II .USB LIBKAKI
THE R.M.8. "ORANTCLLT CASTLF/' 3489 TONF, IN DARTMOUTH HARBOCR.
Pages;
MEN, MINES AND ANIMALS
IN
SOUTH AFRICA
BY
LORD RANDOLPH S. CHURCHILL, M.P.
NEW EDITION
LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY
Limited £t. gunsUn'9 iwtst
FETTER LANE, FLEET STREET, E.G. 1895
PEE FACE.
AT the request of the publishers, I have, against my own judgment, consented to revise the letters from South Africa which I wrote to The Daily Graphic, in 1891, with a view to their publication in the form of a book. The critics of literary and epistolary efforts, who daily inform the public through the columns of the Press, pronounced with tolerable unanimity, that these letters of mine were devoid of merit and unworthy of perusal. To this judg- ment I ought to have bowed, but then, on the other hand, the proprietors of The Daily Graphic, who, for the purposes of these letters, were my employers and who occupied the most favourable position for the formation of a practical opinion as to whether these letters did or did not displease the public, expressed to me very definitely and without qualification their satisfaction with the productions of which I was the author, but for which they were mainly responsible. A question of difficulty arises. Either the public read the letters, or it did not read them. If the public did not read the letters, then the proprietors of The Daily Graphic would have been dissatisfied at the
iv PREFACE
results of an unremunerative outlay. But these gentlemen were not dissatisfied; therefore the public did read the letters. But the public only reads what it approves of, or what pleases it. Then I am led to a strange and terrible conclusion. Either the critics who condemned the letters were wrong, or, worse still, the public does not care twopence what the judgment of the critics may be. It is on the off-chance that this state of things, deduced by argument, may be the actual state of things that I again submit these letters to the public in another form. In the course of succeed- ing years many men and women will leave our shores to take up their abode in South Africa. Possibly some of these emigrants may glean from the following pages some information not alto- gether valueless as to the country, its people, its attractions, its modes of life and of travel. More- over, of that large number of home-dwelling persons who follow with affection the fortunes of a great and growing colony in South Africa there may perchance be some whose interest therein may be quickened and sustained by the perusal of the experiences, the thoughts of an independent, unprejudiced wayfarer. In either case no harm is done ; even a few grains of good may be produced.
Beyond mere verbal corrections and such other corrections as were necessary for the transposition of letters to a newspaper into chapters of a book, I have changed nothing of what I originally wrote, with the two following exceptions. Attempts at
PREFACE. v
humour, or what is called " chaff," when taken seriously are failures so disastrous that they cannot be too quickly suppressed. Under this category come my allusions to the cook on board the Gran- tully Castle and my hazardous speculation on the origin of the female sex. This latter speculation, lightly turned off in a sentence, more for the pur- pose of an elegant termination to a letter than for the purpose of arousing controversy, was received so solemnly by grave and serious journals such as The Spectator and The Speaker, that they actually compared my ideas (unfavourably for me, I admit) with those of the illustrious Darwin. By the erasure of the guilty sentence alluded to from the text of these pages, I have done my utmost to withdraw from a competition so dangerous to myself.
I would add that the opinions which I expressed on the Dutch population of the Transvaal were intended by me to be exclusively confined to that population. Some imagined that those opinions were intended to apply generally to the Dutch in South Africa. But such wide and indiscriminate censure was far from my mind. The Dutch settlers in Cape Colony are as worthy of praise as their relatives, the Transvaal Boers, are of blame. The former, loyal, thrifty, industrious, hospitable, liberal, are and will, I trust, ever remain the back- bone of our great colony at the Cape of Good Hope. That their numbers may increase, their influence develop, their possessions and their wealth expand, is my earnest hope, nor is it im-
vi PREFACE.
probable that as time goes on the Dutch subjects of the Queen may communicate, by example and by intercourse, some of their excellent qualities to their backward brethren in the Transvaal. With these brief remarks, I submit to an indulgent public a narrative of a travel every hour of which was to me most enjoyable, a travel which I can confidently recommend to all who are desirous, and who are so fortunately situated as to be able, to make excursions for their pleasure into new parts of the world.
RANDOLPH S. CHURCHILL.
2, Connaught Place, W., March 9^, 1892.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
OUTWARD BOUND.
PAGB
Departure from Paddington Station — Reasons for the journey — The composition of the party — Arrival at Dartmouth — The Grantully Castle — Lisbon: the Zoological Gardens — Madeira — Invitation from Mr. Bfiiei-S an ford — A sub-tropical garden — Farewell to Madeira — Shoals of flying fish — From breakfast to bedtime on board ship — Athletic sports at sea — Fire ! — Cape Town .... 1
CHAPTER II.
CAPE COLONY.
Scenery and climate of Cape Town — Public Buildings — The Government House, Natural History Museum, and Public Library — Adderley Street — The sea pros- pect from Cape Town — Rivalry of Port Elizabeth — The inhabitants and environs of Cape Town — Dutch and English in the colony — Mr. Cecil Rhodes — The Transvaal War of 1881 — Majuba Hill — Cape Politics — The South African States — Cape Town as a Coal- ing Station — Defences of the Cape — Forts at Simon's Bay — Fort Wynyard — General Cameron and the Cape Town Garrison . . . . . .17
CHAPTER III.
DIAMONDS.
We leave Cape Town— The Paarl— Worcester Town— The
mi CONTENTS.
PJLGI
Hex River Pass — A Paddington man — Arrival at Matjesfontein — Mr. J. D. Logan — The Karroo — Diamond Industry at Kimberley — Visit to the offices of the De Beers Company — Mr. Cecil Rhodes a public man of the first order — Mr. Gardner Williams, mining engineer — The blue ground — Separating the diamonds— Precautions against Theft — The De Beers Company a model Village Community — Electric light used in the diamond mines ... . . .33
CHAPTER IV.
GOLD.
The diamonds of Kimberley — The journey to Johannes- burg— Railway extensions — Grass veldt betw. en Kimberley and Vryburg— The cattle farm of the future — " Native Reserve " of the Southern Bechuana — Wo reach Vryburg — Sir Sidney Shippard enter- tains us — Coaching with a team of mules — The way- faring man in the Transvaal — An attractive little town — Gold mines in the neighbourhood — The out- look at Johannesburg — The gold mines — Selfish jealousy of the Boer Government — Astounding in- equality of taxation — Bad condition of the roads to Johannesburg — The vicious system of concessions . 49
CHAPTER V.
MINING AND SPORTING.
Account of the Robinson Gold Mine at Johannesburg — The Langlaate Estate — Chlorination at the Ferreira Mine — Dr. Simon — The McArthur-Forrest process — Observations on the gold-fields of Johannesburg — Silver Mines in the Transvaal — Deer preserves — With Dog and Gun in search of Game ." ". . 05
CHAPTER VI.
THE TRANSVAAL BOERS.
A. chance for British enterprise — The capacity of the
CONTENTS. ix
PAGB
Transvaal and the incapacity of its rulers — The journey from Johannesburg to Pretoria — Description of Pretoria — The Dutch Parliament — From the Strangers' Gallery — An interview with President Krugcr — Parliamentary manners — General Joubert — Report of a case showing the Boer idea of justice — Ill-treatment of Natives by the Boers — Shall we surrender Swaziland 1 — The Withering Grasp of the Boer 79
CHAPTER VII.
ON THE EOAD TO MA8HON ALAND.
The Chartered Company's Station at Fort Tuli — Mining in the Zoutspanburg District — The Progress of the " Spider " — Our first cooking efforts — Hints for sportsmen — Sixty miles without water — A glimpse of Fairyland — We meet Major Sapte and Mr. Victor Morier — Meeting with Captain Laurie at Rhodes's Drift — The Bechuanaland Border Police — A "Boer trek " — President Kruger's position — Sir Frederick Carrington and the B.S.A.C. Co.'s police — Experi- ment with the new magazine Rifle . . . .96
CHAPTER VIII.
THE EXPEDITION : ITS COMPOSITION AND EQUIPMENT.
Major Giles — A fine collection of giants — Our rifles and guns — Warning and advice to future travellers — Composition of the Expedition — Major Giles's trek from Vryburg to Tuli — The horse sicknessin Africa — A .camp tire concert at Fort Tuli . — . . .116
CHAPTER IX.
THROUGH BECHUANALAND.
Cold nights in camp — The horse sickness — Visit from Kaffir women to our Mariko River camp — Outspan
CONTENTS.
on the banks of the Crocodile River — We cross the Mahalopsie River — Dr. Saur and Mr. Williams — Camp at Silika — Arrival at the Lotsani River— The luxury of a shave — The Suchi River — Headquarters of the Bechuanaland Police at Matlaputta — The Macloutsie River — I lose myself near the Semalali River while in quest of game — Catching up the waggons 126
CHAPTER X.
TREKKING AND HUNTING.
We entertain Sir Frederick Carrington — Farewell to Fort Tuli — The business of inspanning — Our camp at night — Sport with Dr. Rayner and Lee — Laying the telegraph wire — The Umzingwani River Camp — Koodoos, quajrgas, and honey birds — Lee's boy nick- named "The Baboon" — The elephant fruit-tree — Lee a charming companion on the Veldt — The Umsajbetsi River — Habits of our oxen and mules — Shooting game in South Africa — A native market — An unsuccessful antelope hunt — The mahogany tree — Further hunting experiences — Camp on the Bubjane River — Our conductor My berg . . .142
CHAPTER XL
LIONS.
Lion Camp— The tales of a Huntsman — The snake-tree — In the track of the koodoos — We come across a posse of Lions — Antelopes and quaggas — Return to camp for the dogs — Result of one day's sport — We spend another day hunting — Provisions running short . 158
CHAPTER XII.
DIFFICULTIES OF TRAVEL ON THE VELDT.
The wealth of Mashonaland — We make a speedy trek and
CONTENTS. xi
PAGE
overtake our waggons — Further losses by horse sick- ness—Stuck fast in Wanetse River — The Sugar Loaf and other miniature mountains — A pestilential spot on the Lundi River banks — A word of warning — Viandt, the Boer ostrich hunter — We reach Fern Spruit — Death of my shooting pony " Charlie " — A veldt fire — A day of discomfort and disaster — Provi- dence Gorge — Description of Fort Victoria — Great loss of horses — Advice to intending emigrants . . 1 75
CHAPTER XHI.
CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY BETWEEN FORTS VICTORIA AND SALISBURY.
Departure for Fort Salisbury — Our native workmen — Water in the desert — A dreary journey — The country between Fort Victoria and Fort Charter — Where is the ' Promised Land ' ? — We meet Mr. Colquhoun — The garrison of Fort Charter — From Fort Charter to Fort Salisbury — Lions in the way — The Settlement at Fort Salisbury — Signs of civilization — The gold districts of Mauica, Mazoe River, and Hartley Hill — Reconnoitring after Game . . . . .193
CHAPTER XIV.
SPORT IN MASHONALAND.
Sport in South Africa — Hints to inexperienced sportsmen — Approximate cost of equipment for a six months' hunting expedition — Sir John Willoughby arrives at our camp on the Hunyani River — Hunting the Hartebeest— How to cook venison — A Slough of Despond — Further hunting adventures after ant el opes — A native hunting party — A cobra in the camp — Method of scaring vultures off dead game — Accident to Major Giles — Scarcity of giain and food in Ma- shonaland — Return to Fort Salisbury . . .212
xii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XV.
TUB GOLD DISTRICT OF THB MAZOE RIVEE.
In quest of gold — Exploration syndicates — Mashonaland as a field for emigration — The Mazoe gold-fields — Captain Williams's report — Old workings — The " Golden Quarry " mine — Other mines visited in the district — More disappointments .... 234
CHAPTER XVI.
HUNTING THB ANTELOPE ON THB HIGH VELDT.
We start for Hartley Hill — The Mashonas as servants — Marriage in Mashonaland — All aione on the Veldt — Hints to hunters when lost on the Veldt — A Kaffir kraal — Barter with the natives — Dangerously bad shooting — The troubles of trekking — The country between Fort Salisbury and Hartley Hill — Wild flowers and fruit — Unsuccessful chase after ostriches — A fine herd of eland — The bull of the herd falls to my gun ......... 246
CHAPTER XVII.
