislature and the Imperial Government,
the province of British Kaffraria was united to the Cape
Colony. King William's Town and East London became
electoral divisions, while Aliwal North, Oudtshoorn, Rich
mond, Riversdale, Queenstown, and Victoria West were also
included as electoral divisions in other parts of the Colony.
The Legislative Council was increased from 15 to 21 mem
bers. In 1867 occurred an event which, almost more than any
other, has contributed to the advancement and financial
prosperity of the country. South Africa, although long
called the Cinderella of British possessions, has always en
joyed streaks of good fortune exactly when they were most
needed. Just when the period of slackness and depression

32 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
seemed to be at its worst, diamonds were discovered in the
north of Cape Colony. The history of the finding of the
first diamond — the fore-runner of those immense stores of
gems, which were subsequently to be mined and brought to
light — reads more like a tale from the " Arabian Nights "
than a sober statement of commercial fact. Mr. John
O'Reilly, a trader and hunter, while outspanned at the house
of a Dutch farmer near Hope Town, saw a child playing
with some beautiful pebbles from the Orange River. These
pebbles had been found by a Bushman boy. One stone
struck him as rather more remarkable than its fellows. He
asked to be allowed to take it away. The pebble was found
to cut glass, and was then submitted to Dr. Atherstone, a
well-known scientific gentleman at Grahamstown. Dr.
Atherstone pronounced the stone to be a fine diamond, worth
several hundred pounds, and stated his belief that where it
came from there must be plenty more. This gem was sold
to Sir Philip Wodehouse at the price of £500. A more
careful search along the Orange led to somewhat disappoint
ing results. However, in 1869, Mr. O'Reilly bought from a
Koranna native a magnificent stone, for which he paid £400.
This stone he re-sold in Cape Town for £10,000. In the
rough it weighed 83^ carats, and when cut, 46 \ carats.
This magnificent diamond became famous as the Star of
South Africa. It was valued when cut at £25,000, and has
long been included among the jewels of the Countess of
Dudley. This and other discoveries electrified South Africa.
Crowds of diggers made their way to the Orange River.
From the Orange they moved up the Vaal, and presently the
dry diggings at Dutoitspan were discovered, and Kimberley
sprang into existence. The Kimberley, Dutoitspan, and De
Beers mines soon became famous throughout the world.
The discovery of diamonds almost instantly turned the tide
of prosperity towards the Cape. Fresh blood, long badly

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 33
needed in this hitherto neglected and unfashionable Colony,
was largely attracted. Property of all kinds increased
rapidly in value. A good and remunerative labour market
was established. Trade improved as if by magic, and in
three years the foreign imports were doubled.
The diamond industry has ever since prospered con
tinuously. The mines have now long been established on a
firm and secure basis under the strong hand of Mr. Rhodes,.
and an annual output of diamonds, ranging between
£3,000,000 and £4,000,000 in value, is now maintained
with the greatest regularity year after year. The great
bulk of the labour is carried out by natives under the
supervision of Europeans. These natives come from all parts
of South Africa, even from beyond the far Zambesi. They
are well treated, paid excellent wages, and, to guard against
the infamous traffic in stolen gems, confined in well-guarded
compounds during the period for which they engage to
work. In these compounds they are well housed, and pro
vided with whatever they want, in reason — except strong
drink — at cost prices. Tens of thousands of natives, from
almost every tribe in South Africa, have flocked, and con
tinue to flock, to Kimberley, to work for the White man.
They have the sublimest trust in the good faith of the
English paymaster, and it is not too much to say, that some
part, at least, of the popularity of the British with nearly
all South African natives owes its origin to the fair and honest
treatment meted out to the Blacks at Kimberley. Kimberley
sprang from a rude mining camp to a considerable town with
great rapidity, and has now with its suburb, Beaconsfield, a
population of more than 40,000 people. Until the sudden
rise of Johannesburg, Kimberley was the most important
commercial centre in South Africa.
During the governorship of Sir Philip Wodehouse there
had been some friction between his Excellency and the Cape
8 0263. c

¦34 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Legislature. At that period the Executive were appointed
by and responsible to the Imperial Government. In 1872,
Sir Henry Barkly having succeeded Sir Philip Wodehouse,
Responsible Government was granted and a new constitution
proclaimed. Sir John Molteno was entrusted with the for
mation of the first Ministry under the new regime, and under
self-government and with the rising prosperity created by
the diamond industry, the Colony settled itself down to a
period of progress and advancement. From this time dated
the advance of railways — hitherto almost entirely neglected
— from the sea-port to the interior. Telegraphs, immigra
tion, irrigation, new roads, bridges, and other public works,
were all taken in hand vigorously by Sir John Molteno's
Ministry. In 1871 the opening up of the Diamond Fields raised
difficult questions of territory, and led Sir Henry Barkly to
extend British sovereignty over the country of the Griqua
chief Waterboer, by whom it had been offered. A dispute
arose with the Orange Free State as to the title to this now
valuable territory, while the Transvaal Republic on its part
maintained that certain rights of the State in adjacent lands
were also infringed. For the purpose of arbitration, a meet
ing was held at Bloemhof, in the South African Republic,
which, however, the Orange Free State Government declined
to attend. Mr. Keate, Lieut.-Governor of Natal, was chosen
umpire. The Keate Award, as it has ever since been known,
decided, on the evidence produced, against the South African
Republic, and included in Waterboer 's territory the valuable
diamondiferous land claimed by the Orange Free State.
Sir Henry Barkly thereupon proclaimed Waterboer's
country a British Crown Colony, and despatched an armed
force to take possession. Griqualand West, as this region
became at once known, remained a Crown Colony till 1880,
when it was handed over by the Imperial Government to the

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 35
Cape Colony. The Orange Free State protested against the
Keate Award, and President Brand came to England to lay
his grievances before the Home Government. He was met,
after some discussion, by the offer of £90,000 in settlement
of any claim which the Orange Free State might think it
had possessed to the disputed territory. This offer was
accepted and the matter ended. It is by no means clear that
Waterboer's pretensions were ever satisfactorily proved. On
the other hand the claims of the Orange Free State were
equally vague and shadowy. The finding of immense de
posits of diamonds in a waste, barren, and hitherto almost
neglected country, had alone been the cause of these disputes.
There was soreness in the minds of the Free State farmers
for some time after the proclamation of Griqualand West
and the Keate Award. As it turned out, however, the rich
Jagersfontein mine remained to their Republic, and, upon the
whole, no great injustice can be said to have been done to
any party.
Natal, meanwhile, had been steadily if slowly progress
ing, although much handicapped by the altogether dispro
portionate number of natives as compared with its European
population. The country proved to be rich and fertile.
Much of the territory towards the Drakensberg was well
fitted for pasture and agriculture, and it was ascertained that
sugar, coffee, cotton, arrowroot, and other tropical crops could
be successfully produced towards the coast-line. The
presence of a great Zulu population, which declined to take
any real part in the labour of the Colony, which wns content
to exist in semi-barbarism upon the produce of its cattle and
mealie gardens, and might at any time prove itself a
dangerous menace to the White colonists, proved, in the
early days of the settlement, and still remains, a source of
weakness and encumbrance to the Colony. In 1855, when
the White population numbered scarcely 9,000, Sir Benjamin
c 2

36 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Pine, the then Lieut. -Governor, recommended to the Imperial
authorities the concession of representative government, and
a Legislature was forthwith granted. As the Zulus could
not be induced, even by the prospect of good wages, to work
in the rising sugar and coffee plantations, it became necessary
to import coolies from India. Coolie immigration has re
sulted in the settlement of large numbers of native Indians
in the Colony ; in 1891 the number was 43,070, as against
42,759 Whites. In their turn the coolies, who compete
successfully with Europeans in many trades and industries,
have become extremely unpopular with the Natalians. So
much is this the case that in the present year (1897) a
determined stand has been made against further immigration
from India, and it seems likely that the coolie system may be
put an end to.
In 1873 Sir Benjamin Pine, after an interval of 18 years,
became once more Lieut. -Governor of the Colony of Natal.
During this year occurred the Langalibalele outbreak, when
that petty chief and his tribe, the Amahlubi, set the Govern
ment officials at defiance upon a question of gun registration,
and killed three white volunteers and two natives of a small
force sent against them. Langalibalele was a man of consider
able importance among the Zulus. He had for some time been
steadily arming his clansmen, and there seemed danger of a
serious outbreak. His next step was to cross the Drakens-
berg, with the intention of stirring up Basuto malcontents in
his favour. Before further mischief, happily, Langalibalele
and his people were surrounded by forces from the Cape and
Natal, the chief and his head men were captured, while the
tribe, after some fighting, was subdued.
Langalibalele was thereafter tried and deported to
Robben Island in Table Bay, and his tribe dispersed.
Bishop Colenso and the Aborigines Protection Society
succeeded, unfortunately, in persuading the people of

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 37
England that the Whites were in the wrong and the Blacks
in the right in this matter — notwithstanding the protests of
the main body of the Natal clergy and missionaries. Sir
Benjamin Pine was very unjustly recalled, and Sir Garnet
(afterwards Viscount) Wolseley sent out to Natal. The
result of Sir Garnet's inquiries showed that the alleged
oppression of Natal natives had been absurdly exaggerated,
and that, in fact, the Zulus were exceedingly well off
In 1875 Sir Henry Bulwer became Lieut. -Governor of the
Colony. About this time began the construction of railways
from Durban to the northern parts of Natal, a policy which,
since the opening up of the Transvaal Gold Fields, has led to
an immense increase in the trade of this Colony.
Lord Carnarvon, who had, meanwhile, become Secretary
of State for the Colonies in Mr. Disraeli's 1874 Administra
tion, had revived the idea of a general confederation of the
South African States and Colonies, proposed as far back as
1859 by Sir George Grey. But the union, which Sir George
Grey could then have accomplished, between the Cape, Natal,
and the Orange Free State, now proved unacceptable to
South African politicians. The Cape Government, which
Lord Carnarvon had, strangely enough, omitted or forgotten
to consult, declined the conference proposed by the Colonial
Secretary, and the whole matter fell into abeyance.

CHAPTER VI.
Poverty of the Transvaal — President Burgers — Attempted loan — Repulses by
Sekukuni — Discontent — Trek to Mossamedes — Cetywayo — Native unrest — Sir
Bartle Frere — Annexation of Transvaal by Sir T. Shepstone — Boer deputations
to England — Kaffir war of 1877-8 — Griqualand West rebellion — The Zulu menace
— Ultimatum to Cetywayo — Zulu war — Isandhlwana — Rorke's Drift — Kambula —
Zlobani mountain — Giuginhlovo — Ulundi — Death of the Prince Imperial — Settle
ment of Zululand — Death of Cetewayo — Dinizulu — Boer encroachments — Present
state of Zululand.

N 1876 the government of the Transvaal Republic,
which had been in low water, financially, for a
long period, arrived at a critical point in its
fortunes. Mr. Burgers, the latest President, a man of some
education — once a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church —
had endeavoured to galvanise his slow-moving Republic into a
semblance of life and activity. Gold had been recently dis
covered by British prospectors in the eastern parts of the
state, Pilgrim's Rest and Lydenburg were coming into notice,
and it seemed that a new era might be inaugurated. Mr.
Burgers instituted reforms in education, the administration of
justice, and the redemption of the paper currency. He per
suaded his Volksraad to vote the raising of a loan of half a
million for the construction of a railway from Delagoa Bay,
and himself came to Europe for the purpose of floating the
loan, sending out railway material, and endeavouring to attract
capital and colonists. He was unsuccessful in raising the
whole of the loan — Transvaal credit was, in fact, then good for
no more than £90,000 — but shipped, nevertheless, a quantity
of railway material, which lay for years cumbering the shores
of Delagoa Bay. In the meantime various commandoes of the
Transvaal burghers had been endeavouring to reduce to

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 391
submission a quasi-independent native named Sekukuni, chief
of the Bapedi — a clan of Basutos — who dwelt with his tribe
in difficult mountain country on the Oliphants River, in the
east of the Republic's territory. The Boers were at this time-
apathetic and discontented, the attacks were feeble and half
hearted, and Sekukuni successfully repelled all assaults and
remained defiant. It was almost impossible to raise taxation,
and Burgers returned from Europe to find his State practically
bankrupt. A large number of discontented farmers had
gathered with their families, waggons, and flocks and herds,.
on the Limpopo River, prepared to trek to a new country far
beyond Lake Ngami, of which the most glowing accounts
were spread. The trek began to move forward in 1877 and
slowly plodded through waterless deserts and by feverish
rivers and marshes for the next few years. The most terrible
sufferings from thirst, fever, and starvation were endured
during this expedition. Whole families perished, waggons-
were abandoned, and immense quantities of cattle and stock
lost. Still these dogged people pushed forward, keeping
their faces ever towards the Promised Land they sought.
Finally, a small remnant of farmers and their families reached
Portuguese territory near Mossamedes on the West Coast,
where they and their children have settled themselves and
yet remain.
It is indubitable that at this time (1877) the Zulu king,.
Cetywayo, who had succeeded his father Panda, was medi
tating an attack on the Transvaal Dutch, between whom and
the Zulus there had never been good blood. Sekukuni was
in communication with Cetywayo, who was watching eagerly
the progress of events in that quarter. The Swazis, near — but
not friendly — neighbours of the Republic, in case of an attack
by the Zulus, would be almost certain to join in the fray.
They too were in constant communication with the great
Zulu chief. Other tribes were growing restless, the Kaffirs,,

40 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
between Cape Colony and Natal, especially so ; the time was
very critical. Cetywayo had always been on good terms
with the British, thanks to the extraordinary influence of
Sir Theophilus Shepstone with the Zulu people. It was
known that a certain section of the more progressive Trans
vaal Dutch, despairing of the future of the Republic, would
be ready to welcome British rule. Upon a survey of all
these circumstances, it seemed to the Imperial Government,
not only a measure of precaution, but a real necessity, having
in view the general peace and welfare of South Africa, to
enter the Transvaal and take possession of the country. Sir
Theophilus Shepstone, who had been to England for consulta
tion, was therefore sent out, armed with large powers as
Special Commissioner for this purpose, if on his arrival in the
Transvaal occasion should seem to warrant their use. Sir
Bartle Frere, a very distinguished Anglo-Indian official, had
about this time succeeded Sir Henry Barkly as Governor and
High Commissioner at the Cape. He saw 'Sir Theophilus
Shepstone on his way to the Transvaal, and as he was
absolutely dependent at that moment, in his new sphere of
action, on the reports of old and tried public servants, he
acquiesced in his plans and ideas. Sir Theophilus went up
from Natal to Pretoria, with a few officials and a small escort.
He found there President Burgers, by this time quite at the
end of his resources, and rather inclined than otherwise to
welcome British control. It was, in fact, now beyond his
power to carry on the Government. A discussion took place
in the Volksraad on the subject of annexation, and that body
separated without coming to any decision one way or the
other. Sir Theophilus Shepstone then took affairs into his own
hands, and, acting under his powers from Lord Carnarvon,
raised the British flag, and declared the country under the
Queen's Government. Mr. Rider Haggard, the distinguished