WEALTH OP MASHONALAND — DOUBT AND DISAPPOINTMENT.
Hartley Hill — Our party again united — The Tsetse-fly pest — Mr. Perkins joins me in a day's shooting — Surgeon Rayner's adventure with a lion — Contemplating the return journey — Making a clean breast of it — Decep- tive appearances— Reefs in the Eiflel district — What is to become of the country 1 — Mr. Perkins and the leopard . ' . — . . " . . 263
CHAPTER XVIII.
LIFE AT FOET SALISBURY.
Mineral wealth of MashonalanJ — Reefs in the Mazoo
CONTENTS. xiii
PASS
River Valley — The " Matchless " Mine — Good news from Fort Victoria — A personal statement — Enter- prise at Fort Salisbury — A model Ranche — Farms leased by the Chartered Company — ^n interesting auction — Indignation meeting against the Chartered Company — Horse-racing at Fort Salisbury — Organiz- ing the administration of Mashonalnnd — Mr. Cecil Rhodes's views of the country ..... 276
CHAPTER XIX.
ON THE ROAD HOME.
Second visit to the mines in the Mazoe Valley — Good-bye to Fort Salisbury — Bad roads — The officials of the Chartered Company — Fort Victoria once more — Climate and weather in Mashonaland — Gold dis- coveries round Fort Victoria — My faithful savage ' ' Tiriki " — We telegraph home from Fort Victoria — Long's Mine — The Lundi River — Bad roads again — • Death of a " salted horse " — The journey to Fort Tuli a record " trek " 295
CHAPTER XX
LOOKING BACK.
Our method of travelling — Welcome and entertainment by the Bechuaualand Border Police at Maclout*ie — Palapye, the capital town of Chief Khama — Lobengula, King of the Matabele — Meditated flight of all his tribe and belongings — The Bechuanaland Exploration Company — Conversation with Khama, Paramount Chief in the Protectorate — Palla Camp — The Journey to Mafeking — With Mr. Rhodes at Kimberley — The Agricultural and Mineral Resources of the Transvaal — My advice to young Englishmen . . . .313
INDEX . ...,;., 331
LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS.
FULL PAGE.
The R.M.S. Grantully Castle, 3489 tons, in Dartmouth
Harbour .
Luxurious Travelling in Madeira . A Madeira Caro, or covered Sledge Parliament House, Cape Town Government House aud Gardens, Cape Town Adderley Street, Capo Town
On the Road from Johannesburg to Pretoria
— Crossing
a flooded river
The Market Place, Johannesburg . A Street in Johannesburg "The Spider" .... Executive Officers of the Expedition A Camp Fire Concert at Fort Tuli Showing a flare up for the lost one The Members of the Expedition . First night out from Fort Tuli Marketing with the Makalaka Crossing the Lundi River Two Members of the Expedition crossing the Lundi
River .........
A Dreary Road.— The View fifty miles from Fort Charter Building a " Scherm " to keep off Lions from the Cattle
on the Hunyani River . . . . A Sketch of the Country from Matipi's Kraal Drawing dead Game home on a sledge made from the
fork of a tree
5
9
9
18
18
19
54 57 58 100 117 124 140 142 144 153 181
181 197
204 204
229
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xv
PASS
On the Outskirts of Fort Salisbury . . . .281 N earing the end. — The Sale of the Surplus Stock and
Stores of the Expedition at Fort Salisbury . . 286
Fort Salisbury.— At the Dentist's 295
The Arrival of the Telegraph Line at Fort Victoria. —
Sending a telegram to London .... 305
From Tuli to Macloutsie 313
Crossing the Notwani after the heavy rains . . . 325
TEXT ILLUSTRATIONS.
A Cape Cart 20
The Defences of the Cape. — A 9'2-inch breech-loading
gun 29
£52.000 worth of diamonds classified for shipment at
Kimberley 37
In the Rock Shaft of the De Beers Diamond Mine, at a
depth of 900 feet 40
In the 800 feet level of the De B'-ers Diamond Mine . 43 Sorting Gravel for Diamonds at Kimberley ... 44 General View of the Robinson Gold Mines at Johannes- burg 66
Sir Frederick Carrington and Officers of the Bechuana- land Border Police and British South African
Company's Police ....... 106
Lord Randolph discussing his route with Sir F. Carring- ton at Fort Tuli Ill
The long and the short of it 117
Camp Life at Tuli — Branding Cattle . . . .121
Fording a River . . . . . . . . 130
The Main Column encamped on the bank of the Lotsani 133
The Camp of the Main Column at Suchi River . . 135 The Waggon Conductor sports a new pair of "store"
trousers . . . . . . . .138
Our Camp on the Umzingwani River . . . .146
Typical Natives from the Umshlane River Districts . 151
xvi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
The " Sugar Loaf " Mountain between the Rivers Wanetse
and Lundi . 180
Passages in the Life of one of our Boys — In the Pantry . 185
A "Veldt "Fire . .* 187
One of our Boys (as he appeared with all his household
goods) . 194
One of our Boys (in sackcloth, drawing water) . . 195
The Camp before Fort Charter . . . 200 Summer Sleighing in Mashon aland on the high road
during the rainy season . . . . . .201
Native Paintings on Rocks at Matefi's Kraal . . . 205 Mr. Perkins, the Mining Expert, on the War-path . .210
Visit to the Ma/oe Gold-fields. — Experts at work . . 235 The Mining Settlement at Hartley Hill . . . .264
At Hartley Hill.— Punning for Gold at Mr. Sorrow's hut 272 Messrs. Johnson, Heaney, and Borrow's Ranche at Fort
Salisbury 283
A Restaurant at Fort Salisbury 285
The First Horse-race at Fort Salisbury .... 288
A Party at the mess table, after dinner — Fort Salisbury . 293
Tiriki 303
As he arrived 304
As he departed 305
The Outspaii on the Tokwe River 307
ROUTE MAP . A'.tnd-jflook
MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
CHAPTER I.
OUTWARD BOUND.
Departure from Pad Jington Station — Reasons for the journey-- The composition of the party — Arrival at Dartmouth — The Grantully Castle — Lisbon : the Zoological Gardens — Madeira — Invitation from Mr. Benett-Stanford — A Sub- tropical garden — Farewell to Madeira — Shoals of flying fish — From breakfast to bedtime on board ship — Athletic sports at sea — Fire ! — Cape Town.
A BRIGHT morning towards the end of April. The eternal east wind blowing sharp and strong serves to moderate the regret which might be felt by one leaving England for a considerable period. In Paddington Station, alongside the platform, is drawn up the special express for Dartmouth. Every carriage appears to be full, round each compartment door large groups of persons, who intend to stay at home, wish farewell to those who are resolved to depart, and by their exuberant emotions obstruct the passage of the officials, of the tardy traveller, and of heavy trucks of baggage. Among the passengers the male sex largely predominates, and youth is stamped upon the countenances of the majority. In such a
2 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
scene and in such a crowd I find myself an in- terested and active participator, for I, with a few friends, am starting on a long journey ; and, in common with the others in the special train, my destination is South Africa. It happened to me shortly after my return from Egypt, in February, to meet Sir Henry Loch and Mr. Cecil Rhodes, the Governor and Prime Minister of Cape Colony, who had just arrived in England on a special mission of importance to the Home Government. Con- versation naturally was mainly about South Africa, about the territories of the Chartered Company, the goldfields of Zambesia, the dispute with the Portuguese. Sir Henry Loch and Mr. Rhodes were kind enough to give me a cordial invitation to visit the Cape, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had really for the moment nothing better to do. Politics for the time attracted me little. The principal measure l before the House of Commons which was being pressed forward by the Government, and by the party to which I belong, I disliked intensely, and while I was not prepared to take part in any opposition to the measure, for motives which friends will appreciate, I was resolved to give no vote and say no word in its favour. A shareholder in the Chartered Company, and on intimate terms with some of the directors, my attention had already been turned to Mashona- land ; I had imagined that the exploration and development of that vast country, so wealthy by 1 "Irish Land Question Bill."
REASONS FOR THE JOURNEY.
rumour and repute, was not unlikely to distin- guish the close of the century. English and foreign interests had been and were clashing ; spheres of influence for respective European Powers had been marked off in a hap-hazard and lighthearted manner; knowledge of the soil, of the climate, of the inhabitants, of the resources of Africa to the south of the Equator, was slight and by no means diffused among our people at home ; I thought that the day might not be distant when it might be useful and beneficial that a member of Parliament might be able to offer to the House of Commons observations, opinions, and arguments based upon personal inspection, actual experience of those localities, and to place before the public the views and desires of Cape Colonists of authority and of Afrikanders generally which might have been personally confided to him. The attractions of travel, of the chase, and specially of seeking for gold oneself, of acquiring gold mines or shares in gold mines, contributed also to decide me on the enterprise, and the few weeks before departure had been well occupied with the somewhat elaborate preparations necessary for the journey and with business arrangements with friends who were similarly interested and attracted.
In the composition of my party I was fortunate. Major G-eorge Giles, late of the Royal Artillery, of considerable South African experience, who had seen much military service in that country, had undertaken to act as manager of the travelling and director of the route, and had preceded me by
B *
4 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
nearly a month to the Cape, intending to purchase at Kimberley the waggons, mules, oxen, and horses, to engage the men necessary for such an expedition. To travel in ox or mule waggons without greater discomfort and hardship than is incidental to camp life, a thousand miles to Mashonaland, several hundred miles exploring that country, a thousand miles return journey, occupying in the operation a period of not less than six months, requires a careful and costly collection of resources and plant, of which I will give a full description in a subsequent letter ; to avoid undue delay while the season was favour- able, Major Giles had gone on ahead of me to the Cape. My actual travelling companions at the moment of departure were Captain G. Williams, late of the Royal Horse Guards, who had amiably consented to assist me in my business and my writing, Mr. Henry Cleveland Perkins, an American mining engineer of great eminence, and Surgeon Hugh Rayner, of the Grenadier Guards, on leave, who intended to co-operate with the finest climate in the world in keeping us in good health, and to mitigate, so far as science might, the consequences of any accident or disaster which an untoward fate might inflict upon us. He was also instructed by the military authorities to furnish them with a report on the climatic and hygienic conditions of Mashonaland, to discover and specify healthy sites for camps, and to collect such other information as would be useful to possess beforehand, should military operations ever become necessary in that country.
THE "GRANTULLY CASTLE."
To return to our departure : the last good-byes have been uttered, the doors of the carriages are slammed, the whistle sounds, and off we go, soon developing that alarming broad-gauge rapidity for which the Great Western was remarkable, dashing through Berkshire, Wiltshire, and Somer- setshire with a haste, a hurry which seemed quite unnecessary considering the immense distance of travel which lay before us, and the considerable period of time which we had to do it in. Dart- mouth, so familiar to the yachtsman, is reached all too soon. There lies the Grantully Castle, well known to fame as the ship in which Mr. Gladstone sailed when he made his celebrated " periplus " round Great Britain. A good-looking ship, sitting gracefully on the water, but small to my eye, more accustomed to the giants of the P. and 0., of the Cunard, and of the White Star Lines, in which, when I have on former occasions crossed the ocean, it has been my fortune to travel. But the weather appears to be set fair, the sun is bright and warm, the sea smooth, an«l in fine weather and calm water a little ship does as well as a big one. Soon recede, from many a longing and lingering eye on board, the beautiful harbour, the green Devonshire cliffs, and a calm and moonlit midnight sees us well off Ushant. The Grantully Castle found the Bay of Biscay in a humour of comparative moderation; not that it was by any means amiable or attractive, on the contrary, it quite sustained its morose and un- genial character. The captain, indeed, expressed the opinion that it was as smooth as a mill-pond,
6 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
but most of the passengers thought this descrip- tion extravagant, many of them very practically disagreed with it. Fifty-eight hours after leaving London we anchored in the Tagus, opposite Lisbon, at the early hour of four a.m. Having to wait until five in the afternoon for the London mail, we took advantage of the opportunity to visit an ancient and historic city. The principal attraction to the eye was its cleanliness; broad, well-paved, clean-swept streets, spacious squares, adorned with interesting monuments, an environ- ment of forest and green hills, offer an aspect calculated at first to please the stranger. But a something or other, difficult to describe, warns one instinctively that Lisbon is a city the fame and traditions of which lie exclusively in the past, in all probability never to be revived. The inhabi- tants wear a sleepy, almost a dead-alive kind of look. I did not observe a single Portuguese in the streets who appeared to be in the smallest hurry. No cheerfulness animates their counten- ances, as is the case with the population of the southern Italian towns. With the exception of a few public buildings, the edifices and dwelling- houses are of a poor and unpretentious character. There is a total absence of attractive and well-filled shops. Coming away, one feels that one is glad to have seen Lisbon, for the reason that it will be unnecessary ever to go there again. A drive through the streets terminated with a visit to the Zoological Gardens, interesting for the quantity of wild and of garden flowers, presenting the most
LISBON AND MADEIRA.
brilliant hues, and for a singularly unique collec- tion of monkeys, among which three intelligent and engaging chimpanzees for a time arrested our attention. I would strongly recommend any traveller to Lisbon not to omit to inspect these gardens. It must, however, be added that the people of the city scarcely appreciate their merits, for the place, during our visit of more than an hour, was totally deserted. The Botanical Gardens, a visit to which want of time compelled us to forego, are also said to be of considerable excel- lence.
The afternoon drawing on, it became necessary to return to the ship, and on the arrival of the London mail, we again put to sea, shaping our course for Madeira. A strong head wind and sea encountering us at the mouth of the Tagus, sadly thinned the attendance at dinner. The night was rough, and the following day supremely disagree- able. A driving mist, a warm, clammy wind, and a heavy rolling sea depressed the spirits, and made all long for more southern latitudes. At dawn on the second day after leaving Lisbon the island of Terra Santa stood out finely on the starboard bow. A few hours' steaming brought into clear view the bold outlines and grassy slopes of Madeira, and the sunny bay of Funchal. I was fortunate in find- ing, on arrival here, a note from an old friend, Mr. Benett-Stanford, who owns perhaps the most beautiful villa in the island, inviting my friends and myself to pass the morning with him. On landing, a slight ascent brought us to the doors
8 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
of the Quinta Vigia (Anglice: The house and garden of the watch-tower) and to one of the most lovely gardens I have ever set eyes on. Imagine the contents of the conservatories and greenhouses of Tring Park, of Waddesdon, of Blenheim, Chatsworth, or Floors castle, all con- centrated into a small space of some two acres, and growing with apparent wildness in the open air. For accumulated variety and profusion of bloom, fragrance, and luxuriant foliage, drawn from every quarter of the world, this garden can have no rival, and I have seen many, at home and in foreign countries. The gateway is sheltered by two remarkable camphor-trees, the leaves of which, when crushed in the hand, give off an aromatic and spicy perfume. On the terrace, overlooking the sea, one perceives, on the right hand, an immense mass of blue blossom, borne by the "Jacaranda." On the left a similar mass of deep crimson blossom draws attention to a splendid "Schotia." Two large trees, by name " Grevillia," covered with yellow flowers, offer a startling but agreeable contrast. Many fine specimens of the " dragon-tree " and of the " umbrella-palm " are studded about the ground. The " Strelitzia reginse," apparently a sort of banana, is imposing from its size and its feathering leaves. The " peacock-tree " (Poinciana pulcherrima), with its lovely blossom, attracts the hand of the wanton flower-gatherer, and the eye is in reality dazzled by the extraordinary, but not inharmonious profusion of the " rose-apple " tree,
A SUB-TROPICAL GARDEN IN MADEIRA. 9
cinnamon, silver banana, and mango tree, of the " Olea fragrans " and Francisia bushes, of the quaint " bottle-brush " plant, with its crimson flower. The verandah of the villa is covered with " Bougainvillia," and with another creeper, novel to me, the " Combretum coccinium," offering a mass of scarlet bloom. For the purpose of strolling through the town, our kind host provided a couple of hammocks, with their attendant bearers in white canvas clothing, and a " caro," or covered sledge, comfortably fitted, drawn by bullocks. This vehicle, which I imagine is peculiar to Madeira, can be drawn by the sleek oxen with considerable speed and perfect smoothness over the well-paved streets, or rather paths, which intersect the town and ascend the mountains. The public gardens, the opera house, a visit to the British Consul, to Messrs. Blandy's well-known office, and to the comfortable English club, exhaust the small time at our disposal, and soon after noon we are once more on board the Grantully Castle, heading south to Cape de Verde, leaving fast, but some- what reluctantly, Madeira behind us.
The hour of 5.30 a.m. finds two or three pas- sengers on deck enjoying the pleasures of a cup of coffee and the first morning cigarette. From six to eight the ship's toilette proceeds, from the rough- and-ready washing and scrubbing of decks to the conscientious and minute polishing of every bit of wood and brass-work. This is, perhaps, the pleasantest time of the day ; cool, fresh air, peace- fid decks unobstructed by chairs ; walking exercise
io MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
is possible and pleasant, no noise disturbs the cur- rent of your morning reflections. Cloudless is the sky, strong the following " N.E. trade," covering the surface of the sea with white horses, but not strong enough to overtake and refresh the fast-
O ^j
flying ship, whose passengers are warned by the already glowing sun that the day is going to be a " piper." Looking over the stern you see the same troop of swifts or swallows which for three days now have followed us. Swooping, hovering, skimming, darting, never left behind, seemingly never progressing, never resting ; where they come from, where they are going to, where they sleep, and what they feed on offers a problem which natural history has not yet attempted to solve. From time to time shoals of flying fish shoot from the waves, nor can one imagine a more pleasant sight than these animated particles of silver present, jumping from and skimming along the surface of the water by scores and hundreds, gleaming and glistening in the sunlight. Last evening, one, probably a " loose fish," when all his fellows had gone to bed, jumped with a mighty leap right on to our deck. Promptly secured by a quarter- master, it attracted the observation of a French gentleman, who desired to photograph it, have it stuffed, and carry it home to his family museum. But my friend and I disappointed him, taking it and giving it to the cook, and eating for breakfast the tinny fowl. Morning wears away, groups of gentlemen have appeared and disappeared, clothed in that loose and light attire, with sponge, towel,
FROM BREAKFAST TO BEDTIME. 11
and soap, which denotes resort to or accomplishment of the matutinal bath. Breakfast is over, and by noon most of the party are deep in literary occupa- tion, writing and reading apparently being suitable only to this time of day. A temperature of 75 deg. under the awning is adverse to muscular exercise. Now come round the managers of the daily lottery on the ship's run, drawing variously from the passengers shillings and crowns ; some contenting themselves with a single lot, others basing their hopes on securing many chances. At 12.30 the captain announces that in the preceding twenty- four hours we have compassed the respectable distance of 328 miles. The winner of the lucky number looks happy in his clever superiority, but can scarcely be much richer, for etiquette pre- scribes that he should generously proffer cham- pagne to the losers. Luncheon at an end, the passenger mind turns to amusement. The young find relief in the violent exercise of deck- cricket, and in the wild mirth occasioned when some placid, reposing, and digesting person receives the ball full in his face, an incident which he is expected to bear with perfect equanimity, neither asking for, nor expecting the smallest apology. Deck-quoits, and the sonorous game of " Bull," claim their adherents ; for others, the frivolous " Halma," the rattling backgammon, or the severely serious chess have their charms, and here and there vice betrays itself in the shape of cards, with its usual accompaniments of brandy and soda, beer, pipes, and cigars, while ever and anon a half-
J2 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
suppressed " damn," or a less suppressed exclama- tion of triumph, discloses the vicissitudes of the game. So the afternoon blends itself into the evening. At half-past six the bell for dinner sounds, after which, music in the saloon detains many. " Gentlemen oblige " the company with songs and recitations, the French gentleman dis- plays a startling ingenuity in card conjuring. On deck, soothed by tobacco, many groups converse. The talk is probably of Africa and Mashonaland, of diamond mines and of the " Randt," of the depth and thickness of reefs, of the yield of so many pennyweights to the ton, of" pay chutes," of stamps, crushers, and chlorination, till the disappearance one by one of the electric lights warns us that the night is well on, and we turn into our cabins to dream of re-discovering El Dorado, of revelling in the " placers " of another California, of handling deliriously the nuggets of a second Ballarat. On waking we trust that we have not dreamed of a Golden Fleece. So the voyage proceeds.
One of our days at sea was agreeably passed by holding athletic sports and contests, in which all classes of the passengers took part. Racing, leap- ing, and cock-fighting were the principal features. Four times round the ship from stern to bow was found to afford a good half-mile course, and the struggle was decided after several heats, some of them of an exciting character. The prize for leap- ing was long and closely contested, four feet seven being at length triumphantly cleared by the victor. Taking into account the perceptible rolling of the
ATHLETIC SPORTS AT SEA. 13
ship, the achievement appears to have been one of merit. Cock-fighting, also, was the source of con- siderable amusement, and, to the astonishment and delight of all, the prize was carried off by the smallest and youngest of the competitors. A potato race, an egg and spoon race, in which ladies only took part, an obstacle race, in which last sus- pended lifebuoys to be darted through and long wind sails to be crept through tested severely the agility and endurance of the runners, occupied fully the morning and the afternoon. A respectable fund for prizes had been previously collected, the proceedings were managed with the utmost order and method, the decisions of the officials received without a murmur. In the tug-of-war the first class overpulled the second, who also suffered de- feat at the hands of the third-class passengers. It appears that these athletic sports are a regular institution on board the Grantully Castle, and this original and agreeable method of breaking the monotony of a long voyage offers an example to commanders of ocean-going vessels which cannot be too widely imitated. The day antecedent to our arrival at Cape TOAVH was the most dis- agreeable of the voyage. A high and heavy rolling sea rendered sleep by night or occu- pation by day alike almost impossible. Shortly after luncheon an incident occurred which for some moments must have fluttered the strongest nerves. A strong smell of burning, smoke coming up thickly from the after skylight, passengers run- ning up from below, driven out of their cabins by
14 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
the stifling smoke, told us all too plainly that a fire had broken out on board ship. The fire-bell was rung, the officers and crew were beat to quarters, the nose was fitted, and in a few minutes gallons of water were being poured through the skylight down into the after-hold, where it was discovered the fire had occurred. At the same time rapid preparations were made for getting the boats ready for lowering, though whether these would have been of much service to us, had we had to have recourse to them in such a heavy sea, was a matter of serious doubt. In a quarter of an hour, how- ever, or twenty minutes, all danger was over. The officers and crew worked with the utmost steadi- ness and resolution, the first officer particularly showing extreme courage and endurance, being the first to descend into the burning hold, and re- maining in an almost impossible atmosphere for a considerable time directing the application of the water. The passengers preserved their composure remarkably, contenting themselves with getting out of the way, and offering as little impediment as possible to the operations of the ship's company. The cause of the fire was not discovered to a cer- tainty. In the after-hold were scattered a variety of ship's stores, a quantity of empty bottles, heaps of straw and shavings, the contents of opened packing- cases. It was ventilated by a grating into the cabin passage, and the captain supposed, probably with justice, that some reckless and wanton passenger, lighting a cigar below in violation of rigid rules, had ignorantly and carelessly thrown away the match
ARRIVAL AT CAPE TOWN. 15
still lighted, allowing it to fall on this mass of inflam- mable material. The mail-room adjoins the after- hold, and the mails must have had a narrow escape ; while the hold immediately forward contained large stores of spirits. Had these been ignited the consequences would probably have been most serious. Some inches of water on the cabin floors, and a strong smell of smoke, of charred straw and wood, served for some hours to remind the pas- sengers how near they had been to a very un- pleasant termination of their voyage. The morn- ing of the 14th of May broke gloomily, with heavy rain and driving mist. About nine o'clock a bright clearance to the southward disclosed the heights of Table Mountain. As we drew nearer the weather became brighter, the clouds broke : when off the breakwater the Cape of Good Hope was welcoming us with its sunniest smile. The approach from the sea to Cape Town is imposing and attractive. The lofty granite mass of Table Mountain, the distant ranges of hills stretching over half the horizon, and the calm waters of Table Bay brought into the mind succes- sively Gibraltar, the Riviera, and the Bay of Palermo, while the attractions of the spot were strengthened by the feeling that a long, tedious, and monotonous voyage had at length been accom- plished. It may be a matter of question whether, under present conditions, a voyage to South Africa is as beneficial to invalids or to persons of delicate health, and liable to sea-sickness, as is generally supposed. The excessive heat in the regions of
16 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
the Equator debilitates and exhausts ; scarcely a day of the voyage was not marked by considerable rolling or pitching, and the imperfect ventilation, the inferior food, and the want of power and speed in the older Cape vessels lead one to hope that before long an increasing volume of passenger traffic may compel the construction of larger, better found, and swifter ships, rivalling in their excellence the racers of the North Atlantic lines. I imagine that a vessel like the Teutonic could cover the dis- tance between Plymouth and the Cape of Good Hope in less than fourteen days. The Grantully Castle occupied a period of nineteen days and nine- teen hours. On landing, I repaired to Govern- ment House, to which I had received a gracious invitation.