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 41
novelist, then secretary to Sir Theophilus, had the honour,
with another English official, of hoisting the Union Jack on
this occasion.
President Burgers and other leading officials of the de
funct Republic protested formally against the action of Sir
Theophilus Shepstone, and that official at once set about the
task of evolving order and prosperity out of chaos and
bankruptcy. Troops were sent up from Natal to support
British government, Englishmen and English money began
rapidly to pour in to the new possession, and prosperity
seemed at length about to show its face in this long poverty-
ridden and distracted country. One of the first acts of Sir
Theophilus Shepstone on taking over the Transvaal was to
warn Cetywayo that the land was now under the Queen's
protection, and to beware of creating trouble.
Although a good many of the Transvaal Dutch farmers
and most of the inhabitants of the various towns and villages
— the latter of whom were mainly English, Germans, and
Jews — were pleased enough at the new settlement of the
country, the majority of the Boers looked at the progress of
events with a sullen dismay. They are a slow moving people,
and the change in affairs had been so rapid, that at first they
scarcely realised that the country for which they and their
fathers had trekked so far and fought so often, had, indeed,
passed from them. By degrees they began to collect their
senses. One of their first acts was to send Mr. Paul Kruger
and Dr. Jorissen to England to lay their case before the
British Government and obtain annulment of the annexation.
These envoys, although supported by a large number of
petitions from the Dutch farmers, were quite unsuccessful in
their mission. They returned to the Transvaal. A little
later, in 1878, Mr. Kruger, with Messrs. Joubert and Bok,
were despatched to London upon the same errand. At that
time, British officials had little knowledge of the Boers and

42 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Boer diplomacy. Their intellects have been a good deal
sharpened in this respect by the events of the last 20 years.
In 1877-8 it is more than conceivable that highly cultured
men like Lord Carnarvon and Sir Michael Hicks-Beach,
could scarcely dream of any serious trouble with men of the
type of Kruger and Joubert, rough farmers, absolutely devoid
of modern education, who had spent all their lives in the
African wilderness, warring with savage tribes and wild
animals, and tending their flocks and herds, and whose
outward appearance was on a par with that of the plainest
peasant of north Europe. And so, trusting to the advice of
his South African officials, Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, now
Colonial Secretary, again declined to consider the plea of the
second Transvaal deputation for the retrocession of their
country. The envoys once more returned to South Africa
aggrieved and disappointed.
In the meantime, Sir Bartle Frere found his hands full to
overflowing with gathering troubles. For more than 20 years,
thanks mainly to the wise policy and excellent influence of
Sir George Grey, there had been no Kaffir wars, and the
Cape Colony had enjoyed a prolonged period of peace. But
the Kaffirs had for some time been growing restless. Even
in the more settled parts of the eastern province their signal
fires had been burning on the hill-tops at night, and colonists
knew and predicted that trouble was approaching. Towards
the middle of 1877, the Galeka chief, Kreli, who had long
been meditating a rising, raided the Fingoes, a peaceable tribe
settled upon the Cape border, captured a quantity of cattle,
and, coming into collision with some of the Cape Mounted
Police, killed several men and an officer. Sandilli, the Gaika
chief, with a large number of his tribesmen, joined eagerly in
the fray, and Kaffirland was once more in a blaze. Sir
Arthur Cunynghame, the General in Command at the Cape,
took command of the Colonial and Regular forces, and a

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 43
formidable campaign was entered upon. After various fights
and skirmishes, 5,000 Kaffirs under Kreli and Sandilli
attacked the British position at Quintana, and, after a sharp
action, were defeated with considerable loss. The aged chief,
Kreli, who had figured prominently in a long series of Kaffir
troubles, appeared no more in arms after this battle. Sandilli
prolonged the war some time longer. He was at length slain,
his headmen were taken, and his tribe submitted. Kreli was
outlawed and remained seven years in hiding. He afterwards
surrendered himself, was pardoned, and died peacefully in
1892. As the result of this, the ninth and last of the Kaffir
wars, the Gaika territory was confiscated, and the tribe moved
beyond the Kei into the Galeka country. During the progress
of these hostilities, differences of opinion arose between Sir
Bartle Frere and the Cape Ministry, chiefly as to the conduct
of operations in the field. Sir John Molteno and his Executive
were dismissed from office, and a new ministry under Sir
Gordon Sprigg was formed.
Upon the outbreak of the Kaffir war, a general spirit of
unrest and disturbance seemed to have arisen among the
natives of South Africa. A rebellion occurred in Griqualand
West, which spread to South Bechuanaland. Colonels Lanyon
and Warren were in command of the Colonial forces, and after
a prolonged and difficult campaign, in which several sharp
actions were fought, the rebels were subdued and peace was
restored. At this time, also, some Korannas and other natives
along the Orange River gave a good deal of trouble and a
Colonial force had to be despatched against them.
From the year 1856, when, during the lifetime of his
father, Panda, he had defeated his brother Umbulazi in a
desperate tribal battle, Cetywayo had been restoring the
Zulu military power and prestige to its ancient strength,
as it existed during the reign of the tyrant Tshaka. Panda
died in 1872, and Cetywayo, who had for years been in

44 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
reality chief of the country, assumed the kingship. The
Zulu military power grew more and more a real and
imminent menace to Natal and the Transvaal. During
the troubles of 1878, it became clear that Cetywayo was
actively engaged in corresponding with malcontent chiefs
and fomenting disorders. His soldiers grew more and more
threatening, and British officials were treated contemptuously.
If the English Government had possessed any foresight or
taken any real interest in South African affairs in the forties
and fifties, they would have never permitted the re-creation
of the Zulu standing army, after its power had been com
pletely broken by the Boers and early Natalian settlers
towards 184-0. It is pretty certain that if the Dutch Voor-
Trekkers had remained masters in Natal, they would have
never given the Zulus the chance of becoming again formid
able. But it was now too late for regret. Sir Bartle Frere
perceived that a struggle with Cetywayo was imminent, and
began to gather his forces.
Meanwhile the Zulus became more outrageously insolent.
They raided Transvaal territory. The sons of Sirayo, a
chief near the Tugela, crossed with their followers into Natal
and carried off two Zulu women, whom they afterwards
murdered. Sir Bartle Frere now delivered his ultimatum.
He demanded the surrender of Sirayo's sons and other
raiders ; he required that Cetywayo should disband his army
and receive a British Resident. No answer was returned
to the ultimatum, and the arbitrament of war was resolved
upon. General Lord Chelmsford advanced with an army
into Zululand. The strength of the Zulus — the bravest and
most reckless native warriors in South Africa, skilled by long
practice and drilling in their own peculiar mode of fighting —
appears to have been greatly underrated. Lord Chelmsford's
only fear was that Cetywayo would not fight. He was
terribly undeceived. On the 22nd January 1879, leaving

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 45
his camp at Isandlhwana guarded by 700 English troops and
a body of loyal natives, Lord Chelmsford set out to look for
a Zulu force. His Intelligence Department seems to have
been neglected, and, against the advice of old colonists and
Boers, who were with the British, the camp was left open
and unprotected, the waggons were not laagered, and no
defences had been thrown up. Towards mid-day an army of
20,000 Zulus began to surround the camp, advancing in their
usual crescent formation. The troops defended themselves
desperately, but the attacking force was overwhelming ;
ammunition ran short, and the battle presently became a
mere massacre. No quarter could be expected from those
fierce warriors, flushed with victory and the lust of blood.
Eight hundred and thirty British fell on the day of
Isandlhwana, of whom nearly seven hundred were regular
troops. Only some 40 fugitives succeeded in escaping.
Lieutenants Coghill and Melvill, in a gallant attempt to
save the Colours of the 24th Regiment, were slain on the
Natal side of the Buffalo River, whither they had swum
across. The defenders died very hard, and the Zulus them
selves lost some 2,000 men. After killing every living soul
in the place, the Zulu army swept on its way. Lord
Chelmsford arrived back at his camp in the evening, to find
nothing but blood, confusion, and dead men.
That same afternoon some 4,000 of the Zulu force
attacked Rorke's Drift, a post on the Buffalo, where less than
150 men, under Lieutenants Chard and Bromhead, had been
left to guard stores and communication. These officers
received warning from a fugitive, and instantly made
preparations for defence. They built up a rude fortification
of biscuit boxes and sacks of mealies, and throughout a long
evening and a yet longer night the little force defended
themselves heroically. Towards dawn, Dabulamanzi, a
brother of Cetywayo, drew off his warriors, leaving more

46 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
than 1,000 men— the flower of the Zulu army — dead
behind them. Of the British, 17 were slain and 10 wounded.
Chard and Bromhead's magnificent defence averted from
Natal, then quite defenceless, the terrible calamity of an
invasion by a Zulu host. Each of these officers received the
Victoria Cross. Another column under Col. (afterwards
Sir Evelyn) Wood was attacked by an impi of 10,000 Zulus
at Kambula, where Wood had carefully fortified himself and
laagered. The Zulus, after a desperate and long-sustained
attack, were finally beaten off with tremendous loss. The
battle of Kambula Hill was one of the most brilliaut of
British victories in South Africa. Col. Wood had with
him 1,700 regular troops, some Transvaal Dutch farmers,
and 350 natives. Upon the day before Kambula was fought
a desperate little engagement on Zlobani Mountain, when a
British patrol was attacked by a strong Zulu force. But
for the splendid courage and resource of Major Redvers Buller,
who gained the Victoria Cross that day, the British would
have been cut off and overwhelmed. Nearly 100 men were
killed in this fight, including a gallant Dutch farmer,
Commandant Pieter Uys, son of the brave Voor Trekker
of the same name, slain years before by the Zulus in Natal,
as well as Col. Weatherley and his son, a mere lad, who
died fighting with his father among the Colonial forces.
No one who remembers the receipt in England of the news
of the disaster of Isandhlwana is ever likely to forget it.
There was then no cable to the Cape, and the tidings came
somewhat late. The nation, which took usually but a
languid interest in South African affairs, was now thoroughly
aroused. Reinforcements were rapidly sent out, and Lord
Chelmsford, after what seemed a somewhat inordinate period
of preparation, with 4,000 men once more took the field.
Col. Pearson, who had been in command of the third column,
and bad fought a successful battle at Inyesane, had lain

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 47
for some months shut up at Etshowe, where he had fortified
himself. Lord Chelmsford moved first to relieve Pearson.
He was attacked in force by the Zulus at Ginginhlovo. This
time, taught by bitter experience, he fought in square, and
beat off his assailants with heavy slaughter. Relieving
Pearson, he now moved into the heart of Zululand to crush
Cetywayo once and for all. Cetywayo's army encountered
him at Ulundi, where, after a strong and determined attack
on the British square, the Zulus were finally defeated and
broken, never again to rally. Cetywayo fled, and was soon
after captured, while his headmen submitted themselves.
The Zulu king was deported to Cape Town, whence he was
later on brought to England.
Perhaps the most tragic and unfortunate event in the whole
Zulu war was the death of the Prince Imperial of France, who
was slain by Zulus in a scouting expedition under circum
stances which cast a deep gloom throughout England.
Sir Garnet Wolseley had been despatched to Zululand
to supersede Lord Chelmsford. He arrived too late for the
fighting, but took up the subsequent settlement of the
country. If the Home Government had been wise, they
would have assumed the control of the whole of Zululand.
But, as usual, they shirked trouble and responsibility. Sir
Garnet Wolseley was instructed to settle the country as best
he could, and leave the Zulus to their own devices. He set
up accordingly a number of petty kinglets — 13 in all —
chosen from the principal men, and parcelled out the land
amongst them. The inevitable result of this plan was that
the kinglets were soon fighting among themselves, and the
country sank into a state of war, famine, and disturbance.
In 1883 Cetywayo was most unwisely suffered to return to
Zululand. His return was not welcome to Usibepu, one of
his old chiefs, who had now attained considerable power.
War followed. Cetywayo died or was poisoned in 1884, and

48 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
his quarrel was continued by his son Dinizulu. Dinizulu
called in the aid of a number of Dutch farmers in the
south of the Transvaal, and, having by their help defeated
Usibepu, was compelled to yield them a large slice of terri
tory — now called Vryheid — cutting into the very heart of
Zululand. The British Government, which, although repeatedly
warned, had so fatuously permitted these things, now awoke
to the fact that Zululand was rapidly becoming a Transvaal
province. It was too late to upset the concession granted
by Dinizulu, but the remainder of the country was annexed
in 1887. Zululand was now divided into six districts, each
under the control of a British resident magistrate. The
annexation by England was not relished by Dinizulu, who
gathered a force of discontented chiefs and natives, created
serious disturbances, and began fighting. In 188S, a force
was despatched to the country under Col. Sir Frederick
Carrington, the rising was suppressed, and Dinizulu and
other chiefs were banished to St. Helena. Dinizulu's term
of exile ends this year — 1897. It is scarcely likely that his
return to Zululand, if it be permitted, will create fresh trouble.
It will be curious, however, to see what the authorities intend
to do with this son of the famous Cetywayo.
Zululand is now, after all its troubles, fairly prosperous
and content. The population is estimated at 140,000. A force
of native police is maintained under English officers. The
settlement of white people in the territory is not encouraged,
but it is clear that the country cannot long remain in its
present state of undevelopment and semi-barbarism. Arrange
ments are now in progress by which the territory will shortly
be united to Natal. Gold has been found in Zululand, but
hitherto not in very satisfactory quantity. It can hardly be
said that, up to the present, prospectors and gold mines have
had a fair chance in this country. Coal, iron, silver, lead,

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 49
and asbestos have been discovered in small quantities, but it
is impossible to say yet whether they exist in paying quan
tities. The country is fertile, and well adapted for pastoral
and agricultural pursuits. At present there are no more
than about 600 white men in the territory.
One of the results of the Zulu war and the Transvaal
imbroglio — a scapegoat having to be found — -was the recall
of Sir Bartle Frere by Mr. Gladstone and Lord Kimberley.
Sir Bartle had fallen upon evil days — he was an Imperialist,
and he was shamefully treated ; but he left the Cape with the
reputation, among all loyal Englishmen, of being one of the
most courageous, high-minded, and far-seeing statesmen that
ever represented Great Britain in South Africa. And that
pure and knightly soul had, in addition, the knowledge
that, having done his duty, he had retained undimmed the
gratitude and respect of his Sovereign.

8 6263.

CHAPTER VII.
Struggles between Basutos and Orange Free State — Annexation of Basuto-
land by Sir P. Wodehouse — Acquisition by Cape Colony — Native Disarmament
Act — Basuto War — Country again Annexed by Imperial Government — Recent
progress of Basutos — Visit of Sir Henry Loch — Sir Owen Lanyon and the Trans
vaal — Boer Discontent — Sekukuni Expedition — Meeting of Paardekraal — Boer
Triumvirate — War with the Boers — Disaster of Bronkhorst Spruit — Battles of
Laing's Nek and Ingogo River — Majuba Hill — Death of Sir George Colley — Mr.
Gladstone's Surrender — Convention of London.

0 add to the trials of the Kaffir war, the Griqualand
West rebellion, and the Zulu war, there now came
troubles with the Basutos. After the withdrawal
of Sir George Cathcart's little army in 1853, and the aban
donment by Great Britain of the Orange River Sovereignty,
Moshesh and his people were left to their own devices. They
had now to deal with the Dutch farmers of the Orange Free
State, who were steadily growing in numbers and strength,
and who were not likely to submit to the somewhat large
ideas of territory which the ambition and policy of Moshesh
put forth. In 1858 war broke out, and, after some fighting,
the good offices of Sir George Grey were called in by both
sides. Sir George Grey's arbitration was rather in favour of
the Basutos than the Dutch. In 1865, Mr. J. H. Brand, son
of the first speaker of the Cape House of Assembly, was
elected President of the Free State. One of his first acts, in
view of the perpetually recurring troubles with the Basutos,
was to request Sir Philip Wodehouse, now Governor at the
Cape, to fix the northern boundary between Moshesh and the
Free State farmers. Moshesh agreed to this proposition, but
declined to withdraw his tribesmen from the lands assigned to

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 51
the Dutch. War ensued. The Boers were now visibly the
stronger, and Moshesh, to gain time, sued for peace. His
agreement with the Dutch was again broken, and in 1867
once more the Boers took up arms. In this campaign Moshesh
and his followers everywhere suffered defeat. Before the war
could be concluded, Moshesh, in desperation, sent to the High
Commissioner at the Cape, and begged to be allowed, with his
tribe, to come under British protection. Sir Philip Wode
house, not wishing to see the Basutos driven from their
country, agreed, and in March 1 868 Basutoland was declared
to be under British government. By this time Moshesh was
an old man and feeble, and his tribe was greatly impoverished
and broken. In 1869 an agreement was come to, by which
the Orange Free State was enabled to add largely to its
territory. In 1871 Basutoland was annexed to the Cape
Colony, English magistrates were placed in the country, and
laws were instituted for the proper regulation of the territory.
Under the Cape Government the country prospered exceed
ingly, the natives were able to export grain and wool, and
the revenue exceeded the expenditure. After the opening
up of the Diamond Fields, large numbers of Basutos, who are
the most satisfactory native labourers in South Africa, sought
work at Kimberley. Great numbers of them brought back
cams and ammunition, and the tribe was becoming rapidly
strong again. But Moshesh had died, and his sons and other
headmen were neither so politic nor so well affected as the
old chief.
In 1879 one of the headmen (Morosi) went into open
rebellion, and was subdued with difficulty. Then followed
the Native Disarmament Act, which, in view of the general
disturbances in South Africa, the Cape Government passed.
Most of the Basuto chiefs refused to disarm, and war broke out.
The troubles spread to East Griqualand, Tembuland, and
among other tribes in the Transkei, and some lamentable D 2

02 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
murders of Europeans followed. The Transkeian rebellion
was easily mastered by the Cape Volunteers, but the Basutos,
in their own difficult country, were not to be readily over
come. The Basuto war dragged on in desultory fashion until
the arrival of Sir Hercules Robinson as High Commissioner
in 1881, when, on the proposal of the Cape Government to
abandon the country, the High Commissioner undertook, on
behalf of the Home government, under certain conditions to
be observed by both the Cape and the Basutos, to take over
the territory under direct Imperial control. Since 1884, when
this arrangement was finally effected, Basutoland has, under
Sir Marshall Clarke, the Administrator, and his staff, prospered
in a remarkable manner. Strong liquors are prohibited, and
the natives, who at one time had earned an unenviable repu
tation for drunkenness, are now nearly free from this curse to
South Africa. Basutoland has now an area of 10,293 square
miles, and a population of 218,000 natives. Very large
quantities of wheat, mealies, and Kaffir corn are raised and
exported, as well as wool, mohair, cattle, and horses. The
hardy Basuto ponies, bred in the mountains, are in request all
over South Africa. In 1895-6, 1,116,999 lbs. of wool were
exported, as well as 151,077 bags of wheat. The Basutos
have recently collected £3,184 towards the establishment of a
training school for boys ; they are acquiring civilised habits,
and they now take increasing advantage of the facilities
offered by Savings Banks and the Postal system. In 1895-6
the exports amounted to £139,495, while the imports were
valued at £104,858. Gross revenue was £27,653; nett
revenue, £11,000. This is a wonderful record for a purely
native state, which, 20 years ago, was miserably poor, with a
population of no more than 127,707. There are some 600
white men in the territory. Native schools number some 115,
of which 101 are managed by the Paris Evangelical Mission,
seven by Roman Catholics, and five by the Church of

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 53
South Africa. The French missionaries have been long-
established in the country — since 1833 — and have had re
markable success there. The Basutos are extremely loyal to
the British Imperial Government. In 1890, when Sir Henry
Loch visited the country, 12,000 armed and mounted men
gathered to welcome enthusiastically the Queen's representa
tive. In case of troubles in South Africa, the loyal Basutos —
a brave and war-like race — should prove useful allies to the
British. The paramount chief of the tribe is now Lerothodi.
In 1879 Colonel Sir Owen Lanyon, who had been promoted
after the Griqualand West rebellion, was chosen by the
Imperial Government to succeed Sir Theophilus Shepstone
as Administrator of the Transvaal. Sir Owen was a good
officer, but he was a man very ill-calculated to soothe the
susceptibilities of the Dutch farmers, now smarting under
what they considered to be the unfair annexation of their
country. He was not conciliatory, and his personal bearing
and methods of administration went far to influence popular
Dutch feeling yet more against British rule. There seems to
be little doubt that if some of the leading spirits among the
Transvaal Dutch had been granted administrative offices
under the Imperial Government, much of the discontent which
led to the subsequent Boer war might have been averted.
At the time of annexation it was promised that a represen
tative Parliament or Volksraad should be granted. This was
never performed. After the settlement of Zululand, Sir
Garnet Wolseley came north into the Transvaal for the pur
pose subduing the Bapedi chief, Sekukuni, who, refractory
under Boer rule, still defied the British. Sir Garnet Wolseley,
in addition to a strong force of Regular and Colonial troops,
enlisted the services of a body of Swazis. Sekukuni's moun
tain was attacked, and, after a desperate defence, successfully
stormed; the chief was captured, and the Bapedi tribe
thoroughly subdued. All through 1880 the Boer discontent

54 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
continued to gather strength. Lord Beaconsfield's adminis
tration went out and was succeeded by Mr. Gladstone's. It
was hoped that the new Prime Minister might restore Dutch
independence. Mr. Gladstone, who had in Midlothian
violently denounced the annexation, did nothing of the kind,
but, on the contrary, on assuming office, declared that the
Imperial Government intended to maintain control over the
Transvaal. The farmers now refused to pay taxes, and were
supported by force against the British officials.
On the 13th December 1880, a great meeting was as
sembled at Paardekraal — now Krugersdorp — and Messrs.
Paul Kruger, M. W. Pretorius, and Pieter Joubert were chosen
as a triumvirate for the conduct of government, while the
old Volksraad was reassembled. On the 16th December —
" Dingaan's day " — the anniversary of the great victory over
the Zulus in 1838, the Republican flag was hoisted at Heidel
berg. On this day hostilities between the British and Dutch
began. Commandant Cronje, who commanded recently at
Krugersdorp during the Jameson raid, marched with some
farmers to Potchefstroom to proclaim the Republic. His force
was fired on by the small British garrison under CoL
Winsloe, and the Boers thenceforth besieged the English camp
until the close of the war.
The British, as usual, were at the beginning of hostilities
quite unprepared for the serious business of defending so vast
a country as the Transvaal. They greatly undervalued the
fighting capacities of the Boers, and disasters rapidly ensued.
Col. Anstruther, marching with 264 men of the 94th Regi
ment and a baggage train, to strengthen Pretoria, was met at
Bronkhorst Spruit, some 40 miles from the capital, by a strong
party of Boers under Commandant Frans Joubert, a noted
hunter of big game. Joubert warned the English officer to
proceed no farther, or he would be attacked. Col. Anstruther
replied by ordering his men to advance. The Boers, who were

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 55
as usual strongly posted among rocks and cover, opened fire,
the British resistance was at once overpowered, and Col.
Anstruther and 50 of his men were killed, while seven officers
and 91 men were wounded. In the same week Pretoria and
other towns were closely invested by the Dutch farmers
There were about 1,000 troops at that time in Natal.
General Sir George Colley, upon hearing of the Boer rising,
quickly collected these forces, and with six guns advanced
north towards the Transvaal border. But the Dutch Com
mandant-General, Pieter Joubert, was before him, and enter
ing Natal territory, seized the strong position at Laing's Nek,
dominating the southern road. On the 28th January 1881,
Colley attempted to force the pass. The Boers were superior
in numbers and posted in almost unassailable positions. The
small British force charged bravely up the Nek, but was re
pulsed with heavy loss, including Col. Deane of the 58th
Regiment. General Colley 's proper course would now have
been to have held his ground and waited for the reinforce
ments which were on the way. He seems to have entirely
misunderstood the serious position of affairs and to have
undervalued his opponents, who, thanks to their excellent
rifle shooting and knowledge of South African warfare, were
far more dangerous opponents than European troops. On the
8th February the General attempted a reconnaisance towards
Newcastle. He was met on the Ingogo River by a force of
Boers under Commandant Smit. The Boers were, as usual,
behind cover and suffered little, while the British losses were
nearly 200 dead and wounded out of 300 combatants. During
the night the British force crossed the river and drew off,
leaving their wounded behind them.
The most disastrous mistake of this unfortunate general
was yet to come. Sir Evelyn Wood was now hurrying up
from Natal with reinforcements, and all might yet have been
well ; but Colley's one thought seems to have been to wipe

"»6 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
out his previous disasters at all hazards. On the evening of
the 26th February he quitted his camp with 600 men, and,
during the night, silently and with infinite labour climbed
the stern height of Majuba Hill, 2,000 feet above the Boer
camp. The Dutch farmers awoke to find the British force
crowning the summit of the mountain. About 140 Boers
now advanced to the attack. How they accomplished their
victory, it is difficult to this day to understand. The British
were worn out by their exertions of the previous day and
night ; there were among them many young troops, who had
little confidence in their General ; their shooting was bad ;
and, save for some of the Highlanders, the defence was feeble.
The fact remains that the Boers stormed the mountain and
defeated the British with the loss of their General and 92
officers and men killed, 134 wounded, and 57 prisoners. Sir
George Colley was shot through the head in the final rush.
The Boers themselves attributed that astounding triumph to
the direct intervention of the Almighty. The news of these
terrible and altogether unexpected disasters to British arms
was received in England with dismay, at first with in
credulity. But Sir Evelyn Wood, an officer of the first merit,
well skilled in South African warfare, was now nearing the
Transvaal border with 12,000 troops, 10,000 more were on
the way, while Sir Frederick (now Lord) Roberts was hasten
ing to take supreme command. As Sir Evelyn Wood himself
told Mr. Gladstone's Government, " he held the Boers in the
hollow of his hand." It was felt that the Dutch would be
defeated and these dire disasters wiped out.
At this point Mr. Gladstone executed one of his most
striking voltes-faces. He sent out instructions for an armis
tice ; a peace was arranged, and, subject to the Suzerainty of
the Queen, the independence of the Boers restored to them.
Thus, after three severe defeats in the field, Mr. Gladstone
and Lord Kimberley (then Secretary of State for the

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 57
Colonies) submitted the British People, after entering upon
this unhappy war, to the indignity of a disgraceful surrender
— a surrender which has done more harm to British interests
in South Africa than all our other mistakes and misfortunes
put together. If the Boers of the Transvaal had been taught
the lesson that Great Britain, when put to it, is easily capable
of subduing even their stubborn defence ; if a single English
victory had been won ; Mr. Gladstone might then well have
afforded to be generous. But the incredible surrender of
British supremacy, following closely upon the heels of Majuba
Hill and other defeats, seemed to the ignorant back-country
Dutch and to the natives of South Africa to have but one
significance — that the English, having been worsted, had
surrendered the Transvaal to the stronger hand.
In 1883 Mr. S. J. Paulus Kruger was elected President of
the South African Republic, to which office he has since been
periodically returned. In 1884 afresh Convention— the well-
known London Convention — was agreed upon. Messrs.
Kruger, Smit, and Du Toit visited England, and after inter
viewing Lord Derby, succeeded in negotiating more favour
able arrangements for their Republic. The Suzerainty was
considerably curtailed, but, by Article 4, the Imperial
Government expressly reserved the right to veto all treaties
attempted to be made by the Republic with any other Power
than the Orange Free State. There were also important
clauses (Articles 14 and 19) embodying the rights of Out-
landers and Natives.

CHAPTER VIII.
Rise of Afrikander Bond — Mr. Rhodes — Bechuanaland and its History — The
Boers and Livingstone — His great Discoveries — Boer Filibustering— Stellaland
and Goshen — Sir Charles Warren's Expedition — Khama and Bamangwato country
— British Bechuanaland — Bechuanaland Protectorate — Transkeian Annexations —
Namaqualand and Damaraland — Prince Bismarck and Colonial Expansion —
German Annexation — Sharp Practice — Walfisch Ba — Prospects of German
South- West Africa.