CAPE TOWN. 17
CHAPTER II.
CAPE COLONY.
Scenery and climate of Cape Town — Public Buildings — The Government House, Natural History Museum, and Public Library — Adderley Street — The sea prospect from Cape Town — Rivalry of Port Elizabeth — The inhabitants and environs of Cape Town — Dutch and English in the Colony— Mr. Cecil Rhodes— The Transvaal War of 1881— Majuba Hill — Cape Politics — The South African States — Cape Town as a Coaling Station — Defences of the Cape — Forts at Simon's Bay — Fort Wynyard — General Cameron and the Cape Town Garrison.
Hie terrarum mihi prseter omnes Angulus ridet, ubi non Hymetto Mella decedunt viridique certat
Bacca Venafro ;
Ver ubi longum tepidasque praebet Jupiter brumas, et amicus Aulon Fertili Baccho nimium Falernis
Invidet uvis.
FOR beauty of scenery and general excellence of climate Cape Town approaches perfection. In- habited by some 50,000 souls, it reposes at the foot of the great Table Mountain, sheltered though not oppressed by towering and precipitous granite masses. Possessing and proud of a history going back over a period of upwards of 250 years, the town itself shows few if any signs of antiquity. The traveller might often imagine from its strag- gling and unfinished appearance that he had
c
i8 MKN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
arrived at one of those sudden settlements, the creation of a few months or weeks, which are characteristic of an American territory or of the Australian bush. Public buildings of high archi- tectural merit are scarce ; indeed, the Houses of Parliament and the Standard Bank may be said to be the only edifices entirely worthy of the traditions and position of the town. The old Town House, the old Castle, vividly and agreeably recall the Dutchman of the seven- teenth century, relics of an interesting past, testimonies of a famous history, which should be tenderly preserved. His Excellency the Gover- nor is respectably, but not splendidly, accommo- dated. A long, low building, hidden away in a corner of ugly elevation but of roomy and commo- dious interior, containing spacious apartments, uneasily supports the dignified title of " Govern- ment House." A garden of considerable extent, well filled with shady oak-trees and many fine specimens of tropical plants, makes up largely for the architectural shortcomings of the edifice. Adjoining are to be found the Botanical Gardens, the Natural History Museum, and the Public Library. All of these institutions apparently suffer from a want of liberal maintenance, which is the more to be regretted as their contents are for the most part excellent and rare. The Natural History Museum possesses a very perfect collection of African fauna, mainly contributed by the famous hunter, Mr. Selous, of birds, and of mineralogical and conchological specimens of great interest ; but
PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 19
all these objects of study are so crowded and so crammed up together, and stowed away in cases so insufficiently lighted, that detailed and careful inspection of them is a matter of extreme difficulty. Both this museum and the Public Library, which latter is a fine' hall, containing a large and varied collection of books and many ancient manuscripts, are freely and frequently resorted to by the in- habitants. Addeiiey Street in the morning is crowded and animated ; many of its buildings have striven to attain to a respectable standard of civic architecture, and well-filled shops elegantly display a variety of articles of luxury, which suggest the diffusion of an easy affluence. The sea prospect from Cape Town is most agree- able. A lengthy breakwater, constructed with great solidity, protects an anchorage where many vessels of size might congregate. The docks, which were large enough for the shipping require- ments of a generation ago, are too small to allow of the entrance of large modern steamers, and it is much to be regretted that the construction of a big, wide dock in the rear of the existing docks has been suspended owning to want of funds. Port Elizabeth, with superior railway advantages, and, perhaps, a more go-ahead public spirit, is pressing Cape Town hard ; and it is probable that, if the latter does not bestir itself, it may forfeit its commercial eminence in South Africa. But pos- sibly the charm of Cape Town lies in its respectable repose. The inhabitants, who welcome the stranger with a cordial hospitality rarely to be found else-
c 2
20 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA
where, have inherited, probably from the Dutch, a pleasant conservatism of thought and of habitude. They are not inclined to believe that the bustle of Melbourne or the crowds of Sydney represent the highest standard of social happiness ; they have a tendency to regard with some doubt and anxiety the development and progress which Cape Town
A Capo Cart.
lias -undoubtedly made in the last few years ; many of them view with apprehension and some with alarm the influx of a large population which may shortly be attracted by the mineral wealth of South Africa already said to be discovered. The late Lord Iddesleigh, in one of his political discourses, averred that he had been accused of being " wanting
ENVIRONS OF CAPE TOWN. 21
in go," but it was felt by all that the accusation, if true, only exhibited more pleasantly the general amiability of his character. Similarly it is possible that the people of Cape Town have a tendency to a liability to such an accusation, but those who are fortunate enough to know and understand them will readily confess that the defect, if it exists, may be counted among their attractions rather than among their faults. The environs of Cape Town in the direction of Wynberg are of surpassing beauty. Forests, groves, plantations of oak, pine, eucalyptus, owing their origin to the provident forethought of the early Dutch settlers, thickly cover the ground from the slopes of the mountain almost to the shores of the sea. Miles of shady lanes, extending in all directions, make riding and driving an un- failing pleasure, while on every side old-fashioned villas and country-houses, with perfect and well- kept gardens, disclose alike the cultivated taste and the love of country life which characterize the wealthier portion of the resident community. English people afflicted at home by a winter climate which year after year grows more intolerable and more interminable, fruitlessly, and at great cost, seek sunshine and warmth in the south of Europe amid unsympathetic foreigners. A three weeks' voyage, unaccompanied either by hardships or risk, would bring them to this lovely spot, where, among people of their own race, speaking their own language, and thinking their own thoughts, they would find and enjoy the most temperate and equable summer weather, with all the attrac-
22 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS TN SOUTH AFRICA.
tions t)f sea-side existence which the earth can offer.
Socially a very happy change has, in recent years, been effected in the Cape Town community. The old hostility between the English and the Dutch, which at the time of the Transvaal War had at- tained a dangerous height, seems to have entirely passed away. The two sections regard each other with feelings of respect, friendship, mutual trust. The genius of the Prime Minister, Mr. Cecil Rhodes, has mainly contributed to this auspicious state of things. He has known how to acquire and retain the confidence of the English and of the Dutch colonist, he has shown them in the daily practice of his Government that their interests are entirely and absolutely common, and so homogeneous is now this Cape community that the President of the South African Republic and the Transvaal Boers have been plainly and effectively warned by many Dutchmen of authority and position in Cape Colony that unfriendly action on their part against the British position in Zambesia, and hostile action by Boer " trekkers," against the British Chartered South African Company, will neither receive the support nor enjoy the sympathy of any appre- ciable section of the Dutch subjects of the Queen. The Cape Colony Dutch sympathized profoundly with their countrymen, who, in 1881, were fight- ing for their freedom ; but that freedom having been restored and guaranteed, they are equally ready to disapprove of, and even to resist, their Transvjuil kinsmen impelled by land hunger or by
MAJUBA HILL. 23
sheer animosity to attack British possessions and British subjects without reason or provocation. Moreover, the Cape Colony Dutch argue with much force : " We supported you Boers in your struggle for liberty, our support saved you from British resentment; in return you have placed prohibitive duties on our goods and productions, you have obstinately hindered the extension of our railways, and you have excluded our children from civil employment in your State. Whereas we find that this Imperial Goverment which you so unreasonably hate, wether in Bechuanaland or in the Chartered territory, admits our goods duty free, actively supports the development of the rail- way system, and invites our children not only to enter its service, but to come into and occupy the lands under its control." In justice it should be added that the sagacious policy of Mr. Rhodes has only been made possible by the termination of the Transvaal War in 1881, and by the manner of its termination. The surrender of the Transvaal and the peace concluded by Mr. Gladstone with the victors of Majuba Hill were at the time, and still are, the object of sharp criticism and bitter de- nunciation from many politicians at home, quorum pars parva fui. Better and more precise informa- tion, combined with cool reflection, leads me to the conclusion that, had the British Government of that day taken advantage of its strong military position, and annihilated, as it could easily have done, the Boer forces, it would indeed have re- gained the Transvaal, but it might have lost Cape
24 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Colony. The Dutch sentiment in the Colony had been so exasperated by what it considered to be the unjust, faithless, and arbitrary policy pursued towards the free Dutchmen of the Transvaal by Sir Bartle Frere, Sir Theophilus Shepstone, and Sir Owen Lanyon, that the final triumph of the British arms mainly by brute force would have permanently and hopelessly alienated it from Great Britain ; Parliamentary government in a country where the Dutch control the Parliament would have become impossible, and without Par- liamentary government, Cape Colony would be ungovernable. The actual magnanimity of the peace with the Boers concluded by Mr. Gladstone's Ministry after two humiliating military reverses suffered by the arms under their control became plainly apparent to the just and sensible mind of the Dutch Cape Colonist, atoned for much of past grievance, and demonstrated the total absence in the English mind of any hostility or unfriendli- ness to the Dutch race. Concord between Dutch and English in the colony from that moment became possible, and that concord the government of Mr. Rhodes inaugurated, and has since to all appearance firmly riveted. On the other hand, the peace thus concluded with the Transvaal carried with it some grave disadvantages. The re- erection of the South African Republic contributed another powerful factor to the forces of disunion in South Africa ; the Boers of the Transvaal, wanting altogether the common-sense of their kinsmen in the colony, have since the war been
CAPE POLITICS. 25
inflated with an overweening pride, foolishly eager to seek quarrels and sustain disputes with the English power, and will continue, possibly for generations, to be a formidable obstacle to either political or commercial federation in South Africa. Moreover, the generosity of the surrender of the Transvaal by the English Government was naturally misunderstood by, cr was not apparent to, the mind of powerful native races. On the whole, I find myself free to confess, and without reluctance to admit, that the English escaped from a wretched and discreditable muddle, not without harm and damage, but probably in the best pos- sible manner, and that lessons have been taught to many parties by the Transvaal war which, if learned, may be of the utmost value in framing future policy.