HE inglorious surrender of the Transvaal in 1881
had, naturally enough, an extraordinary influence
upon Dutch feeling throughout South Africa. The
Afrikander Bond, an organization devoted at first mainly to
the advancement of the extreme Dutch idea, and the ex
clusion of British influence, set to work to educate a pre
dominant party, and capture the votes of the numerous
Dutch farmers of the Cape Colony. This policy has resulted
in the formation of an ultra-conservative and often extremely
illiberal Dutch majority in the House of Assembly — a
majority which has stood firm ever since, and has proved a
thorn in the flesh of all Cape statesmen. In 1882 a resolution
was passed restoring the use of the Dutch language, which
had been prohibited in 1827, to the House of Assembly.
Dutch can now be spoken also in Courts of Law and the
public offices. The ri^ht to speak in Dutch in the House of
Assembly is, of course, a great boon to the farmer repre
sentatives who can use no other language, but it may be
questioned, whether, in the long run, it is of advantage to the
general progress and welfare of the country. In 1881 Mr.
Cecil Rhodes for the first time entered upon politics. He

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 59
joined the administration of Sir Thomas Scanlen (which
remained in office till 1884) as joint Colonial Treasurer with
Mr. C. W. Hutton.
In 1882-3 constant disturbances had been occurring in
Bechuanaland to the west of the Transvaal border. The
whole Bechuana country, from the border of Griqualand
West to the shores of Lake Ngami and the Victoria Falls of
the Zambesi, may be said to have had peculiar interest for
the British people since the early years of this century. A long
line of distinguished and, in the main, disinterested men of the
British race — missionaries, hunters and explorers — had been
the means of opening up the country to advancing civilization.
Burchell, Campbell, Moffatt, Edwards, Livingstone, Oswell,
Andrew Smith, Hume, Cornwallis Harris, Gordon Cumming,
John Mackenzie, Hepburn, these and many others had suc
ceeded in establishing among the Bechuanas a peculiar liking
and respect for men of British blood. In the middle of the
century, when Livingstone was pursuing a quiet missionary
career among the Bakwena subjects of Chief Sechele, the
Boers of the Transvaal were openly declaring their intention
of barring the progress of the British to the interior. They
called all the country north of the Vaal " onze veld," " our
country." They even went so far as to fine and imprison an
English trader for entering the country without permission.
Livingstone strove quietly, but manfully, against these vain
glorious and absurd ideas. " The Boers," he says, in his early
book of travels, " resolved to shut up the interior, and I
determined to open the country, and we shall see who have
been most successful in resolution — they or I." David
Livingstone, in truth, has long since won the victory of
civilization for Bechuanaland.
In 1849 came Livingstone's first great discovery of Lake
Ngami, shortly to be followed by the wonderful journey
across Africa and the discovery of the magnificent falls — called

60 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
by the great missionary after Her Majesty — on the Zambesi
River. Between the Bechuanas and Transvaal Boers there had
never been much love lost. The various tribes had always
defended themselves as stoutly as possible against Transvaal
aggression, although long practically abandoned by the
British Government. But in the early eighties, after Majuba,
the fighting powers of the southern tribes had fallen very
low. The freebooters gained in strength, lands were filched
from the Bechuanas, and the pseudo-republics of Stellaland
and Goshen were formed. The Imperial Government at
length began to prick up its ears. By the Convention of
London, an adjustment of border upon the west of the South
African Republic was made, by which the territory of the
chiefs Massouw and Moshette was placed within the Trans
vaal. A British Protectorate was then declared over the
Barolong and Batlapin country, under the chiefs Monsioa and
Mankoroane. But the freebooting attacks still continued,
and the Transvaal authorities did nothing to relieve the
tension. Various politicians from the Cape were sent up to
endeavour to arrange matters, but without result. Among
others Mr. Cecil Rhodes tried his hand. And it is to be
frankly admitted that Mr. Rhodes' efforts on this occasion
were completely unsuccessful. He was probably hampered,
as he has been often hampered since, by the fear of giving
offence to the Dutch party in the Cape Parliament. About
this time Commandant-General Joubert, notwithstanding the
proclamation of a British Protectorate, persuaded Monsioa,
who seems for the moment to have despaired of British help,
to consent to his territory being annexed to the South
African Republic. But, happily, the Rev. John Mackenzie,
who had been appointed Imperial Commissioner in the dis
turbed territory, had succeeded in attracting the attention of
the British public to the imminence of the danger. The late

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 61
Mr. W. E. Foster, M.P., warmly took up the question. It
was determined to make a stand. The Imperial Government
called upon the Transvaal to disavow at once this gross
violation of the Convention just signed. A strong force of
4,000 men, one half regular troops, the other half picked
irregulars, was despatched to Bechuanaland under Sir Charles
Warren, and, as if by magic, the country was settled, the
freebooters and filibusters disappeared, and peace and order
were ensured. The success of this well equipped and well
conducted expedition went far to re-establish a portion, at
least, of the greatly damaged British prestige. At the close
of the expedition Sir Charles Warren visited the native
chiefs of the countries north of the Molopo. He was
especially well received by Khama, chief of the Bamangwato,
a constant friend and ally of the English, and one of the most
remarkable and high-minded native rulers that Africa has
ever seen. Khama's vast country extended from the Lim
popo to the Zambesi Falls, and from the western Matabele
border to the region of Lake Ngami. Khama's confidence in
the power and justice of the Queen of England was such that
he offered to place the whole of his territory at the disposal
of her Government, with the reservation of sufficient lands
for the use of his tribe. This offer was refused. As the
result of the Warren expedition, Bechuanaland, south of the
Molopo, was, with the adjacent Kalahari region, proclaimed a
Crown Colony, under the title of British Bechuanaland ; while
the country north, as far as the 20th degree of south latitude,
was declared to be under British protection. This last ar
rangement, extending British influence only half way into
Khama's country, seemed to that chief, as to most English
men, difficult to understand. British Bechuanaland, at present
almost purely a pastoral country, remained a Crown Colony
until 1895, when it was handed over to the Cape, and now
forms part of that colony.

62 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
In 1885 the remaining native territories of the Transkei
were, with the exception of Pondoland, which followed nine
years later, formally annexed to the Cape Colony.
For years Great Namaqualand and Damaraland had lain
well within the sphere of British influence, so much so that
the Hottentots of Namaqualand, and even the Damaras,
occasionally sent to the Cape for advice and assistance. Sir
Bartle Frere had suggested, in view of future events, the ex
tension of British protection up to the Portuguese territory of
Angola ; but the Imperial Government, as usual, shelved the
matter, and did nothing beyond hoisting the Union Jack at
Walfisch Bay.
About this time Prince Bismarck was turning his atten
tion to colonization, the scramble for Africa had set in, and
a German subject, Herr Luderitz, having acquired certain
rights at Angra Pequena on the Namaqua coast, the German
Chancellor entered into correspondence with the British
Colonial Office. He asked whether England meant to
exercise a Protectorate over these countries, hinting that
otherwise Germany would be inclined to do so. The Colo
nial Office immediately communicated with the Cape
Government ; some delay took place owing to the absence
of the Cape Premier in the Eastern Province ; and, mean
while, Prince Bismarck growing impatient, war vessels
appeared on the coast of Great Namaqualand and proclaimed
a protectorate over the whole country from the Orange River
to the Portuguese territory. This was the first effort of
Germany towards colonial expansion. The Cape Parliament
had, meanwhile, declared itself ready to occupy the whole of
the territory. Its resolutions, and the British protest that
followed, unfortunately came too late, and Great Namaqua
land and Damaraland now form part of the German system.
It can scarcely be denied that this act of the German Chan
cellor was an unfriendly one to England, or that the whole

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 63
business was characterized by what may be termed sharp prac
tice. Neither the Cape Colonists nor the British at home
have forgotten these transactions, nor are they likely to do so.
Germany has done little or no good with her South- West
African possessions. The only accessible port, Walfisch Bay,
is in the hands of Cape Colony ; the country, which is not a
rich one, has been little developed ; the natives, thanks to the
harsh methods of German colonization, are unfriendly ; and
a Hottentot chief, Witbooi, for years set Teutonic rule at
defiance. The cost of maintaining the mere shadow of
colonization in this region is a heavy burden to the Imperial
Exchequer. Two or three years since it seemed possible that
Germany might be glad to hand over Namaqualand and
Damaraland to the British ; but, in view of recent events, it
seems scarcely likely that Germany will now adopt that
course. These countries are separated from Bechuanaland
and Rhodesia by the waterless Kalahari Desert, which, even
by natives and hunters, is for great part of the year almost
untraversable. The journey to Kimberley along the Orange
River is well-nigh as formidable. In case of troubles with
Germany and the Transvaal, it is in the last degree likely
that any serious attack from this side of the country could
be carried out. When, therefore, English readers hear of
munitions of war for the Transvaal being landed on the
Namaqualand coast they may safely put down such rumours
as impossible nonsense. Upon the adjustment of African
territory among the European powers in 1890, a further strip
of country in the north-east corner of her new possessions
was, for some inexplicable reason, handed over to Germany,
thus giving her access to the Zambesi. This unfortunate
piece of generosity may yet be the fruitful source of trouble
between the two Powers in South Africa.

CHAPTER IX.
Discovery of Transvaal Gold Fields — Barberton and Johannesburg — Rise of
South African Republic — Outlander Troubles — Railway Competition — Closing of
Vaal River Drifts — Mr. Chamberlain's Ultimatum — President Kruger's Dream —
Matabeleland and Mashonaland — Mr. Rhodes — His character and achievements —
Treaty with Lobengula — Mashonaland Concession — British South Arica Company
formed — Pioneer Expedition — Matabele War — Death of Lobengula — Allan
Wilson.

IAMONDS had since 1871 contributed immensely
to the prosperity and opening up of South Africa.
It was now the turn of gold. It had been long
known that gold existed in the Transvaal, but it was not
until the discovery of the Barberton fields in the east of the
Transvaal, towards 1883, that any real influx of miners and
capital set in. The discovery of the famous Sheba mine, one
of the richest in the world, in 1886, and the almost simul
taneous finding of rich conglomerate at Witwatersrand, fairly
started the gold fever, which has since existed in South
Africa. It was supposed at first that the Barberton and
De Kaap fields were most promising. In 1887 there were
10,000 people in the district, and Barberton had become an
important town. But the immense beds of rich conglomerate
found at Witwatersrand soon distanced all competition.
Johannesburg sprang from the veldt, like the palace of
Aladdin— it has now a population of 80,000 souls — and in afew
years, thanks to the energy and capital of the " Outlanders,"
chiefly British, who flocked into the country, the industry
was firmly established on a secure basis. From the Trans
vaal fields some £8,000,000 worth of gold is now annually
extracted, with a steadily increasing output. These immense

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 65
discoveries of gold at once revolutionised the finances of the
South African Republic, which had hitherto been in a very
languishing condition. In 1883 the receipts and expenditure
of the Republic were respectively £143,323 and £184,343,
showing a heavy deficit. In 1895 the revenues were
£3,539,955 (of which close on £1,000,000 was collected in
Johannesburg at the office of the Mining Commission).
The expenditure for the same year was £2,679,095, thus
affording a surplus of nearly a million sterling, the desti
nation of which is not very clearly known. The trade of
the country naturally increased by leaps and bounds; the
farmers found excellent markets for their produce ; the
officials became wealthy men, including President Kruger,
who receives £7,000 a year and a " coffee " allowance of some
hundreds for hospitality; railways were pushed into the
country from the Cape and Natal, and South Africa in every
direction awoke to renewed life and vigour. It cannot be
said that the pastoral Boers viewed the discoveries of gold
with much favour. They accepted its material benefits,
naturally enough, and, in abundant ways in which wealth
can be made during eras of mining prosperity, Transvaal
officials have enriched themselves at the expense of the
" Outlanders." Concessions and monopolies have long bur
dened the mining industry.
But the Boers and their President viewed the continual
influx of British people with fear and disfavour. They
would probably have been far better content to remain in the
old pastoral way of life. They were afraid that the new
element would swamp them, and they, therefore, in the
dogged, obstinate Boer way, set to work to fetter the new
industry and its masters with unbreakable chains. It was a
crude, absurd policy, which in the end must inevitably give
way before the natural and irresistible forces of progress.
Towards 1890 the " Outlanders " of Johannesburg began to
S 6263. E

66 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
make their voices heard. A Second Volksraad of 24 mem
bers was conceded, which, as it has practically no power
whatever, was accepted by the mining population with any
thing but favour and enthusiasm. Legislation was directed
against the new comers. The franchise, which in 1882 any
Outlander could have obtained, was made practically im
possible for the British subject; in every way the mining
industry was burdened and mulcted. President Kruger re
sisted as long as possible the entry of British railways into
his State, until he should have secured the completion of the
Delagoa Bay line, a Netherland's undertaking under his own
hand and control. Drought and other circumstances pre
vented that consummation, but the Netherlands line is now
favoured in every possible way. And yet, despite its natural
advantages, this railway is even now not able to keep pace
with the rivalry of the British Southern lines. The dis
content of the Johannesburg people became more and more
open and apparent. Petitions, signed by as many as 38,000
inhabitants, were treated with scorn and contumely. English
men, who could obtain no franchise, were forced to enlist
for native wars. In 1891 and 1894 disturbances occurred,
which began to frighten the stout old President himself.
In the former year the Transvaal flag was torn up by a mob
and trampled in the dust. In 1894 Sir Henry Loch, the
High Commissioner, who had come up to Pretoria, was
begged by the President not to go into Johannesburg, on the
ground that a tumult would be raised.
In 1895 President Kruger took the extreme step, during
a commercial struggle between the Netherlands and Cape
railways, of closing the Drifts on the Vaal River to traffic
from the south. That step constituted a breach of the
London Convention, and Mr. Chamberlain, now Secretary of
State for the Colonies, after consultation with the Cape
Government, presented an ultimatum which Mr. Kruger

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 67
deemed it unwise to oppose. The Proclamation closing the
Drifts was at once withdrawn. Affairs were now becoming
more and more strained between the Outlanders and the
Oligarchy at Pretoria. It cannot be said that President
Kruger had not received concessions from the British. In
1893, mainly through the influence of Mr. Rhodes, Swazi
land, which had for years been protected by the Imperial
Government, was handed over, much against the wishes of
its own people, to the South African Republic. But
President Kruger, his State suddenly enriched by the Rand
gold discoveries, had undoubtedly begun to dream dreams of
the revival of a great Dutch-Afrikander power in South
Africa. He coveted a port in Amatongaland, which had
been placed under British control. That, of course, could not
be conceded. A hostile Transvaal port would, in certain
eventualities, mean further troubles and difficulties for all
South Africa. Baulked of his demand for a port, Mr. Kruger
declined all or any arrangements with Mr. Rhodes, who
proposed some sort of Commercial Union, and visited his in
dignation yet more heavily on the unfortunate Outlanders.
By the autumn of 1895, the state of things between the
Outlanders and the Government of the South African
Republic had become dangerously strained, so much so that
plans of recourse to violent measures for obtaining liberty
were in the air.
While these events were passing in the Transvaal, enor
mous strides were being made by the British in other parts of
South Africa. It had long been foreseen that the countries
north of the Limpopo, dominated by the fierce and blood
thirsty Matabele, could not for ever remain a stronghold of
barbarism. Lobengula had succeeded his father Moselikatse,
and was now supreme despot of all Matabeleland and
Mashonaland. He was upon the whole friendly to the
English who came to hunt and trade in his country, and
E 2

68 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
permitted also a few privileged Dutch hunters to enter his
preserves ; but his policy had always been to prevent any
large incursion of white men. The restless frontier men
among the Transvaal Boers had long meditated a trek into
Lobengula's country. It meant heavy fighting, however, and
they had not succeeded in bringing the necessary force
together. Meanwhile a white man from the south, a man of
great ideas and strong will, had, for some time, been fixing
his thoughts on the great country towards the Zambesi.
That man was Mr. Cecil Rhodes, who, since the year 1881,
when he took office in a Cape Ministry, had become, partly
by his talents and natural force of character, partly by his
great wealth, a power in South Africa. Mr. Rhodes had long
been engaged in the diamond industry, and by consolidating
the principal mines, had not only acquired great wealth him
self, but, as chairman of the De Beers Mines, had gained, at
the same time, the control of an engine of immense wealth and
power, which has stood him in good stead in his subsequent
enterprises. In 1884 he went out of office at the Cape and
began forthwith to devote his superfluous energies to other
and greater work.
Mr. Rhodes, about whom so much controversy has lately
raged, is a man of vast ambitions and of very strongly
developed will-power. His private wealth has always been a
great factor in the advancement of his various schemes and
policies. In South Africa the code of morals is more loosely
drawn than at Home, and it must be confessed that, great man
though he is in many ways, Mr. Rhodes has not always
suffered himself to be bound by scruples when in pursuit of
a particular object. That has been, no doubt, the way of
many strong men — Napoleon, Clive, and a hundred others.
He has his limitations, of course, as all men have, and has
made some few mistakes in his career, the principal of which
was the part taken in the preliminaries to the Jameson raid.

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 69
But this may be said of Mr. Rhodes, that he has had at heart
the advancement of the interests of Great Britain in much,
if not all, of his South African policy. If Mr. Rhodes could
have been less of the financier and company man, and more
of the administrator, it would no doubt have been better for
himself and his reputation. On the other side it may be
said, that, without the aid of his own wealth and that of his
financial associates and corporations, Rhodesia could never
have been developed even as far as it has been. And in the
final reckoning of Mr. Rhodes' character and achievements,
whatever his future may be in South Africa, it can never be
forgotten, that, financier or no financier, he has added an
immense tract of valuable country to the Queen's dominions,
which, but for his energy and foresight, might and probably
would long since have fallen to the share of the Boers of the
South African Republic, or even of the Germans.
In 1888 a treaty of peace and amity was arranged between
the Queen's representative, Mr. John Moffatt, and Lobengula,
by which that potentate agreed to refrain from entering into
correspondence or treaty with any other power without the
sanction of the Imperial Government. Following closely upon
this treaty, Messrs. Rudd, Maguire, and Thompson, acting
on behalf of Mr. Rhodes, succeeded in 1889 in obtaining from
the Matabele chief a concession of minerals. This concession
secured, Mr. Rhodes, in conjunction with various influential
personages, quickly succeeded in obtaining the grant of the
Royal Charter of the now well-known British South Africa
Company, of which he himself became managing director.
In 1890 the famous pioneer expedition into Mashonaland
was successfully accomplished, and the company was placed
in possession of, at all events, a portion of its future
territory. Mr. Rhodes had obtained much of his earlier
information concerning Mashonaland from the well-known
hunter, Mr. F. C. Selous, who for nearly 20 years had been

70 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
pursuing big game and exploring all that and much of the
adjacent country. Mr. Selous it was who safely pioneered
the little force that first entered Mashonaland, and accom
plished its dangerous march to the Promised Land. The
company now set to work to develop its new possessions.
Progress was slow, but many indications of mineral wealth
were discovered. In 1893 war, which had been inevitable,
broke out between the Chartered Company's troops and
Lobengula's warriors. Major Forbes, an Imperial officer, took
command, under the direction of Dr. Jameson, the company's
Administrator, and after several desperate assaults, the Mata
bele were defeated and Buluwayo was occupied. Lobengula
fled, and died soon afterwards from privation and the effects
of his flight in the bush, whither he had gone into hiding.
Major Allan Wilson's patrol, which followed closely upon the
spoor of the king, was surrounded, and every member of the
band, save two sent back for reinforcements, died fighting
bravely.

CHAPTER X.
Matabele rebellion — Extension of Railway north — Sir Frederick Carrington —
Prospects of Rhodesia and Chartered Company — Concessions beyond Zambesi —
Nyasaland — British Central Africa — Enormous expansion of territory — Causes of
Jameson raid — Mr. Rhodes and President Kruger — Stormy interview — Transvaal
National Union — Preparations for rising — Jameson's Ride — Krugersdorp — Sur
render at Doornkop — Fines and sentences — The Emperor's telegram — Mischief of
the raid — Outlander oppression — Imperial movements — Mr. Rhodes and the Dutch
Afrikanders.

i

ATABELELAND itself having thus fallen to the
Chartered Company, once more the settlers turned
to the work of development. Two yearn later,
without the least warning, a serious rebellion of the Matabele
and Mashonas broke out. Many settlers and their families
were ruthlessly murdered, and for a time the savages practi
cally shut up the colonists in Buluwayo, Salisbury, Gwelo, and
other outposts. The Cape railway to Kimberley, which had
been completed in 1885, had been continued in 1890 through
British Bechuanaland, and was now, in 1896, rapidly being
pushed up towards Khama's country. This was of very
material assistance in getting up troops and stores. A line
from Beira, the nearest port to Mashonaland, in Portuguese
territory, had, strangely enough, been neglected by Mr.
Rhodes, and had not yet reached Salisbury. This is now
being continued. Major-General Sir Frederick Carrington, a
veteran of many South African wars, was despatched from
Gibraltar to take command of the troops in Rhodesia, as the
country was now generally called. After the first surprise

72 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
the settlers quickly began vigorously to defend themselves,
despatching patrols and harassing the insurgent natives as
much as possible. Most unfortunately, the country had been
almost depleted of its fighting force by the action of Dr.
Jameson, the Administrator, in taking the police down
country for an attack on the South African Republic. On
Sir Frederick Carrington's arrival, the campaign was ener
getically pushed forward and the insurgents were driven from
one stronghold to another. Mr. Rhodes came out from Eng
land, and at a great indaba, or gathering of chiefs, in the
Matoppo mountains, the submission of the main body of the
recalcitrants was assured. Desultory fighting continued in
Mashonaland, and has hardly yet been concluded.
Rhodesia has been greatly thrown back by the war and
insurrection, and by the dire plague of rinderpest, which,
since 1895, has been spreading ruin throughout South Africa
The faith and enthusiasm of settlers and prospectors has been
somewhat damped by the murderous outbreak of ] 896.
Gold and other minerals are believed to exist in paying quan
tities, but the mineral value of the country has not yet
been absolutely proved. Meanwhile, the Chartered Company,
owing to its various misfortunes, has been piling up a load of
debt, which it will take years of prosperity to wipe off. Even
Mr. Rhodes, who has announced his intention of devoting him
self to the restoration of the fortunes of the country, will now
find before him a gigantic task. It is expected that the rail
way, which has already reached Khama's capital of Palachwe,
will be completed to Buluwayo by the end of the present
year. The Chartered Company has acquired various con
cessions beyond the Zambesi, in Barotseland, the Mashuku-
lumbwe country, and the Lake Bangweolo basin. Nyasaland,
so long and ably administered by Sir. H. H. Johnston, the
British Commissioner, adjoins these countries. The Imperial
control has by various agreements and proclamations been

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 73
now for some time extended to the southern shores of Lake
Tanganyika, and the whole country is now known as British
Central Africa. Thus, far from being shut out from the
interior by the Transvaal Boers, England has now control of
the immense territory stretching from the frontier of the
Cape Colony far up to the region of the great African lakes.
Ngamiland, too, has long since been placed under Imperial
control. In 1895, by an arrangement concluded by Mr.
Chamberlain, a portion of the territory of the Bechuana
chiefs Khama, Bathoen, and Sebele, who came to England to
protest against annexation to the Chartered Company, was
ceded to that corporation, and these chiefs still remain, as
they desired, directly under the government of Her Majesty.
The Jameson raid and the circumstances surrounding it
have been dealt with at such length in the public prints and
elsewhere, that a brief sketch will here be sufficient. Mr.
Rhodes, who in 1890 had become Prime Minister of Cape
Colony, had made frequent attempts to induce President
Kruger to enter a Customs Union, which would have been of
general advantage to the whole of South Africa. Towards
the end of 1894 the two statesmen had an interview at
Pretoria, when Mr. Rhodes seems to have come to the con
clusion that the President was hopelessly immovable, and that
it was waste of time to attempt further to deal with him.
Paul Kruger, although the son of a Voor-Trekker, and brought
up, so to speak, in a waggon, is, within his somewhat narrow
limits, an extremely able man, who has several times proved
himself capable of giving points to English diplomatists.
Both men are of strong and unbending character. This final
meeting of 1894 is described as an extremely tempestuous
one, which, to any one who knows the two statesmen, seems
not incredible. The leading Outlanders of Johannesburg had
meantime, despairing of better things from the Republic, begun
to take measures of their own to secure independence. The

74 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
principal capitalists put themselves in touch with Mr. Rhodes.
The National Union, an Outlander political organisation, began
to play with sedition. The plot rapidly thickened. Colonel
Frank Rhodes, a brother of the Cape Premier, who after
quitting the army, had been employed as Acting- Adminis
trator in Matabeleland, was sent to Johannesburg as local
manager of the Consolidated Gold Fields Company, of which
his brother was, among his multifarious occupations, managing-
director. The company's office became the focus of the
coming revolution. Arms were sent in, concealed in various
ways. Mr. Rhodes found large sums of money, as they were
wanted, to feed the rising ; men began to arm ; the rising
began to evolve itself. The intention seems to have been to
take possession of Johannesburg, seize Pretoria, the arsenal,
and the old President himself, and then appeal to a general
vote of the whole of South Africa. Knowing the extremely
capable fighting powers of the Boers, and their extraordinarily
rapid method of mobilization, all this seems to have been a
somewhat happy-go-lucky adventure. But more was ar
ranged. Mr. Rhodes brought down Dr. Jameson, Sir John
Willoughby, and other officers from Rhodesia, with a body of
the Chartered Company's police, which was stationed at
Pitsani, near Maf eking, in British Bechuanaland, just upon
the Transvaal border. These men, with horses, Maxims, auns
and equipments were got down ostensibly to guard the railway
now being built through the Protectorate. A body of troopers
from the lately disbanded Bechuanaland Border Police, and
other recruits, were added, and the force numbered now some
five or six hundred men.
As soon as the Johannesburgers were ready, Jameson was
to move with this force and make a dash into the Transvaal.
At the last moment a hitch occurred, and the Reform Com
mittee declared themselves unprepared for the final plunge.
Meanwhile that acute old campaigner, President Kruger,

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 75
began to scent danger and to prepare accordingly. Jameson
grew impatient, and finally, on the evening of the 29th
December 1895, without authority from Mr. Rhodes, entered
the Transvaal, taking with his column of some 520 mounted
men, three Maxims, one 12^ pounder and two seven pounders.
Col. Sir John Willoughby, of the Royal Horse Guards, who
had been long connected with Rhodesia, was in military
command. The column rode for two days till it neared
Krugersdorp, not far from Johannesburg. Here it was met
by a force of Boers, who had been meanwhile gathering in
their swift fashion, and, after a long skirmishing fight,
extending over a portion of two days, was at last hemmed in
and forced to surrender at Doornkop. Jameson had lost
26 killed and a number wounded ; the Boers some two or
three killed and five wounded. In Johannesburg counsels
were divided, the revolutionary party had little backbone or
cohesion, and, after the issue of a Proclamation by the High
Commissioner against the adoption of forcible measures, the
crowds which had gathered dispersed, and the rising was at
an end. President Kruger 's turn now came. On the whole he
behaved with generosity to the invaders, considering the fili
bustering nature of the attack. He handed over his military
prisoners to the British Government. Dr. Jameson and his
principal officers were thereafter tried and imprisoned in
England. The leaders of the proposed revolution at Johan
nesburg, who were at once arrested, were much more severely
handled. Four were sentenced to death, pro forma, and
afterwards imprisoned and fined £25,000 a piece ; others were
imprisoned and mulcted in smaller amounts. But even these
smaller fines amounted to round sums of £2,000 a head.
Sir Hercules Robinson, meanwhile, upon hearing of
Jameson's movement across the border, had done all in his
power to prevent mischief. Mounted messengers were sent

76 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
in hot haste in pursuit, commanding the Doctor and his
expedition to turn back. These commands were not listened
to. It is only right to say that the High Commissioner
obtained no assistance from Mr. Rhodes during these anxious
times. The Premier of the Cape, after hearing of the
Jameson escapade, wrapped himself in an impenetrable
reserve, and left things to take their course. The defeat
of Jameson by the Boers meant, of course, the collapse of
his plans, and he at once resigned office. Sir Gordon Sprigg
formed a new Ministry, and succeeded him in the conduct of
government. The tidings of these events created the greatest excite
ment not only in England but throughout Europe. The
German Emperor at once telegraphed to President Kruger,
congratulating him on his victory. The wording of that
message and the needless interference in an affair, which,
after all, was one purely between Great Britain and the
Transvaal, raised a storm of indignation throughout the
country, and has led to a coolness between England and
Germany, which shows little sign of being removed. The
instant rejoinder of the British Government to the Emperor's
interference was the equipment and mobilization of a Flying
Squadron. After the first wave of excitement had passed, it was
felt generally in England that Jameson's raid had been, not
merely a blunder, but a piece of reckless folly, which had
not only nearly set on foot a racial war throughout South
Africa, but had brought us perilously near to a rupture with
an European power. It was true the Uitlanders had been
grievously oppressed. But the sudden invasion of Transvaal
soil in time of peace seemed an unfair and un-English way
of dealing with the difficulty. It was an action which put
this country in the wrong, and has made the task of calling-
President Kruger and his advisers to account infinitely more

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 77
difficult. The expedition itself was ill-conceived and ill-
executed, and the English have had once more to submit to
the gratuitous annoyance of a defeat by the Transvaal
farmers. The only explanation of this rash and inexplicable
affair seems to be that Jameson and his officers were carried
away by their easy success in the Matabele War of 1893.
Transvaal Boers, who can shoot, are, however, very different
adversaries to naked savages ; and if, unhappily, war
should ever be necessary between Great Britain and the
Transvaal, the campaign will require to be undertaken in a
much more serious manner,
The natural result of the Jameson Raid has been that
President Kruger has ever since busied himself in securing
his country against similar dangers. Vast sums of money
have been spent recently in erecting and arming forts near
Pretoria; quantities of rifles, machine-guns, and munitions
of war have been imported ; the lot of the British in the
Transvaal has been made much harder. Laws have been
passed gagging the Press ; two English papers, the Critic
and the Star, have been suddenly suppressed; and enact
ments, greatly interfering with the liberty of the British
subject, have been set in force. One of these, the Alien's
Immigration Act, by which the Englishman was required to
produce a pass, and thus reduced — designedly — to the level
of the Kaffir, was manifestly an infringement of the Conven
tion of London. Mr. Chamberlain protested very strongly
against this obnoxious Act, and it has been, in May of this
year, withdrawn. The presence of a strong British naval
squadron at Delagoa Bay, and the hint that British patience
was becoming exhausted, may have had something to do
with the repeal of this Act. Despite the fact that the English
Government had assisted the South African Republic in
every possible way in the suppression of the Johannesburg
troubles, at a time of considerable danger for the Republic,