South African politics are highly interesting at the present moment. The position of the Cape Government is one of apparent solidity and power. Against it, supported as it is by a preponderating majority in Parliament, two ex-Prime Ministers, in imperfect harmony with each other, and followed by groups numerically insignificant, with difficulty sustain the forms of an Opposition. Complete concord and co-operation exist between the Par- liament and the Ministers on the one hand, and the High Commissioner on the other. It is, indeed, well that this should be so now, for the develop- ment of the agricultural and mineral resources of Matabeleland under the protection of the British Government, through the instrumentality of the
26 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Chartered Company, will require for years the most skilful, prudent, and courageous handling. That those resources -will before long prove to be of value to the English people doe > not admit of doubt ; but their very value excites the cupidity, not only of the weak and easily-controlled Boer, and of the weaker and still more easily-controlled Portuguese, but also of such powerful rivals as France and Germany ; any failure on our part effectively to develop Matabeleland, to preserve peace, order, and security in those vast regions, and to combine in the work the entire British African community, would result in a loss which, from a national and from a commercial point of view, can only be described as immeasurable. But the combination of the British African community for effective executive purposes is a task which may almost exhaust the resources of statesmanship. From the Zambesi to the Cape of Good Hope, a region occupying some two thousand miles of land in length, inhabited by about half a million whites and by over four millions of natives, every form of government known to history is to be found in existence and at work : in the Uape Colony a re- presentative Parliament elected on the widest native and European suffrage, with responsible Ministers and almost complete independence of the Home Government ; in Natal a more restricted re- presentative body, with Ministers not directly responsible to that body, a sort of Prussian ad- ministration ; in Zululand the personal and direct government of the Governor of Natal : in the
THE SOUTH AFRICAN STATES. 27
Transvaal an independent republic, but unable to conclude treaties with foreign States without the approval of the British Government ; with a pre- sident, executive, and two chambers elected by Dutch burghers, but with many thousands of European population possessing no political rights ; in the Orange Free State another independent re- public, governed by a president and one chamber, elected by all the citizens ; in Bechuanaland the direct and personal government of the Governor of Cape Colony, exercised through an administrator under laws enacted by the Governor's proclama- tion ; in Basutoland direct and personal govern- ment of the High Commissioner, exercised through an administrator under laws enacted by the High Commissioner's proclamation, and with native customs and native laws administered by native chiefs so far as they may not be inconsistent with English justice ; in the Bechuanaland Protectorate the personal authority of the High Commissioner, the native chiefs and territory protected by the Bechuanaland Border Police from external ag- gression, with native laws administered by the chiefs ; in Swaziland a joint Government carried on by the British and the Transvaal authorities, with an executive consisting of a representative of the Swazi nation, of the British Government, and of the South African Republic, whose laws require the joint approval of the guaranteeing Powers ; in Pondoland an independent native State, the sea-coast only of which is under the protection of England with a seaport on the coast which is
28 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
actual British territory ; in Damaraland a German territory under direct control of the German Gov- ernment, the only seaport of which belongs to the Cape Colony ; in Amatongaland an independent native State governed by Queen Zambili and her councillors, but possessing no power to conclude treaties with foreign States, except with the approval of the British Government ; while in Matabeleland, a territory as large as France, in- habited by a numerous and warlike tribe of Zulu origin, the burden of government has been assumed by an English Commercial Corporation under charter from the Crown, under the jurisdic- diction of the High Commissioner, and deriving administrative authority from the High Com- missioner acting on behalf of the British Govern- ment. The mere enumeration of these various forms of government, the mere setting out of this complicated and variegated congeries of powers and authorities all mixed up almost inextricably together, will suffice to give some idea of the difficulties and embarrassments which attend the course whether of a Secretary of State, of a High Commissioner, or of a Cape Colony Government and Parliament.
For a British coaling station of great import- ance Cape Town is fairly well fortified. By the courtesy of General Cameron, commanding the forces, and of Colonel Knollys, commanding the Artillery, I was enabled to make a detailed ex- amination of the defences. I was naturally much interested in noting what had been done, because
DEFENCES OF THE CAPE.
29
Cape Town is one of the coaling stations which Lord Salisbury accused me of being desirous, when Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1886, of leaving in a defenceless condition. Five 9 '2-inch breech- loading guns, with hydro-pneumatic mountings, placed in positions selected with admirable art, make the approach of a hostile fleet a work of great difficulty and danger. With these formid-
The Defences of the Cape — A 9'2-inch breech-loading gun.
able cannon are placed, more for purposes of ornament than of effective use, fourteen or fifteen seven-ton muzzle-loading guns. These latter have been discarded by the navy, and are considered by expert artillerists, on account of their muzzle- loading arrangements, their inferior accuracy, and small penetrative power, to be obsolete. The Home Government, however, considered them to
30 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
be good enough for the Cape, and at great expense have sent out and mounted a number of them for the defence of Table Bay and of Simon's Bay. I am informed that for the same money an equal number of the new six-inch breech-loading gun might have been furnished, in which case the defences of the Cape of Good Hope in respect of ordnance would have been complete.1 But it is ever so. Our War Office and Admiralty can never be persuaded to make a finished and perfect work. The various detached forts in which these guns have been placed have been constructed with great solidity. The Cape Government supplied the sites and the labour at <a cost of about 60,000/. ; the guns and mountings were furnished by the Home Government. A 9 '2-inch breech loading gun, with hydro-pneumatic mounting, costs 17,000/. Two of these guns, two 9-inch muzzle-loaders, together with several seven-ton muzzle-loaders, command and protect the naval station at Simon's Bay. The forts at Simon's Bay have been so ingeniously concealed by the engineers that it would be difficult and perhaps impossible for the officers of an approaching hostile fleet to discover their situa- tion until it had come well within range. The General kindly allowed the 9 '2-inch breech-load- ing gun in Fort Wynyard to have three rounds fired from it for my inspection. The projectile
1 The facts set out above were controverted in the House of Commons, were controverted by Mr. Stanhope, Secretary of State for War. They are nevertheless authentic and accu- rately stated.
THE GARRISON AT CAPE TOWN. 31
weighs 3801bs., and the charge of powder is 16 Gibs. The target, a flagstaff on a barrel, was moored at a distance out at sea of 2900 yards. All three shots, so excellent is the accuracy of the gun and the training of the gunners, passed within a few feet of the target, which, if it had been an enemy's ship, would have suffered fatal damage. The destructive range of this cannon attains the prodigious distance of 10,000 yards. The garrison at Cape Town is ridiculously weak. It consists of one and a half battalions of infantry and two batteries of artillery. The 9 '2-inch breech-loading gun requires for its handling seven- teen trained artillerists. The garrison in its present feeble state can only furnish three men per gun. A scheme is at present being considered for combining effectively with the Imperial troops the best volunteer forces, but nothing has been decided on in this direction, and the jealousy of home interference entertained by the Colonial Government may yet cause much friction and delay. I am informed that if Cape Town is to be rendered at all secure from hostile attack, one additional battalion of infantry and one battery of artillery is imperatively required. General Cameron, speaking at the Mayor's luncheon, as- serted that he had only 1300 effective men under his command,, whereas a garrison of at least 6000 was necessary for the adequate protection of the Cape of Good Hope. To do full justice to the War Office I should add that it maintains with magni- ficent liberality for the duties of this feeble garrison
32 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA,
a staff equal in numbers and importance to the requirements of an army of 20,000 men.1 With the due celebration of the Queen's Birthday on the 25th May, and with the opening of the Cape Par- liament on the following day, at both of which interesting and imposing ceremonies I was privi- leged to be present, I brought to a close a most agreeable fortnight passed at Cape Town.
1 This statement was also contradicted in the House of Commons by Mr. Stanhope, Secretary of State for War. It is, nevertheless, perfectly accurate.
EN ROUTE FOR KIMBERLEY. 33
CHAPTER III
DIAMONDS.
We leave Cape Town — The Paarl — Worcester Town — The Hex River Pass — A Paddington man — Arrival at Matjes- fontein — Mr. J. D. Logan — The Karroo — Diamond In- dustry at Kimberley — Vi^it to the offices of the De Beers Company — Mr. Cecil Rhodes a public man of the first order — Mr. Gardner Williams, mining engineer — The blue ground — Separating the diamonds — Precautions against theft — The De Beers Company a model Village Commu- nity— Electric light used in the diamond mines.
THE mail train for Kimberley leaves Cape Town in the evening, but the traveller will be well advised in doing the portion of the journey as far as Mat- jesfontein by day. The railroad passes through mountain scenery of exceptional beauty and variety. We left Cape Town in pouring rain, but soon after our departure the clouds broke, and the sun shining out brightly upon the mist which hung over the tops of the Hottentot Holland Range produced a series of rare and astonishing rainbow effects. About thirty miles from Cape Town is situated the Paarl, an old town of French origin, which takes its name from a chain of large granite boulders, supposed to resemble the pearls of a necklace, which adorn the summit of the hill overhanging the place. The valley of the Paarl is covered with vineyards interspersed here and there
D
34 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
with fertile pastures on which graze herds of long- horned cattle. The sweet wines of the Paarl rival in excellence those of Constancia. The slopes of the hills are well wooded, the general aspect of the valley is of extraordinary attraction. Round about Wellington, a town in the vicinity of the Paarl, we find a great corn-growing country, while in the division of Worcester, a hundred miles distant from Cape Town, we come to a district producing an abundance of sheep, cattle, horses, ostriches, corn, dried fruits, and wines. The town of Worcester has been admirably constructed. " The streets are well laid out in parallelograms, bordered with water-courses and eucalyptus trees. A plentiful supply of water, conveyed from the Hex River by an artificial canal six miles in length, imparts to the town an unusually verdant aspect, the charm of which is enhanced by contrast with the sterile appearance of the lofty and rugged mountains which surround it. About nine miles from Wor- cester there are hot springs with a temperature of 145 deg., the water of which is famed for its cure of wounds and skin diseases." l Speaking generally of the road between Cape Town and the summit of the Hex River Pass, the moun- tain and valley scenery is hardly to be sur- passed in loveliness, and the traveller, assisted by memory or imagination, may fancy himself now in Yorkshire or Worcestershire, now in the Highlands of Scotland, now in the valleys of Provence, After leaving Worcester, the railway ascends the Hex 1 South African Argus Annual
A PADDINGTON MAN. 35
River Pass, the summit of which is some 3000 feet above the level of the sea. The road, which is a triumph of engineering skill, has an average gradient of 1 in 40, and no fewer than seventy-two curves, some of them very sharp. To view the magnificent mountain prospect with more advantage our party was accommodated with seats on the little platform in front of the engine, and the sensations of travelling in this manner along the verge of preci- pices of giddy depth and over iron bridges of frail appearance were at once novel and thrilling. The engine-driver, who was very affectionate, confided to me while we were passing at respectable speed an apparently dangerous portion of the track, that he was a Paddington man. This is the second gentleman occupying an official position connected with the administration of the railroads of South Mrica who claimed Paddington as his birthplace and his home, and who saluted with joy the appearance of his representative in Parliament.
Matjesfontein, which we reached in the evening and where we passed the night, affords a remark- able example of what can be effected by the energy of the Englishman. Mr. J. D. Logan, who is the proprietor of an estate here of 100,000 acres in extent, has settled himself down on what appears at first sight to be the most unpromising spot for a farmer which the mind can imagine. Here, in the arid plain of the Karroo, producing nothing but low scrub and scanty herbage, he has built himself a large and comfortable house, a spacious homestead with good cottages for his men, and
D 2
36 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA,
elevates with much success flocks of many thousands of sheep and herds of many hundreds of cattle. The Karroo is far more hospitable and nourishing for live stock than the uninstructed tourist would imagine. The climate is perfect, the air invigorat- ing like that of Scotland, and the only source of anxiety to the farmer is found in the somewhat insufficient rainfall. Sport is to be obtained in plenty by the sportsman who does not fear hard work. The quail, the namaqua partridge, the koran, the pauw, a species of bustard, all at different times and seasons fill the game-bag, while often the spring-bok and sometimes the leopard will fall to the well-aimed rifle. I imagine that many a young English farmer with a good training, an active dis- position, and a small capital, might find in the Karroo both a home and a fortune. No rent, scarcely any taxes, and perfect freedom are con- stituents of happiness which to the ordinary English farmer would appear almost as an unrealizable dream. An early start the next morning, a journey of twenty-four hours across the monotonous and apparently limitless expanse of the Karroo brought us to Kimberley. Nothing in the external appear- ance of Kimberley suggests either its fame or its wealth. A straggling, haphazard connection of small, low dwellings, constructed almost entirely of corrugated iron or of wood, laid out with hardly any attempt at regularity, and without the slightest trace of municipal magnificence, is the home of the diamond industry. It seems that when the diamonds were first discovered some twenty years ago, many thousands of persons settled down sud-
THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY AT KIMBERLEV. 37
denly on the spot like a cluster of swarming bees, and established themselves anyhow as best they could in the most rough and primitive fashion, never dreaming but that the yield of diamonds Avould be of limited extent and of short duration, that their fortunes would be rapidly acquired, and that they would pass as rapidly away from the
£ 52..00O. WOKTH Vs. or DIAMONDS.
Classiiied for shipment at Kimberley.
place, having exhausted all its wealth-producing resources. The reverse has proved to be the case. The diamondiferous resources of Kimberley are now known to be practically inexhaustible, but the amalgamation of the mines has restricted employ- ment and checked immigration, and the town still preserves, and probably will always preserve,
to 38 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
its transitory and rough-and-ready appearance. There are, however, a number of excellent shops, and there are few articles of necessity, of con- venience, or of luxury which cannot here be pur- chased. A most comfortable and hospitable club, an admirably laid-out and well-arranged racecourse testify to the thoroughly English character of the settlement. At Kimberley the diamond is every- thing, and the source and method of its production claim more than a passing mention. My first visit was to the offices of the De Beers Company, which company represents the amalgamated interests of the De Beers, Kimberley, Bultfontein, Du Toits Pan, and other smaller mines. The amalgamation was the work of Mr. Cecil Rhodes, and it was this great work, accomplished in the teeth of unheard-of difficulties and almost insurmountable opposition, representing the conciliation and unification of almost innumerable rival jarring and conflicting interests, which revealed to South Africa that it possessed a public man of the first order. The scale of the company's operations is stupendous. On a capital of nearly 8,000,0002. of debenture and share stock it has paid, since its formation in 1888 up to March, 1890, interest at the rate of 5^ per cent., and an annual dividend of 20 per cent. In the same period it has given out some two million five hundred thousand carats of diamonds, realizing by sale over three and a half million pounds, produced by washing some two million seven hundred thousand loads of blue ground. Each load represents three-quarters of a
THE DE BEERS COMPANY. 39
ton, and costs in extracting about 8s. lOd. per load, realizing a profit of 20s. to 30s. per carat sold. The annual amount of money paid away in interest and dividends exceeds 1,300,0002. The dividends might have been much larger, but the policy of the present Board of Directors appears to be to restrict the production of diamonds to the quantity the world can easily absorb, to maintain the price of the diamonds at a fair level from 28s. to 32s. per carat, and, in order the better to carry out this policy, to accumulate a very large cash reserve. I believe that the reserve already accu- mulated amounts to nearly a million, and that this amount is to be doubled in the course of the next year or two, when the board will feel that they have occupied for their shareholders a position un- assailable by any of the changes and chances of commerce. In the working of the mine there are employed about 1300 Europeans and 5700 natives. The wages paid range high, and figures concerning them may interest the English artisan. Mechanics and engine-drivers receive from 61. to 11. per week, miners from 5?. to 61., guards and tally-men from 4/. to 61 ; natives in the underground works are paid from is. to 5s. per day. In the work on the " floors," which is all surface work, overseers receive from 3?. 12s. to 4d. 2s., machine men and assorters from 5/. to 6/., and ordinary native labourers from 17s. 6d. to 21s. per ^veek. In addition, every employe on the " floors " has a per- centage on the value of diamonds found by himself, the white employe's receiving Is. 6<i, and the
40 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
natives 3d., per carat. Nearly double these amounts are paid for stones found in the mines. Mr. Gardner Williams, tLe eminent mining
Mr. Gardner Williams. Lord Randolph Churchill. Captain Williams.
In the Rock Shaft of the De Beers Diamond Mine, at a depth of 900 feet.
engineer who occupies the important post of general manager to the De Beers Company, was kind enough to accompany me all over the mines, and to explain in detail the method of operation. The De Beers and the Kimberley mines are
THE BLUE GROUND. 41
probably the two biggest holes which greedy man has ever dug into the earth, the area of the former at the surface being thirteen acres, with a depth of 450 feet, the area and depth of the latter being even greater. These mines are no longer worked from the surface, but from shafts sunk at some distance from the original holes, and penetrating to the blue ground by transverse drivings at depths varying from 500 to 1200 feet. The blue ground, when extracted, is carried in small iron trucks to the " floors." " These are made by removing the bush and grass from a fairly level piece of ground ; the land is then rolled and made as hard and as smooth as possible. These t floors ' are about 600 acres in extent. They are covered to the depth of about a foot with the blue ground, which for a time remains on them without much manipulation. The heat of the sun and moisture soon have a wonderful effect upon it. Large pieces which were as hard as ordinary sandstone when taken from the mine, soon commence to crumble. At this stage of the work, the winning of the diamonds assumes more the nature of farming than of mining ; the ground is continually harrowed to assist pulveriza- tion by exposing the larger pieces to the action of the sun and rain. The blue ground from Kimberley mine becomes quite well pulverized in three months, while that from De Beers requires double that time. The longer the ground remains exposed, the better it is for washing." l The process of exposure being completed, the blue 1 Keport, 1890, General Manager, De Beers.
42 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
ground is then curried to very large, elaborate, and costly washing machines, in which, by means of the action of running water, the diamonds are separated from the ordinary earth. It may be mentioned that in this process 100 loads of blue ground are concentrated into one load of diamondi- ferous stuff. Another machine, the " pulsator," then separates this latter stuff, which appears to be a mass of blue and dark pebbles of all shapes, into four different sizes, which then pass on to the assorters. " The assorting is done on tables, first while wet by whitemen, and then dry by natives." The assorters work with a kind of trowel, and their accuracy in detecting and separating the diamond from the eight different kinds of mineral formations which reach them is almost unerring. " The diamond occurs in all shades of colour from deep yellow to blue white, from deep brown to light brown, and in a great variety of colours, green, blue, pink, brown, yellow, orange, pure white, and opaque." 2 The most valuable are the pure white and the deep orange. " The stones vary in size from that of a pin's head upwards ; the largest diamond yet found weighed 428^ carats. It was cut and exhibited at the Paris Exhibition, and after cutting weighed 228J carats. " After assorting, the diamonds are sent daily to the general office under an armed escort and delivered to the valuators in charge of the diamond department. The first operation is to clean the
1 Report, 1890, General Manager, DC Beers.
2 Ibid.
SEPARATING THE DIAMONDS. 43
diamonds of any extraneous matter by boiling them in a mixture of nitric and sulphuric acids. When cleaned they are carefully assorted again in respect of size, colour, and purity." l The room in the De Beers office where they are then displayed offers a most striking sight. It is lighted by large windows, underneath which runs a broad counter
In the bUO feet level of the De Beers Diamond Mine.
covered with white sheets of paper, on which are laid out innumerable glistening heaps of precious stones of indescribable variety. In this room are concentrated some 60,000 carats, the daily produc- tion of the Consolidated Mine being about 5500 carats. "When the diamonds have been valued they are sold in parcels to local buyers, who 1 Report, 1890, General Manager, De Beers.
44 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
represent the leading diamond mere bants of Europe. The size of a parcel varies from a few thousand to tens of thousands of carats; in one instance, two years ago, nearly a quarter of a million of carats were sold in one lot to one buyer."'
Sorting gravel fur diamonds at Kimberloy.
The company sustain a considerable loss annually, estimated now at from 10 to 15 per cent., by diamonds being stolen from the mines. To check this loss, extraordinary precautions have been resorted to. The natives are engaged for a period of three months, during which time they are 1 Report, 1890, General Manager, De Beers.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THEFT. 45
confined in a compound surrounded by a high wall. On returning from their day's work, they have to strip off all their clothes, which they hang on pegs in a shed. Stark naked, they then proceed to the searching room, where their mouths, their hair, their toes, their armpits, and every portion of their body are subjected to an elaborate examination. White men would never submit to such a process, but the native sustains the indignity with cheerful equanimity, considering only the high wages which he earns. After passing through the searching room, they pass, still in a state of nudity, to their apartments in the compound, where they find blankets in which to wrap themselves for the night. During the evening, the clothes which they have left behind them are carefully and minutely searched, and are restored to their owners in the morning. The precautions which are taken a few days before the natives leave the compound, their engagement being terminated, to recover diamonds which they may have swallowed, are more easily imagined than described. In addi- tion to these arrangements, a law of excep- tional rigour punishes illicit diamond buying, known in the slang of South Africa as I.D.B.ism. Under this statute, the ordinary presumption of law in favour of the accused disappears, and an accused person has to prove his innocence in the clearest manner, instead of the accuser having to prove his guilt. Sentences are constantly passed on persons convicted of this offence ranging from five to fifteen years. It rrmst be admitted that
46 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
this tremendous law is in thorough conformity with South African sentiment, which elevates I. D.B.ism almost to the level, if not above the level, of actual homicide. If a man walking in the streets or in the precincts of Kimberley were to find a diamond and were not immediately to take it to the registrar, restore it to him, and to have the fact of its restoration registered, he would be liable to a punishment of fifteen years' penal servitude. In order to prevent illicit traffic, the quantities of diamonds produced by the mines are reported to the detective department both by the producers and the exporters. All diamonds, except those which pass through illicit channels, are sent to England by registered post, the weekly shipments averaging from 40,000 to 50,000 carats. The greatest outlet for stolen diamonds is through the Transvaal to Natal, where they are shipped by respectable merchants, who turn a deaf ear to any information from the diamond fields to the effect that they are aiding the sale of stolen property.1 The most ingenious ruses are resorted to by the illicit dealers for conveying the stolen diamonds out of Kimberley. They are considerably assisted by the fact that the boundaries of the Transvaal and of the Free State approach within a few miles of Kimberley, and once across the border they are comparatively safe. Recently, so I was informed, a notorious diamond thief was seen leaving Kimberley on horseback for the Transvaal. Convinced of his iniquitous designs, he was seized * Report, 1890, General Manager, D.3 Beers.
A MODEL VILLAGE COMMUNITY. 47
by the police on the border and thoroughly searched. Nothing was found on him, and he was perforce allowed to proceed. No sooner was he well across the border, than he, under the eyes of the detective, deliberately shot and cut open his horse, extracting from, its intestines a large parcel of diamonds, which, previous to the journey, had been administered to the unfortunate animal in the form of a ball.
The De Beers Directors manage their immense concern with great liberality. A model village, called Kenilworth, within the precincts of the mines, affords most comfortable and healthy accom- modation for several of the European employes. Gardens are attached to cottages, and the planting of eucalyptus, cypress, pine, and oak, as well as a variety of fruit trees, has been carried to a con- siderable extent. A very excellent club-house has also been built, which includes, besides the mess-room and kitchen, a reading-room, where many of the monthly papers and magazines are kept, together with six hundred volumes from the Kimberley Public Library. There is also a billiard room, with two good tables given by two of the directors. A large recreation ground is in the course of construction. Within the compound where the native labourers are confined is a store where they can procure cheaply all the necessaries of life. Wood and water are supplied free of charge, and a large swimming bath is also provided, but I did not learn if the natives made much use of it. All sick natives are taken care of in a
48 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
hospital connected with the compound, where medical attendance, nurses, and food are supplied gratuitously by the company. I should not omit to mention that the entire mine above and under- ground is lighted by electricity. There are ten circuits of electric lamps for De Beers and Kimberley mines. They consist of fifty-two arc lamps of 1000 candle power each, and 691 glow lamps of sixteen and sixty-four candle power each, or a total illuminating power of 63,696 candles. There are, moreover, thirty telephones connecting the different centres of work together, and over eighty electric bells are used for signalling in shafts and on haulages. Such is this marvellous mine, the like of which I doubt whether the world can show. When one considers the enormous capital invested, the elaborate and costly plant, the number of human beings employed, and the object of this unparalleled concentration of effort, curious reflections occur. In all other mining distinctly profitable objects are sought, and purposes are carried out beneficial generally to mankind. This remark would apply to gold mines, to coal mines, to tin, copper, and lead mines : but at the De Beers mine all the wonderful arrangements I have described above are put in force in order to extract from the depths of the ground, solely for the wealthy classes, a tiny crystal to be used for the gratification of female vanity in imitation of a lust for personal adornment essentially barbaric if not altogether savage.
FROM KlMBERLEY TO JOHANNESBURG. 49
CHAPTER IV
GOLD.
The diamonds of Kimberley — The journey to Johannesburg — Kailway extensions — Grass veldt between Kimberley and Vryburg — The cattle farm, of the future — "Native Re- serve " of the Southern Bechuana — We reach Vryburg — Sir Sidney Shippard entertains us — Coaching -with a team of mules — The wayfaring man in the Transvaal — An attractive little town — Gold mines ir the neighbour- hood— The outlook at Johannesburg — The gold mines — Selfish jealousy of the Boer Government — Astounding inequality of taxation — Bad condition of the roads to Johannesburg — The vicious system of concessions.