78 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
President Kruger and his advisers continued to act in a
manner that can only be described as wilfully and in
tentionally unfriendly. Mr. Chamberlain has repeatedly
expressed the determination of Her Majesty's Government to
maintain the Transvaal quasi-independence, guaranteed by
the London Convention. The reply has been fresh legisla
tion against the Outlanders, an alliance with the Orange Free
State, and renewed arming. It has, in view of this hostile
feeling, been lately deemed prudent to strengthen gradually
the British military forces in South Africa, which hitherto
have been manifestly on the weak side.
One of the effects of the Raid and of Mr. Rhodes' share
in the late Transvaal troubles was apparent almost from the
moment that Jameson and his troopers crossed the border.
A great wave of Dutch Afrikander resentment swept
over South Africa. The day after the fights at Krugers
dorp and Doornkop, 8,000 armed and mounted Transvaal
Boers were upon the scene of action. The farmers of the
Orange Free State prepared at once to assist their kinsmen
across the Vaal. Even the Dutch Afrikanders of the Cape
Colony, who since 1806 had remained loyal to the British
Crown, were greatly perturbed. It has always to be borne
in mind, notwithstanding the modern fiscal hostility of the
Transvaal towards the Cape Colony, that the ancestors of all
these Dutch farmers — Cape, Free State, and Transvaal —
were, 60 years since, members of the same families, living
together south of the Orange River. The ties of blood and
sympathy are still strong between them. At the moment
of Jameson's incursion a racial war was within the bounds
of possibility. Another deplorable result has been that Mr.
Rhodes himself has for the present completely lost the
support and confidence of the bulk of the Afrikander Dutch
party in Cape Colony. The great surprise and mistake of
Mr. Rhodes's political career has been his connection with the

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 79
exploded Johannesburg revolution, the Raid, and all the
surrounding circumstances. For years Mr. Rhodes had made
it his business by every possible means to win the confidence
of the Dutch party in the Cape Colony. That confidence
has for the time been shattered. The Boers are slow and
unforgiving, and have long memories. Whether Mr. Rhodes
will ever again be able to secure their reconciliation is one of
those things that lie on the knees of the gods. Time alone
can show.

CHAPTER XL
Steady Advances of British Civilization — Dutch Position in 1806 — Governor
Janssen's Despair — Qualities of Dutch Settlers — Their Industries — Wine and
Fruit Farming — Wheat Growing — Horses, Mules, and Donkeys — Cattle Breeding
— Bechuanaland and the Kalahari — Sheep and Goat Farming — Mohair — Ostriches
— Tobacco — Railways and Telegraphs — Principal Towns of Cape Colony — Ex
ports and Imports — Shipping — Natal Statistics — The Dutch Question — Boer
Advances — Need for British Rural Immigrants — Present Policy towards Dutch
Afrikanders — The Native Question — Final Survey of Advance during the Queen's
Reign.

T will, perhaps, be said by the casual observer that
the history of the British in South Africa has,
up to the present time, been a history of in
numerable wars, of constantly recurring troubles. That
reflection contains only half the truth of the matter. There
has been much fighting, there have been many troubles, but
in the story of civilization it is self-evident that the conquest
and removal of barbarism have to be accomplished before
peace, prosperity, and progress can find a settlement. It is
not for an instant to be supposed that wars and disturbances
in South Africa have not been accompanied by correspond
ing advances in material prosperity and well-being. The
reign of Queen Victoria in South Africa exhibits, in truth, in
spite of the blunders, mistakes, and carelessness of statesmen
and politicians, a handsome record of constantly increasing
progress in population, trade, and material wealth. Nor
can it be doubted by anyone who knows the country, that the
British now stand, in the sixtieth year of Her Majesty's
reign, upon the threshold of far greater triumphs and
advances in the peaceful development of the territory from

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 81
the Cape northwaixi than any hitherto dreamed of. The
real opening up of South Africa is, in fact, only just
beginning. If the Dutch had remained masters of the country, it is
exceedingly unlikely that the progress of South Africa
would have equalled even a tenth part of the prosperity
already attained by the British. The examples of the two
Boer Republics before the discoveries of diamonds and gold
by the English are well in point. The People of these States
were content to lead a purely pastoral and primitive exist
ence ; progress, in the modern sense, was unknown ; and the
Government had always grave trouble to find the means for
carrying on its administration and the small official business
of the country. In 1806, when Sir David Baird finally took
possession of the Cape on behalf of the British Government,
the Dutch had been in possession of the Colony for more
than a hundred and fifty years. The Dutch East India
Company, which so long ruled it, had become hopelessly
insolvent, and the States General of Holland had, itself,
taken the settlement in hand. The revenues were less than
£100,000. There were then no more than 21,000 whites in
the whole country. So ill-managed had been the affairs and
colonization of the Cape that General Janssens, the last
of the Dutch Governors, seems absolutely to have despaired
of the country under his charge. Just before the British
occupation, in reply to a memorial presented to him, he
spoke thus : " With regard to your inclination to strengthen
the Cape with a new settlement, we must, to our sorrow, but
with all sincerity, declare that we cannot perceive any means
whereby more people could find a subsistence here, whether
by farming or otherwise, partly because those who reside in
the Cape or in the Table Valley — except a few gardeners
and tradesmen, such as blacksmiths, waggon-makers, shoe
makers, and tailors — chiefly subsist by tap-houses or by
S 6263. *

82 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
lodging ship passengers. Their numbers have, besides, so
much increased that, when we contemplate the number of
children growing up, we frequently ask ourselves, not only
how they could find other means of subsistence, but also
what it is to end in at last, and what they can lay their
hands on to procure bread ? "
Compare these despairing words of poor Governor
Janssens in the early years of this century, with but 21,000
Whites in the territory under his government, with the state
of things in the Cape Colony in the sixtieth year of the
reign of Queen Victoria. There are now not far from
450,000 white colonists in the territory known this day as
Cape Colony, most of whom have small difficulty in making
for themselves a very comfortable living. Of these, not less
than 230,000 are Dutch Afrikanders. And it is generally
admitted that the Cape Colony, mainly owing to the fact
that so great a portion of the land is in the tenure of the
slow-moving and unprogressive Boer, is now only upon the
beginning of its career, and may be made far more profitable
than at present. With every sympathy for the many
excellent qualities of the Cape Dutch, their sturdy inde
pendence of character, their self-reliance and bravery, their
simple faith, their domestic virtues, it must be admitted that
hitherto they have been a great drag upon the progress of
the country. They take to improved irrigation, new breeds
of stock, new methods of farming, improvements generally,
with extreme reluctance. As hunters, border-fighters,
frontier-men, and pioneers there are no better colonists in the
world ; but as a unit in a modern civilized State, the average
Dutch Afrikander of the back country is a sadly difficult
person to move or educate.
There are two Cape industries at present almost solely in
the hands of the Dutch, which ought, properly managed,
to be sources of great wealth to the Colony. These are

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 83
wine-growing and fruit-farming. The Cape vineyards are
the most wonderfully productive in the whole world ; yet,
except upon a few of the large estates, which are managed
by advanced and educated members of the old Cape Dutch
families— the Dutch aristocracy of South Africa — the wine
produced is, thanks to the ignorant, careless, and often
dirty methods of manufacture, not fit for European drinking.
On too many farms everything is sacrificed to producing
cheap, crude brandy, which sells readily, and is retailed
everywhere at the price of 6d. or Is. a bottle, to poison the
unfortunate natives and poor whites of the country.
Australia and California are producing excellent wine
and magnificent fruits in largely increasing quantities for
the European markets. The Cape, with every advantage,
ought to be far surpassing these countries ; and yet, thanks to
an unaccountable conservatism, sloth, call it what you will,
neither Cape wines nor Cape fruits are to be found compet
ing with these young countries in the markets of the world.
A small export of fresh fruit is now being made to England,
but the business is at present only in the experimental
stage. Claret, hock, brandy, and liqueur are produced on
one or two estates near Cape Town, which are fit to place
upon any European table. These are retained for private
consumption. If this can be accomplished, there is absolutely
no reason why the Cape should not successfully compete with
Australia as a wine-producing country.
Wheat-growing is another industry in the hands of the
Dutch. Cape wheat is magnificent, yet such is at present
the state of agriculture in the Colony that occasionally large
sums of money have to be expended in buying from abroad
food stuffs for colonial consumption. In 1890, £230,000 was
paid to foreign countries for grain, which, without a shadow
of doubt, ought to have been produced in the Cape Colony.
Agriculture in South Africa is, in fact, at present absolutely
F 2

84 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
in its infancy. On back-country farms the Dutch may yet
be found treading out the corn on threshing floors, with
horses or oxen, and winnowing their grain by throwing the
ears of corn into the air on a windy day. A large pro
portion of the grain of Cape Colony is produced by
Dutch farmers in the Western Province, who hold the best
of the wheat-producing soil. It is probable that not long
hence much of the rich soil of the dry Karroo plains,
where now are pastured sheep, goats, and ostriches, will,
with the advance of irrigation, produce very large crops of
grain. There are few countries in the world better adapted for
the rearing of horses, mules, and donkeys, than the Cape.
The Cape horse is one of the handiest and hardiest animals in
the world, and is expressly fitted for the rough and trying
work of working or campaigning in a hot climate. There
are now some 450,000 horses in Cape Colony — an advance of
nearly 340,000 since 1837. Cattle have been greatly im
proved during the last sixty years, thanks to the introduction
of fresh blood by the English. During the Queen's reign, the
number of horned stock in Cape Colony (excluding British
Bechuanaland, recently annexed) have increased by about
2,000,000. British Bechuanaland, one of the finest natural
ranching grounds in the world, is finding great favour with
the Dutch farmers, who are taking up most of the land there.
Here is a colony at present, unfortunately, almost entirely
neglected by the British settlers. The Bechuanaland Pro
tectorate and Rhodesia are all excellent cattle countries, and,
so soon as the fatal rinderpest has run its course, stock farm
ing in all these territories, as well as in Cape Colony, may be
expected to make great advances. The so-called Kalahari
Desert, another portion of the Queen's domains — at present
almost unknown — is a magnificent natural cattle country.
In spite of the fact that there is here practically no surface

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 85
water, splendid grasses, vast forests of giraffe-acacia and
other timber, and plenty of bush, cover the country. Great
herds of game still find, as they have found for ages, susten
ance in these untrodden wilds. And as soon as boring and
well-sinking is introduced, the Kalahari will, without doubt,
prove itself one of the most valuable parts of British South
Africa. Much of it is fine, picturesque, park-like country.
Dairy farming in South Africa is in its earliest infancy. In
no country are better prices to be obtained for butter. South
Africa ought to be able not only to supply its own towns at
reasonable rates, but to compete easily with Australia in the
export trade.
Sheep farming is a great staple industry of Cape Colony.
In 1830 no more than 30,000 lbs. of wool were exported. By
1895 the exports had grown to 60,000,000 lbs., valued at
£1,695,920. Much of the wool produced by the back country
Dutch farmers is sent to market in poor and dirty condition,
or the value of the clip would be greatly enhanced.
Common goats, which are largely farmed, have increased
from 306,785 in ] 837 to about 3,000,000 at the present time.
One of the later industries of the colony has been the introduc
tion by British colonists of the Angora goat from Asia Minor.
From importations in the middle fifties, Angora goats have
now increased to some 3,000,000 head. The mohair clip from
these animals is now worth about £300,000 annually. The
value of all these pastoral products is, with the spread of
education and of modern ideas, among the Dutch rural
population, capable of very great increase.
Ostrich farming is, like Angora goat farming, entirely a
product of the Queen's reign. Before 1865 the rearing of
these birds in confinement was almost unknown. A few
English farmers tried the experiment with success, and, by
1882, when the ostrich farming mania was in full blast, the
export of feathers had reached 253,954 lbs., of the value of

86 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
£1,093,989. Then came the end of the boom, prices fell, and
a great decline took place. The value of the annual export
at the present time is close on half a million sterling.
Tobacco is one of the Dutch industries of South Africa.
Cape Colony tobacco is not very palatable to the British con
sumer, and is chiefly used as an ingredient in sheep dip. It
is, however, smoked by the Dutch farmers. The value of the
production in Cape Colony is some £70,000. Very excellent
smoking tobacco is grown in the Transvaal and in one or two
places in the Eastern Province of the colony. The tobacco in
dustry, which at present is managed in the crudest possible
manner, and is quite in its infancy, is capable, with intelligent
manipulation, of great development.
Irrigation, roads, bridges, railways, harbours, and public
works have made immense strides in Cape Colony during the
Queen's reign. Irrigation is to be yet more popularized;
large sums of money were voted for this purpose last year ;
and it is to be hoped and expected that considerable areas of
the dry up-country regions, not only of the Cape Colony, but
of the territories to the north, will be made productive by
deep boring and the conservation of large quantities of water.
Hitherto water has ^een found with little difficulty in all
parts of the country yet tested.
Railways and telegraphs have been immensely extended.
Since 1863, when the modest 58 miles from Cape Town to
Wellington were completed, railways have spread to Kim
berley, the Free State, the Transvaal, Bechuanaland, and
Rhodesia. At the present moment about twenty-seven
millions sterling are invested in the various British lines from
Cape Colony and Natal northwards. The telegraph has been
pushed, thanks to Mr. Rhodes's enterprise, far beyond the
Zambesi. Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, one of the most
important strategic places in the world, has with its environs

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 87
a population of 85,000. Kimberley, at the last census,
numbered with its suburb, Beaconsfield, 39,000 persons.
Other important towns in Cape Colony are Port Elizabeth,
23,266 ; Grahamstown, 10,498 ; Paarl, 7,668 ; King William's
Town 7,226; East London, 6,924; Graaff Reinet, 5,946;
Worcester, 5,404 ; Uitenhage, 5,331 ; Cradock, 4,389 ;
Oudtshoorn, 4,386 ; Queenstown, 4,094 ; and Stellenbosch,
3,462. There are in addition many other small towns and
villages. The total exports of Cape Colony in 1896 were (including
gold and diamonds from the Transvaal and Kimberley) of the
value of £16,700,102, as compared with £384,229 in 1837.
The total imports were (including goods for the Transvaal
and interior) £17,935,039, as compared with £819,270 in the
year of the Queen's Accession. The shipping figures for Cape
ports in 1896 were, inwards, 6,029,097 tons ; outwards,
6,012,617 tons, as compared with 134,875 tons and 130,512
tons in 1837. A magnificent advance, truly !
Natal, with a present white population of about 44,000, as
against native Africans 470,000, and Indians 44,000, has, in
spite of its manifest native difficulty, in like manner gone
steadily ahead. In 1850 its revenue was £32,112, while its
imports were £111,015 and exports £32,112. In 1894-5 the
revenue was £1,148,093; imports had risen to £2,370,022;
exports to £1,216,430. It is but right to say that the grow
ing Transvaal traffic has much to do with Natal's good
fortune. The production of cattle, wool, mohair, sugar, coal,
grain, fruit, coffee, and tea are steadily increasing. Durban
and Pietermaritzburg have risen to the rank of important
towns, with populations of 27,492 and 17,286 respectively;
while many minor townships have sprung up.
These few facts and statistics, brief as they must neces
sarily be in a work of this kind, will sufficiently indicate the
immense strides made in British South Africa during Her