I PASSED from the region of diamonds into the region of gold. The " Arabian Nights " character of this statement is justified by the fact that, as the small district of Kimberley produces some 2,000,OOOZ. of diamonds annually, so the larger but still not vast district of the Randt produces in the same period some 2,500,OOOZ. of gold. This latter production, unlike that of Kimberley, is likely to be doubled and even trebled in course of time. The journey from Kimberley to Johannesburg, covering a distance of 450 miles, deserves some description. The rail- way is completed as far as Vryburg in Bechuana- land. It is now proposed to carry this railway on a narrower gauge to Mafeking and to a hundred miles north of that place. Should the Tati gold-
50 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
fields prove as remunerative as well-informed persons believe, the line will soon be extended thither. From Tati to the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi is a short step of about 500 miles, over a country offering few engineering difficulties, and I doubt not that the next generation, before it grows old, will travel to this great river and to its un- paralleled cascades with the same ease and comfort as the present generation is able to visit Niagara. The road from Kimberley to Vryburg traverses a succession of plains wide as the eye can range, bounded here and there by low and regular chains of hills. Scarcely a single tree breaks the endless flat of grass veldt.
Pone me pigris ubi nulla cam pis Arbor aestiva recreatur aura.
»
The Roman poet must have had Bechuanaland or the Transvaal in his mind when he wrote the lines quoted .above, for the two countries perfectly realize his conception. The veldt at the surface in the winter has a somewhat sterile and parched appearance, and is covered with patchy grass dried by the sun to the colour of hay. Far and wide it extends, and the traveller sees no reason why he should ever emerge from its limits. Two causes, however, combine to remove the tedium and monotony of such a landscape. The vastness, the apparent illimitability of the surroundings, elevate rather than oppress the mind, and the genial sunshine, the cloudless sky, the invigorating highland air sustain the spirits at a high level.
THE CATTLE FARM OF THE FUTURE. 51
Nor must it be supposed that these African plains are in any degree wanting in fertility. The heavy rains of the summer and autumn produce an abundance of juicy grass, on which are raised large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. Both in Bechuanaland and in the Transvaal the amount of live stock is very considerably less than the area and the soil are capable of sustaining, and it would scarcely be an exaggeration to assert that if, in the course of centuries, all other supplies of meat for the human race should be exhausted, the African veldt could produce sufficient to fill the stomachs of a starving world. Cattle disease, horse sickness, and the sheep scab at present offer formidable obstacles to the rapid multiplication of live stock. It is highly probable that science and sanitary legislation will before long remove or mitigate these scourges of the farmer. Approach- ing Yryburg, the railroad runs through the " Native Reserve," a large district which has been set aside for exclusive occupation and cultivation by the Southern Bechuana. The soil here is well- watered and of great fertility ; abundant crops of mealies (maize) can be easily raised, and many other kinds of grain, potatoes, and various vege- tables might be produced in large quantities were the natives given to industry and agriculture. Report, however, speaks but poorly of the Southern Bechuana ; idle and insolent in good years, helpless and mendicant in bad, it is doubtful whether he Avill be long able or per- mitted to retain his hold upon a territory which
E 2
52 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA;
is capable of being transformed into one vast garden.
Vryburg is an urban community in its infancy, which may some day grow into a large and thriving town. At present it consists of a number of low buildings of somewhat mean and squalid appearance, constructed of the inevitable corru- gated iron, and spreading themselves out irregu- larly over a considerable extent of ground. Sir Sidney Shippard, the British administrator, who entertained us most kindly and hospitably, occupies a small cottage which many a British mechanic would despise. It is to be hoped, considering the size and importance of our Bechuanaland possessions and the great powers wielded by the administrator, that the British Government, who insist upon retaining their hold over Bechuanaland, will provide its representative with a more suitable and honourable residence. Three hotels offer to the traveller fair but rough accommodation, and in one or more well-filled stores the immigrant or the settler can obtain most of the necessaries of life and such articles as are requisite for the commerce of the 'interior. From Vryburg branch off many routes north and east and west : westward into Damaraland, or into the great Kalahari desert towards Lake Ngami; northward to Matabeleland and the Zambesi ; eastward, which route we ourselves followed, to the Transvaal and Johannesburg. Passenger coaches are for the present confined to this latter route. As we were a lar^e
o
COACHING WITH A TEAM OF MULES. 53
party, with some amount of baggage, we had secured for our private use two coaches, and we passed the four days occupied in the journey to Johannesburg in tolerable comfort. This kind of coaching is an experience which at the present day can only be tried in Africa. The coaches themselves are the most curious produc- tions of human skill. Intended to hold twelve passengers inside, half-a-dozen outside, besides large quantities of heavy baggage, they are con- structed of very solid materials hung upon thick springs of leather, and present the most unwieldy lumbering and old world appearance. They are drawn by ten or twelve mules or horses harnessed in pairs. Two men are required to guide the team, the one holding the reins, the other the long whip with which he can severely chastise all but the leading pair. When driving a team of mules the whip is in operation every minute, constant flogging alone inducing these stubborn animals to do their best. At times one of the drivers is compelled to descend from the box and run alongside the team, flogging them all with the greatest heartiness and impartiality. In spite, however, of all this effort and apparent harsh treatment, an average speed of about six miles is all that can be realized. Roads there are none ; deeply rutted tracks are followed. When the ruts get too deep for safety the track turns slightly aside, and to such an extent does this sometimes occur that in places the track occupies a width of a quarter of a mile or more. Swinging,
54 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
bounding, jolting, creaking, straining over this extraordinary route, the coach pursues the un- even tenor of its way, sometimes labouring and plunging like a ship at sea, constantly heeling over at angles at which an upset seems unavoid- able ; now descending into the deep bed of a "spruit" (creek), now sticking fast in heavy ground, now careering over masses of rocks ;m<l stones. The travellers, all shaken up inside like an omelet in a frying-pan, never cease to wonder that the human frame can endure such shaking, or that wood and iron can be so firmly riveted to- gether as to stand such a strain. It may be men- tioned that the life of a coach does not exceed two years, that upsets are frequent, and casualties not uncommon. In this latter respect, however, we were fortunate, reaching our destination without the slightest accident or misfortune, our drivers being skilful and the teams on the whole fairly good. Whether South Africa will ever possess proper coach roads is doubtful. Railroads will soon supersede this antiquated method of travelling, and the coach, with its long team of mules, the transport rider with his waggon, and his still longer team of oxen, will soon become things of the past, or be banished to the remotest regions. At present it is possible for any one who cares about the experience to realize most accurately the mode so graphically described by Lord Macaulay, in which our forefathers travelled in England some two centuries ago. Along the road but few human beings are met, human habitations are
THE WAYFARING MAN IN THE TRANSVAAL. 55
scarce and far apart, and little animal life is to be perceived. Birds are fairly numerous ; the " koran," the partridge, the plover, the " dikkop," offer to the sportsman occasional shots. Skeletons of horses and of oxen which have succumbed to the labours and privations of the journey abound alongside the track, all either having been picked clean or in the process of being devoured by flocks of vultures. At one place we perceived some scores of these birds surrounding a carcase, so gorged that they took no notice of our approach, although we passed within a few feet of them.
The hotel accommodation in 'the Transvaal is of the roughest description, the Dutch scarcely appre- ciating either cleanliness or comfort. It is possible that the sleeping rooms might in some cases be condemned by an English magistrate or inspector. An extraordinary profusion of food awaits the hungry wayfarer, but, alas ! it is quantity and not quality which is attained ; and it is easy for the man who dines in a Dutch hotel at a table covered with every variety of viand to rise from his repast almost as hungry as he sat down. The following is the menu of dinner Avhich awaited our party on our arrival at Pullen's " Winkel " (store and hotel), where we passed the first night of our
journey : —
Oyster soup.
Egg a la soupe.
Saleme (sic) curry and rice.
Chicken pie. Saleme (sic) duck and olives.
Boast leg mutton. Lamb and mint sauce.
56 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Corned mutton. Saddle mutton
Boiled leg mutton.
Boiled shoulder mutton and caper sauce. Boiled corned beef.
Boiled ham.
Stuffed roast turkey.
Stuffed roast duck and mushroom.
Koast fowl. Boiled fowl and oyster sauce.
Potatoes. Beans.
Boiled currant pudding and wine sauce.
Fruit pie. Bed currant pie and boiled custard.
Tipsey (sic) cake.
Cake a la Meringue.
Custard tart. Tart. Queen tart.
Fruit a la Meringue.
Blanc-mange and jam.
Kaisins and almonds.
I can truthfully assert that, having done my best to partake of some of these dishes, when dinner was over I would have given a gold mine in Mashona- land for a quarter of an hour at the Amphytrion. On the second day we reached Klerksdorp, and were within the limits of the auriferous portion of the Transvaal. Klerksdorp is in a state of decay, having had but an ephemeral existence. It sprang into life during the gold-mining boom of some four years ago. The ground all round it for a considerable space was hastily pegged off in mining claims, companies were floated with large capital, shares were tossed up to a premium by the promoter, just as a Japanese conjurer with a fan causes bits of paper to ascend in the air, and
AN ATTRACTIVE LITTLE TOWN. 57
then came the crash. All was over, and a large pretentious stock exchange, tenanted now only by the dog, the cat, the pig, and the fowl, tells the interesting story of an African golden dream. There are, however, one or two mines in the neighbourhood, which may possibly, with skilful management, yield some profit to the shareholders, where the ore is plentiful, though of low grade. One of these, the Bufflesdorn, about ten miles from Klerksdorp, we were able to make a thorough inspection of. It is being skilfully and economically worked, possesses a reef from three to four feet in thickness, yielding on an average about seven pennyweights to the ton, is not over capitalized, and has much about it which led those who were with me and who were experienced authorities, to suppose that be- fore long it may be a fairly profitable mining venture. Klerksdorp can also boast of a hotel of considerable size, the landlord of which, a German, may be celebrated for his insolence and his rapacity, whose guests are tormented by excessive dirt and discomfort. A short drive of about five hours brought us on the following day to Potchef- strom. This attractive little town lies in the hollow of a great plain, at the foot of some low hills, fairly covered with plantations. The houses are surrounded by luxuriant gardens, the streets are lined with handsome trees. The sight of a tree or of a bit of green in the treeless and parched veldt gives pleasure and relief alike to the mind and the eye. Here a clean and comfortable hotel
58 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
and an obliging host enabled us to forget the vexations and annoyances of Klerksdorp.
Johannesburg was reached on the evening of the fourth day. We found ourselves at once in a society and amid surroundings widely different from any which had been experienced since landing in Africa. Johannesburg extends for a consider- able distance along a ridge of hills 6000 feet above the level of the sea. Around wherever the eye reposes it is arrested by mining shafts, hauling gear, engine houses, and tall chimneys. Johannes- burg presents a very English appearance, that of an English manufacturing town minus its noise, smoke, and dirt. The streets are crowded with a busy, bustling, active, keen, intelligent-looking throng. Here are gathered together human beings from every quarter of the globe, the English possessing an immense predominance. The buildings and general architecture of the town attain an excellent standard, style having been consulted and sought after, stone and bricks the materials, corrugated iron being confined to the roofs, solidity, permanence, and progress the general characteristics. The rise of this town has been almost magical, a period of less than five years having been sufficient to effect it ; when it is remembered that some twenty millions of capital, mainly English, have been sunk in the mines of the Randt, and that about one and a half million annually is expended on the maintenance and exploitation of the mines, one is confirmed in the belief that there is nothing that money cannot
THE OUTLOOK AT JOHANNESBURG. 59
do. The bright days which marked the discovery of the gold mines and the infancy of Johannesburg have passed away. The twenty millions of capital at one time inflated to nearly forty millions, are no^v reduced to nearer four millions. The London Stock Exchange has become callous and insensible to the attractions of rich reefs, of newly-discovered deep levels, and the inhabitants, many of whom have undergone the bitterest experiences and the strangest vicissitudes, have an aspect to some extent of doubt, nervousness, and anxiety, wonder- ing when the long period of inaction and stagna- tion, lasting for more than two years, will come to an end, and when their former golden hours will return. I do not think there is any necessity for doubt, care, and anxiety.