88 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Majesty's reign. These strides have been made in face of
many difficulties which other colonies and dependencies have
not been called upon to confront. The two ever present
problems, which will require for some time to come the nicest
skill and diplomacy, are the Dutch question and the Native
question. The Dutch question, given the avoidance of what,
too surely, would prove the undoing of South Africa, a racial
war between British and Boer, is bound to resolve itself into
the gradual amalgamation of two strong and manly European
breeds of men, whose forefathers, more than a thousand years
ago, possessed a common ancestry. This process has long since
begun in the neighbourhood of the Cape, where the Dutch
settlers are now as refined and educated as their British fel
low colonists. Intermarriages between the two races at the
Cape have for more than a generation become familiar. In
the back settlements of Cape Colony and in the Republics of
the Transvaal and Orange Free State the process must
necessarily be a long delayed one. But it will surely come.
In spite of the efforts of President Kruger and his Oligarchy,
British influences are, at the present moment, extending
themselves steadily among the Boer population. The children
now learn to speak English ; English governesses are
occasionally to be found in remote farmhouses ; the sons of
the wealthier farmers are sent to Europe ; they take degrees
at English and Scotch Universities, and become doctors and
lawyers ; the daughters are eager to pick up English accom
plishments and habits.
One great drawback to the more rapid union of the
two races lies in the fact that few settlers of British blood
now go on to the land at all. Almost all flock to the towns
or the gold fields to grow rich. Many of them, it is to be
feared, look upon South Africa, not as a permanent home,
but as a country to accumulate wealth in and retire from.
That is a method of colonization which tends, and has long

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 89
tended, to retard British progress in South Africa. The Dutch,
on the contrary, cling to the land, and, as in Cape Colony, re
tain the balance of political power. In Cape Colony the Boers
account for more than 60 per cent, of the white population.
In the Orange Free State the English are completely out
numbered. In the Transvaal, thanks to the discovery of
gold, British and Dutch are much more nearly equal. In
British Bechuanaland, Dutch farmers from the Free State,
Transvaal, and Cape Colony are taking up most of the
ground. In Rhodesia, owing to the attraction of gold, the
British have the superiority. What is urgently needed at the
present time is some well grounded scheme for attracting a
British rural population to the country districts of South
Africa. It is a policy which has, for obvious reasons, always
been strongly opposed by Afrikander Dutch statesmen, but it
is a policy which deserves the very closest consideration of the
Imperial and Colonial Governments.
At the present moment, there is needed, then, in South
Africa a firm but not unduly aggressive policy at Pretoria ; a
continuance of the friendly relations which have been long
maintained with the Orange Free State ; and a policy of ad
vancement and conciliation towards the loyal Dutch of the
Cape Colony. Natal is mainly British, and can take care of
herself upon the Dutch question. President Kruger and his
advisers, in spite of recent armaments, are not now likely to
push matters to the arbitrament of war. They are not sure
of the Free State. They are still less sanguine of any con
siderable rising of farmers in the Cape Colony. A war
between British and Dutch in South Africa is only to be
looked upon as the greatest misfortune that could happen to
the country. Great Britain would emerge victorious, it is
true, but at infinite cost and bloodshed, and with the certainty
that a long history of sullen hatred, of utter disunion, would
lie before the two races. Short of downright hostility by the

90 THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Transvaal rulers, and of refusal to adjust absolute and
wilful breaches of the London Convention, war with the
Transvaal is not to be thought of. For the rest, gold, immi
gration, and time may be relied upon to cure present troubles.
Do what President Kruger may, his country is becoming
Anglicised in reality far more rapidly than is the Cape
Colony. The native question is one which, more speedily than any
plan of statecraft, ought to secure the union and co-operation
of British and Dutch in South Africa. The natives are al
ready immensely superior in numbers to British and Boers
combined Thanks to the pacification of territory after terri
tory, and the ending of tribal wars and tribal massacres, the
Bantu races are increasing year by year far more rapidly than
their white masters. In 50 years time the black problem
will be one which will probably need all the best qualities of
British and Dutch to cope with. How to induce natives to
work, how to civilize them with safety, how to feed and pro
vide room for their increasing legions, are questions that will
surely puzzle future generations of South African white men.
Perchance it may be deemed necessary to move gradually
large portions of the natives of South Africa into the
uninhabited and unallotted lands north of the Zambesi !
At present, no man can see the end of this most serious
problem. Her Majesty has seen in these memorable 60 years of her
reign the modest Cape settlement south of the Orange River
extended and yet extended until the British red has reached
upon the maps the far off shores of Lake Tanganika, in the
very heart of Africa. A territory exceeding France, Germany,
Austria, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Scandinavia,
Denmark, Turkey, Greece, Servia, Roumania, and Switzerland
put together has been added to the illimitable dependencies of
the British Crown. Some portions of this vast country may

THE VICTORIAN ERA IN SOUTH AFRICA. 91
take years, even generations, to colonize. But in the great
spaces south of the Zambesi lie regions blessed with perhaps
the most magnificent climate in the world where the Queen's
subjects may, and surely will, find for themselves and their
descendants, in generations yet to come, fair and prosperous
homes. And for the conclusion of the whole matter. In spite
of many troubles, difficulties, and dangers, the Victorian
Era in South Africa forms a page in history, of which even
the first colonisers in the world — the British — may well be
proud.

( 93 )

INDEX.

Afrikander Bond, policy of, 58.
Afrikanders, Dutch, attitude of, 78.
Albany, settlers in, 3.
Alexander, Captain Sir James, expe
dition through Namaqualand
and Damaraland, 5.
Alfred, Prince :
Hunt in Orange Free State, 30.
Visit to the Cape, 29.
Alien's Immigration Act, 77.
Amakosa Kaffirs, self-destruction of,
27.
Amatongaland, coveted by President
Kruger, 67.
Amatongaland, unknown in 1837, 5.
Anstruther, Colonel, killed at Bronk
horst Spruit, 55.
Atherston, Dr., opinion of diamond,
32.
Australia, colonists attracted by dis
covery of gold, 25.

B
Baird, Sir David, takes possession of
Cape Colony, 81.
Bantu races increasing, 90.
Barberton gold fields, discovery of, 64.
Barkly, Sir Henry, Governor of Cape
Colony, annexes Griqualand
West, 34.

Barolong country, British Protectorate
over, 60.
Barotzeland, Chartered Company's con
cessions in, 72.
Basuto War, 51.
Basutoland :
Annexed to Cape Colony, 51.
Annexed by Imperial Government,
52.
Prosperity of, 52.
Unknown in 1837, 5.
Loyalty of, 53.
Struggle with British, 22.
Working on diamond fields, 51.
Basutos and Orange Free State, fighting
between, 50.
Batlapin country, British Protectorate
over, 60.
Batoen, Chief, protests against annex
ation, 73.
Bechuanaland :
British Crown Colony, 61.
Good cattle country, 84.
History of, 59.
Bechuanaland, North, British Protec
torate over, 6 1 .
Beira, railway to Salisbury, 71.
Biggar, Robert, killed fighting against
Zulus, 14.
Bismarck, Prince, Colonial expansion
in Africa, 62.
Bloemfontein, convention relinquishing
British Sovereignty, 20.
Bloemhof, meeting for arbitration at,
34.
Blood River, Boer victory on, 14.
Boers :
Character, 8.
Defeat Matabele and Zulus, 10.

94

INDEX.

Boers — cont.
Defeated at Boomplaats, 19, 23.
Great Trek, 9 ; causes of, 6, 7.
Grievances, 6, 7.

Proportion of population in differ
ent colonies, 89.
Quit Natal, 16.
Bok, Envoy to England against annex
ation of Transvaal, 41.
Boomplaats, battle of, 19.
Brand, C. J., first Speaker of House of
Assembly, 21.
Brand, J. H., President of Orange Free
State, 50.
Embassy to England, 34.
British Central Africa, 73.
British Kaffraria :
Annexed, 31.
Crown Colony, 18.
Sir George Grey's policy, 26.
British settlers at Port Natal, 12.
British South Africa, Dutch question,
88.
(See also South Africa.)
British South Africa Company, Charter,
69.
(See also Chartered Company.)
Bromhead, Lieutenant, defends Rorke's
Drift, 45 ; receives V.C., 46.
Bronkhorst Spruit, British disaster at,
54.
Buller, Major Redvers, engagement on
Zlobani Mountain, gains V.C.,
46.
Buluwayo, occupied by Chartered Com
pany's troops, 70.
Bulwer, Sir Henry, Lieutenant-Gover
nor of Natal, 37.
Burgers :
President of tSouth African Re
public, 24.
Mission to England to raise loan
for railway, 38.
Protests against annexation of
Transvaal, 41.
Reforms of, 38.

c

Cane, John, killed fighting against
Zulus, 14.
Cape Colony :
Area, 2.
Attempt to establish penal settle
ment at, 20.
Cattle, number, 2 ; breeding, 84.
Condition during Dutch possession,
81.
Depression in, 31.
Diamonds discovered, 31.
Education scheme, 17.
Exports and Imports, 2, 87.
Extension of, 18.
Fruit-farming, 83.
Game in northern regions, 3.
Horses, mules, donkeys, 84.
Important towns in, 87.
In 1837, 1.
Irrigation works, 86.
Legislative Council established, 3.
Migration from, 9.
New Constitution proclaimed, 34.
New electoral divisions, 31.
No minerals, 2.
Opening of first railway, 29.
Ostrich farming, 86.
Population, 2.
Present state of, 82.
Prince Alfred's visit to, 29.
Railways and telegraphs, 86.
Representative Governmentgranted
to, 21.
Sheep and goat farming, 85.
Shipping, 2, 87.
Tobacco industry, 86.
Wheat growing, 83.'
Wine industry, 83.
Cape Copper Mining Company inaugu
rated, 29.
Cape Town, position and population,
86.
Carnavon, Lord, Federation proposals
rejected, 37.

INDEX.

95

Carrington, Sir Frederick :
Commands troops in Rhodesia, 71.
Suppresses rising in Zululand, 48.
Cathcart, Sir George :
Governor - General of Cape Co
lony, 21.
Expedition against Basutos, 22.
Cetywayo :
Death, 47.
Defeats his brother Umbulazi, 43.
Deported to Cape Town, 47.
Meditates an attack on Transvaal
Dutch, 39.
Return to Zululand, 47.
Chamberlain, Joseph :
Intention to maintain London Con
vention, 78.
Protests against Alien's Immigra
tion Act, 77.
Untimatum on closing of Vaal
River Drifts, 66.
Chard, Lieutenant, defends Rorke's
Drift, 45 ; Receives V.C., 46.
Chartered Company, concessions be
yond Zambesi — prospects, 72.
Chelmsford, Lord :
Commands in Zulu War, 44.
Relieves Pearson at Etshowe, 47.
Clarke, Sir Marshall, Administrator of
Basutoland, 52.
Cloete, Colonel, leads reinforcements to
Natal, 15.
Coghill, Lieutenant, killed on Buffalo
River, 45.
Colenso, Bishop, attitude on Native
question, 36.
Colley, Sir George :
Attempts to force Laing's Nek, 55.
Killed at Majuba Hill, 56.
Convention of London (see London Con
vention).
Copper Mining commenced, 28.
Critic (African) suppressed, 77.
Cronje, Commandant, proclaims Repub
lic at Potchefstrom, 54.
Cunynghame, Sir Arthur, commands
forces against Kaffirs, 42.

D
Dabulamanji, Cetywayo's brother, at
Rorke's Drift, 45.
Damaraland :
British influence in, 62.
German Colony, 62.
Sir James Alexander's expedition
to, 5.
Darling, Lieutenant-Governor, opens
first Cape Parliament, 21.
De Beers, rush to diamond mines at,
32.
Deane, Colonel, killed at Laing's Nek,
55.
Delagoa Bay, British squadron at, 77.
Derby, Lord, recalls Sir George Grey,
28.
Diamond industry :
Account of, 32.
Annual output, 33.
Contributing to prosperity of South
Africa, 64.
Dingaan, Zulu chief :
Defeat and death, 15.
Gives leave to Retief to settle in
Natal, 12.
Murders Retief and Boers, 13.
Possesses Natal, 3.
Dinizulu, Cetywayo's son :
Defeats Usibepu, 48.
Rebells and is exiled, 48.
Yields Vryheid to Boers, 48.
Doornkop, surrender at, 75.
Du Toit — envoy to England, 57.
Durban :
Population, 87.
Railways to North of Natal, 37.
Durban, Sir Benjamin, Governor of
Cape, 5.
Dutch Afrikanders :
Attitude of, 78.
Character of, 82.
Dutch East India Company, 81.
Dutoitspan, diamond mines, 32.

96

INDEX.

E

East Griqualand, troubles in, 51.
Etshowe, Colonel Pearson shut up in, 47.

F

Fairbairn, Mr., embassy to England,
21.
Forbes, Major, commands troops in
Mashonaland, 70.
Fort Cox, Sir Harny Smith besieged
in, 18.
Foster, W. E., attitude on Transvaal
question, 61.
Frere, Sir Bartle, Governor at Cape,
40. Character, 49.
Recalled, 49.
Suggests extension of British Pro
tectorate, 62.
Troubles with Cape Ministry, 43 ;
with Natives, 42.
Ultimatum to Cetywayo, 44.

G
Gaika, territory confiscated ; tribe
moves into Galeka country, 43.
Gaza country, unknown in 1837, 5.
German Emperor — telegram to Presi
dent Kruger, 76.
German settlement, 28.
Germany, South-west African Colonies,
63.
Ginginhlovo, Zulus attack Lord
Chelmsford at, 47.
Gladstone, W. E. :
Attitude on Transvaal question, 54.
Surrender of Transvaal, 56.

Glenelg, Lord, Secretary of State for
Colonies — policy, 5.
Goshen, 60.
Great Fish River — Eastern boundary
of Cape Colony, 2.
Great Trek of Boers, 9 ; causes of, 6, 7.
Grey, Earl— attempt to establish Penal
Settlement at Cape, 20.
Grey, Sir George, Governor of Cape
Colony, 26.
Arbitration between Basutos and
Dutch, 60.
Censured and recalled, 28.
Encourages immigration, 28.
Federation proposals, 37-
Influence with Kaffirs, 27, 42.
Policy in Kaffraria, 26.
Policy of confederation, 28.
Re-instated as Governor at Cape,
28.
Sends troops to India during
Mutiny, 27.
Troubles with Colonial Office, 25.
Griqua country in 1837, 4.
Griqualand West, annexed by Great
Britain, 34.
Griqualand West Rebellion, 43.
Griquas, protected by Cape Govern
ment, 19.
Gwanga, Kaffirs defeated at, 18.

H
Harris, Captain Cornwallis, hunts in
Transvaal, 4.
Heidelberg, Republican flag hoisted at,
54.
Herschel, Sir John, education scheme,
17.
Hicks-Beach, Sir Michael, action in
Transvaal question, 42.
Hintza, Kaffir chief, 5.
Hottentots side with Kaffirs, 1 8.
Hume, David, trades in Transvaal, 4.

INDEX.

97

Ingogo River, Battle of, 55.
Inyesane, Colonel Pearson gains battle
at, 46.
Isandlhwana, Battle of, 45 ; news re
ceived in England, 46.

Jagersfontein diamond mine, 35.
Jameson, Dr., Administrator of Char
tered Company, 70.
Takes police to attack South Afri
can Republic, 72.
Tried and imprisoned, 75.
Jameson Raid :
Results of, 77, 78.
Sketch of, 73.
Janssens, General, opinion of Cape
Colony, 81.
Johannesburg :
Rise of, 64.
Uitlanders' discontent, 66.
Johnston, Sir H. H., British Commis
sioner in Nyasaland, 72.
Jorissen, envoy to England against
annexation of Transvaal, 41 .
Joubert, Franz, Commandant of Boers
at Bronkhorst Spruit, 54.
Joubert, Pieter :
Envoy to England against annexa
tion of Transvaal, 41.
One of Boer Triumvirate, 64.
Persuades Monsioa to consent to
annexation, 60.
Repulses British at Laing's Nek,
55.

S 6263.

K
Kaffir Wars :
Sixth — account of, 5.
Seventh — " War of the Axe," 17.
Eighth, 18.
Ninth (1877-78), 42.
Kalahari Desert — natural cattle coun
try, 84.
Kambula Hill — Victory over Zulus at,
46
Keate (Lieutenant-Governor of Natal),
Award, 34.
Khama, Chief of Bamaugwato — ally of
English, 61.
Protests against annexation, 73.
Kimberley :
Native compounds on diamond
fields, 33.
Population, 87.
Rise of, 32,
Kimberley, Lord — surrender of Trans
vaal, 56.
Kowsie — Northern boundary of Cape
Colony, 2.
Kreli, Galeka chief :
Attacks British at Quintana, 43.
Raids Fingoes, 42.
Surrender and death, 43.
Kruger, Paul (President) :
Action after Jameson Raid, 75.
Character, 73.
Commandant-General of Republic,
24.
Designs on Amatongaland, 67.
Envoy to England, 41, 57.
Income and " coffee " allowance,
65.
Migrates from Cape Colony, 9.
One of Boer Triumvirate, 54.
Policy, 89.
President of South African Repub
lic, 57.
Resists entry of British railways,
66.
Krugersdorp — troops at, 75.

98

INDEX.

Laing's Nek — British repulsed at, 55.
Langalibalele, Chief of Amahlubi — de
fies Government ; deported to Robben
Island, 36.
Lanyon, Colonel Sir Owen, Adminis
trator of Transvaal ; commands forces
in Griqualand West, 43 ; his cha
racter, 53.
Lerothodi, Basuto chief, 53.
Leydenburg — gold discovered at, 38.
Livingstone, David:
In Transvaal, 5.
Opens up Bechuanaland, 59.
Lobengula, despot of Matabeleland and
Mashonaland, 67.
Death of, 70.
His policy, 68.
Treaty with, 69.
Loch, Sir Henry :
At Pretoria, 66.
Visit to Basutoland, 53.
London Convention, 57.
Adjustment of West border of
South African Republic, 60.
Infringements of, 60, 66, 77.
Luderity, Herr, rights at Angra Pe-
quena, 62.

M
Mackenzie, Rev. John, Imperial Com
missioner — warning to British pub
lic, 60.
Macomo, Kaffir chief, 5.
Maguire — Cecil Rhodes' agent, 69.
Majuba Hill, Battle of, 56.
Maritz, Gert, Leader of Boers, 11.
Mashonaland :
Concession of minerals, 69.
Pioneer expedition into, 69.
See also Rhodesia.

Massouw, Chief — territory in Transvaal,
60.
Matabele War, 70, 71.
Matabeleland (see also Rhodesia).
Melvill, Lieutenant — killed on Buffalo
River, 45.
Mhalakaza — Kaffir prophet, 27.
Moffatt, Dr., in Transvaal, 4.
Moffatt, John, arranges treaty with
Lobengula, 69.
Molteno, Sir John, progress during his
Ministry, 34.
Monsioa, Chief — consents to annex
territory to South African Republic,
60.
Moroko, Bechuana chief, 22.
Moselikatse, Matabele chief :
Defeated at Mosega, 12, 23.
Establishes Matabele nation at
Mosega, 4.
Friendly to English, 5.
Retreats N. of Limpopo, 12.
Moshesh, chief of Basutos :
Ambition and policy, 50.
Asks for British protection, 51.
Death, 51.
Struggle with British, 22.
Moshette, Chief — territory in Transvaal,
60.
Mossamedes, trek to, 39.

N
Namaqualand — Sir James Alexander's
expedition to, 5.
Namaqualand, Great, British influence
in, 62 ; German Colony, 62.
Napier, Sir George, Governor of Cape
Colony, 6.
Natal :
Coolie immigration, 36.
Declared a British Colony, 15 ; a
Republic, 15.
Legislature granted to, 35.

INDEX.

99

Natal — cont.
Progress and statistics, 35, 87.
Reports concerning, 1 1 .
Zulu possession, 3.
Native Disarmament Act, 51.
Netherlands and Cape Railways —
struggle between, 66.
Ngami Lake discovered by Livingstone,
59.
Ngamiland placed under Imperial con
trol, 73.
Nyasaland, 72.

0
O'Reilly, John :
Buys " Star of South Africa," 32.
Finds diamond near Hope Town,
32.
Ookiep — copper found at, 29.
Orange Free State :
Boers settling in, 10, 12.
In 1837, 4.
Protests against Keate Award, 34.
Republic founded, 20.
Orange Free State and Basutos — fight
ing between, 50.
Orange River Sovereignty :
Proclaimed British territory, 19.
Withdrawal of British from, 20 .

Paardekraal (Krugersdorp), 'Meeting
at, 54.
Palachwe — Khama's capital, 72.
Palmerston, Lord, re-instates Sir George
Grey, 28.
Panda, King of Zululand, 15 ; death,
43.
Pato — yields to English, 18.
Pearson, Colonel :
Gains Battle at Inyesane, 46.
Shut up at Etshowe, 47.

Pieter-Maritzburg :
Church commemorating Boer vic
tory over Zulus, J 4,
Population, 87.
Township and Volksraad at, 15.
Pine, Sir Benjamin, Lieutenant-Gover
nor of Natal, 35, 36.
Recalled, 37.
Platberg — Sir George Cathcart's camp
at, 22.
Port Natal — British settlers at, 12.
Potchefstroom, Grondvet of Republic
adopted at, 24.
Potgier, Hendrik :
Attacks Dingaan, 13 ; attacks
Moselikatse at Mosega, 12.
Death, 24.
Leads Boers at Vecht Kop, 1 1 .
Leaves Natal, 14.
Pottinger, Sir H., refuses Pretorius an
interview, 16.
Pretorius, Andries :
Appointed Commandant-general,
23.
Death, 24.
Leads Boers against Zulus, 14.
Leads Boers at Boomplaats, 19,23.
Leads Boers out of Natal, 16.
Pretorius, Martinus Wessels, first Pre
sident of South African Republic, 24.
One of Boer Triumvirate, 54.

Q
Queen Victoria :
Approves Sir George Grey's po
licy, 26-28.
Progress in South Africa during
reign, 1, 90.
Quintana — Kaffirs defeated at, 43.

R
Retief, Pieter, Commandant-general of
Boers, 11.
Massacred by Dingaan, 13.
Mission to Natal, 12.

100

INDEX.

Rhodes, Cecil :
At indaba in Matoppo Mountains,
72.
Attitude on Swaziland question,
67.
Chairman of De Beers Mining
Company, 68.
Character and career, 68.
Establishes diamond industry, 33.
Interview with President Kruger,
72.
Joins Sir Thomas Scanten's ad
ministration, 59.
Loses confidence of Dutch Afri
kanders, 78.
Managing-director of Consolidated
Gold Fields Company, 74.
Mission to Transvaal, 60.
Prime Minister of Cape Colony, 73.
Resigns office, 76.
Rhodes, Colonel Frank — local manager
of Consolidated Gold Fields Com
pany at Johannesburg, 74.
Rhodesia :
Good cattle country, 84.
Prospects of, 72.
Rider Haggard — hoists Union Jack in
Transvaal, 40.
Roberts, Sir Frederick, starting for
Transvaal, 56.
Robinson, Sir Hercules, High Com
missioner :
Action in Basutoland, 52.
Sends messengers to Dr. Jameson,
75.
Rorke's Drift, attack on, 45.
Rudd, Mr.— agent of Cecil Rhodes, 69.

S

Sand River Convention — Independence
of Transvaal Dutch acknowledged, 24.
Sandilli, Gaika chief, 18.
Account of visit to SM.S.Eim/alus,
29.
Attacks British at Quintana, 43.

Sebele, chief, protests against annexa
tion, 73.
Sechele, chief — Livingstone's work
among subjects of, 69.
Sekukuni, chief of Bapedi, ally of Cety
wayo :
Defi.es Boers, 39.
Defeat and capture, 53.
Selous, F. C, accompanies expedition
to Mashonaland, 69.
Sheba Gold Mine, discovery of, 64.
Shepstone, Sir Theophilus :
Annexes Transvaal, 40.
Influence with Zulus, 40.
Slavery — compensation for manumis
sion, 6
Smit — Commandant of Boers at Ingogo
River, 55.
Envoy to England, 57.
Smith, Dr. Andrew — naturalist in
Transvaal, 5.
Smith, Sir Harry, Governor-General of
Cape Colony:
Besieged in Fort Cox, 18.
Proclaims Orange River Sovereign
ty, 19.
Somerset, General, defeats Kaffirs at
Gwanga, 18.
South Africa :
Advance in civilization, 80, 90.
British rural settlers needed, 89.
Dutch question, 88.
Native question, 90.
Policy towards Dutch Afrikanders,
89.
South African Republic :
Formation, 24.
Grondvet adopted, 24.
Prosperity and Revenues, 65.
South Bechuana country in 1837,
4.
Sprigg, Sir Gordon, forms ministry at
Cape, 76.
Springbokfontein — copper found at,
29.
Star suppressed, 77.
Star of South Africa — account of, 32.
Stellaland, 60.

INDEX.

101

Stockenstrom, Sir Andries, Lieutenant-
Governor of Eastern Province :
Embassy to England, 21.
Stubbs, John, killed fighting against
Zulus, 14.
Swaziland :
Annexed to South African Re
public, 67.
Unknown in 1837, 5.
Swazies — allies of Cetywayo, 39.
Serve under Sir Garnet Wolseley,
53.

T
Tembuland, troubles in, 51.
Thompson, Mr. — agent of Cecil Rhodes,
69.
Tola, chief, 18.
Tarnskeian rebellion, 52.
Transkeian territories annexed to Cape
Colony, 62.
Transvaal :
Annexed by Sir Theophilus Shep
stone, 40.
Assembly at Potchefstrom, 23.
Boer discontent, 53.
Boer filibustering, 60.
Boers settling in, 12.
Boer Triumvirate, 54.
Gold discovered at Pilgrim's Rest
and Leydenburg, 38.
Gold Fields — discovery and out
put, 64 ; opening up, 37.
Independence acknowledged, 24.
National Union, 74.
Native unrest, 39.
Press Laws, 77.
Railway competition, 66.
Republic — poverty of, 38.
War with Boers, 54.
" Trek-bokken " — migrations of spring
buck, 3.
Tyali, Kaffir chief, 5.

U
Uitlanders :
Oppression of, 77, 78.
Take measures to secure inde
pendence, 73.
Troubles, 66, 67.
Ulundi — Cetywayo defeated at, 47.
Umbulazi — defeated by Cetywayo, 43.
Usibepu, Zulu chief — war with Cety
wayo, 47.
Uys, Pieter :
Attacks Dingaan, 13.
Attacks Moselikatse at Mosega, 12.
Killed, 14.
Uys, Pieter, junr., killed on Zlobani
Mountain, 46.

V
Vaal River Drifts — President Kruger
closes, 66.
Vecht Kop — Dutch victory at, 11.
Vryheld— yielded to Boers, 48.

w
Walfisch Bay, Union Jack hoisted at, 62.
Warren, Colonel Sir Charles, commands
forces in Griqualand West, 43; ex
pedition to Bechuanaland, 61.
Waterboer, Griqua chief, 34.
Weatherby, Colonel, and son, killed on
Zlobani Mountain, 46.
Willoughby, Sir John, in Rhodesia, 74,
75.
Wilson, Major ADan, killed with patrol
party, 70.
Winburg — Boer settlement at, 1 1 .

102

INDEX.

Winsloe, Colonel, commands garrison
at Potchefstrom, 54.
Witbooi, Hottentot chief, defies Ger
many, 63.
Witwatersrand, gold found at, 64.
Wodehouse, Sir Philip, Governor of
Cape Colony, 31, 50.
Annexes Basutoland, 51.
Wolseley, Sir Garnet (Lord Wolseley) :
Expedition against Sekukuni, 53.
Mission to Natal, 37.
Settlement of Zululand, 47.
Wood, Sir Evelyn :
Brings reinforcements from Natal,
55.
Opinion of Boer war, 56.
Victory of Kambula Hill, 46.

Zambezi River — falls discovered by
Livingstone, 60.
Zlobani Mountain — fight on, 46.
Zulu immigrants to Natal, 1 6 .
Zulu population in Natal, 35.
Zulu War, 44.
Zululand :
Annexed, 48.
Present state of, 48.
Zulus :
Defeated by Boers, 14.
Engagements with, 14.
Menace Natal and Transvaal, 44.

LONDON :
ETEE AND SPOTTISWOODE,
Her Majesty's Printers,
DOWNS PAEK EOAD, HACKNEY, N.E.

4261