Facts speak for themselves, even to a stranger. A gold-field which has been steadily and gra- dually increasing its output, and which has now attained a monthly production of 60,000 oz., in value some 200, OOO/., must have before it a great future.1 Recent bad times and the insen- sibility of the London Money Market have had an admirable effect upon the directors and managers of the gold mines here. They have been l compelled, by force of circumstances, to divert their attention from the notation of new companies ' and from the pushing up of shares to absurd premiums by making fallacious returns of crush- ings, and by other dodges familiar to the promoter.
1 The monthly output for January, 1892, six months after the statement above was recorded, was valued at 84,000 ounces.
60 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
They are now concentrating their efforts on the development of their mines, the attainment of deeper levels, the erection of improved machinery, and on economical administration. Many com- panies have been reconstructed, and others are in process of being reconstructed ; the capital of several companies has been ruthlessly cut down. In one case that was brought to my notice, the capital of a company had been reduced from 200,000/. to 10,000/., and although this reduction undoubtedly represents a heavy loss in the past, it probably precedes a profitable future. Johannesburg is a town of much promise ; the stranger, however, will find occasion for criticism and even censure. The streets are unpaved, and the roadways are as bad or worse than the tracks across the veldt. When the wind is high, as is often the case, the clouds of dust thick and continuous make breathing almost a difficulty, nor is mitigation of this great evil attempted by any kind of pavement, or by the simple and comparatively inexpensive water- cart. The streets at night are unlit, and after sunset total darkness renders locomotion along the bad roads a matter of difficulty and of danger. The obscurity moreover enables footpads and housebreakers to pursue their avocations witli considerable impunity, and there has been recently much complaint among the inhabitants in con- sequence of the increase in this class of crime. The police maintained by the Boer Government, are few in number, nor can I learn that they are in any way distinguished for efficiency. During
TENDER MERCIES OF THE BOER GOVERNMENT. 61
the week I have been here I have not set eyes on a single policeman, either by night or by day.
There can be no doubt that many of these evils would be promptly remedied if Johannesburg possessed a representative municipality, but the selfish jealousy of the Boer Government obstinately refuses any such concession. There is, indeed, a sanitary board, whose duties are solely confined to matters of sanitation, which is elected by the in- habitants. Two regulations, however, completely neutralize the representative value of this institu- tion. The members of the Board must speak and understand Dutch, and the proceedings and minutes of the Board are recorded in the Dutch language. Johannesburg is essentially an English- speaking town. I imagine that a very small pro- portion of the inhabitants, practically speaking none of the well-to-do classes, speak Dutch, and thus it happens that those who, from their position and possessions, would be natural and useful members of the Sanitary Board, are totally excluded even from this small share in the government of the town. In the second place the Boer Govern- ment nominates the President of the Board from outside the number of tkose elected. It is not to be supposed that the inhabitants of Johannesburg will long tolerate their condition of absolute servitude in municipal matters. The astounding inequality of taxation between the inhabitants of Johannesburg and those of Pretoria is certain before long to bring about a movement by the former to which the Boer Government will
62 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
have to yield. Some figures may be useful as showing what our countrymen have to put up with at the hands of the Boers. In Pretoria a Dutchman can purchase a building stand of 26,400 feet square subject to a tax of II. 10s. For the same site an inhabitant of Johannesburg has to pay a tax of 45Z. The poll-tax in Pretoria is 3s. Qd. ; in Johannesburg it is 18s. 6d. The Sanitary Board tax in Johannesburg, on a property value 5000/., amounts to 41?. 13s. 4d. ; in Pretoria there is no such tax. The sanitary fees in Pretoria are 13/. 10s., in Johannesburg 111. 10s. In Pretoria there are no water-rates, in Johannesburg the water-rates on a property of 5000/. value amount to 48/. The result of these taxation arrangements is that a Dutchman in Pretoria, owning a property value 5000/., pays in rates and taxes 15Z. 3s. 6(7., an Englishman in Johannesburg owning a similar property pays in rates and taxes 153/. Is. Wd. This system of taxation, so inequitable, so audacious, so impudent, cannot be expected to endure. Pretoria, with a population of 6000, mainly Dutch, is maintained at the expense of Johannesburg, with a population of 15,000, mainly English. The latter, when it has time to give its attention to municipal as well as mining matters, will demand and exact a thorough reform. Two years at the least will probably elapse before Johannesburg, a town whose life and growth depend on the construction of railways, is properly connected with the sea-coast, with other South African towns, or even with all of its own
ASTOUNDING INEQUALITY OF TAXATION. 63
adjoining coal-fields.1 Millions of tons of machinery, of coal, of provisions, of all necessaries of life, have had to be dragged over hundreds of miles of ground in groaning overladen waggons by ex- hausted, half-starved oxen. In such a condition of things, one might have thought that the most simple and inexperienced Government could, at least, have maintained decent highway communi- cation. Yet the tracks are the worst in the world, in many places almost impassable at the best period of the year, totally impassable in the wet season, A comparatively small expenditure Avould suffice to render traffic possible, and even easy. The loss of life among oxen, the wear and tear and damage suffered by and done to wheeled vehicles on account of these aAvful and even perilous tracks, the loss sustained by a system of transit too dilatory and tedious for description, must be incalculable, and certainly vastly exceeds the amount requisite for the maintenance of proper highways. It is, I believe, the fact that repeated applications have been made to the President for money to be spent on improving or repairing the roads, but all such applications are vain. The President replies that he has no money to spend on such things as roads, that the tracks which are in existence were made by and were good enough for the forefathers of the Boers,
1 Since this was written a railway convention has been con- cluded between Cape Colony and the Transvaal, under which the railway will be extended to Johannesburg before the close of 1892
64 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
and are therefore more than good enough for the present day. The perverse simplicity of these Boers is inconceivable, but to it there attaches a dark stain. Corruption, it is openly and publicly asserted in the press, in public speeches, and in society, sways violently and malignantly Government circles. The vicious system of concessions abounds. Dynamite, an article of prime necessity in a mining country,has been made the subject of a monopoly, and granted to an individual who, for considerations unknown, .is entitled to exclude all other dynamite from the country but his own, and receives a royalty of 12s. 6c7. a ton on all his own dynamite which is consumed. To such a pitch has the policy of con- cession been carried, that I am informed that quite recently an individual applied to the Govern- ment for a concession to grant concessions, and that the proposition was gravely and seriously considered, but has not yet been accepted. If this country had been in the hands of the English or the Americans it would probably now be peopled by some millions of Europeans, would be giving forth every variety in inexhaustible quantities of vegetable, animal, and mineral produce, would be intersected by railways and canals — in a word, it might be the most wealthy and prosperous spot upon the face of the earth. But Providence has cursed it with the rule of 50,000 Boers, and for a time, but I expect only for a time, it is destined still to languish.
THE ROBINSON GOLD MINE AT JOHANNESBURG. 65
CHAPTER V.
MINING AND SPORTING.
Account of the Robinson Gold Mine at Johannesburg — The Langlaate Estate — Chlorination at the Ferriera Mine — Dr. Simon — The McArthur- Forrest process — Observations on the gold-fields of Johannesburg — Silver Mines in the Transvaal — Deer preserves — With Dog and Gun in search of Game.
OF all the gold mines round Johannesburg, the Robinson mine is the most remarkable for its size both in respect of area and capital invested, for the high average richness of its ore, for the enter- prise and method of its management. This mine was originally bought by a small syndicate for less than 20,0001. In 1888, a company was formed to work it, with a capital of 2,700,OOOZ. The company possesses a " myn pacht," or mining lease, of about 200 acres, containing some sixty mining claims. Three distinct reefs are being worked at different levels, the main reef leader, the middle reef, and the south reef. The latter has hitherto afforded the richest results. The deepest level now being developed is about 500 feet below the surface, and it has been found by assay, but not yet confirmed by practical crushing, that the ore at this depth maintains its richness. There are about five miles of underground workings, mostly illuminated by the electric light.'
66 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
The ore, which near the surface of the ground is a friable conglomerate, free from pyrites, becomes at the deeper levels hard conglomerate rock, almost impervious to the ordinary drill and hammer worked by manual labour, and highly pyritic. These two qualities have necessitated the installation of American air-drilling machinery of such power as to be capable of drilling a hole four feet deep into the rock in fifteen minutes, which a native would be unable to complete working an
General view of the Robinson Gold Mines at Johannesburg.
entire day. The abundant presence of pyrites compels the chemical treatment of the concen- trates and tailings, the stamps alone being unable to extract more than fifty per cent, of the gold. The McArthur-Forrest process, or, in other words, the treatment of the ore by cyanide of potassium, is being tried upon the tailings, and a chlorination plant is being installed for the treatment of the concentrates. It is too soon to pronounce upon the respective merits of these processes, and it is possible that the expense per ton may .be greater
A PROFITABLE ENTERPRISE. 67
than would admit of appreciable profit.1 Here and there in the deeper levels pockets of ore of extraordinary richness are found. I have before me as I write a specimen taken from such a pocket estimated by assay to produce a thousand ounces to the ton. This is probably an exaggerated estimate. Another specimen has been estimated to produce twenty-eight ounces to the ton. The average yield of the ore in the deeper levels will probably be found to be a little under two ounces per ton. The entire gold production of the Robinson mine since the commencement of the year 1889 up to July 1891, a period of a little more than two years, may be stated in round figures at 100,000 tons of ore, realizing 200,000 ounces of gold, in value from six to eight hundred thousand pounds. Upon the enormous capital the directors declared for the year 1889 a dividend of five per cent., and for the year 1890 four per cent. They spent moreover out of earnings on the development of the mine, and on new machinery, an amount equal to these dividends. From October, 1891, when the additional twenty stamps have been erected, making a total of sixty stamps, when the rock-drilling machinery is at work and the chlorination plant set up, the manager expects to get from crushings from 8500 to 9000 ounces of gold per month.2 There are employed in the
1 Since the above 'was written both the processes mentioned have been worked at a good profit.
2 The returns of the crushings at the Robinson mine for the month of January, 1892, showed a production of nearly 12,000 ounces of gold.
if 2
68 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Robinson mine 130 Europeans and about 900 native workmen. The wages paid to Europeans range high ; carpenters receive from 51. to 5Z. 10s. a week, skilled mechanics and blacksmiths receive 61. a week. Strange to say, in spite of these high wages, the white workmen are constantly leaving their employment and going off to Mashonaland. The directors find it more and more difficult to obtain skilled labour, and there appears to be, both at this mine and generally all over the Randt, a most promising opening for young English mechanics and miners. The cost of living would probably exceed the cost of living in England, but the high wages, coupled with dwellings rent free, in addition to a magnificent climate, appear to open the road to fortune. The Robinson mine is probably one of the finest gold mines in the world, but it is overburdened with an excessive capital account, which before long it may be found convenient and practicable consider- ably to reduce. Situated somewhat to the west of the Robinson Mine is the Langlaate Estate. This company, with a capital of 450,000/., owns and works an estate held in freehold, not under a mining lease, of considerably larger area than that held by the Robinson Company. The main and south reefs are principally worked, but the average yield does not exceed 15 dwts. to the ton. There is, however, an enormous quantity of this ore in sight, and the excellent management enables a good profit to be realized. A battery of 120 stamps is in process of erection on this mine,
THE CYANIDE OF POTASSIUM PROCESS. 69
which is perhaps the best developed and generally the most attractive of all the mines in the Randt. The Ferreira Mine, adjoining the Robinson, is justly celebrated for its splendid milling plant and machinery, and for its economical and skilful administration. The mine consists of about fifteen claims, yielding, on an average, nearly one ounce to the ton. The concentrates and tailings of this mine, when properly treated, are expected to produce a considerably additional yield. Here has been installed a very perfect assay and smelt- ing plant and laboratory. By the courtesy of the very skilful gentleman in charge of this depart- ment, Dr. Simon, I was enabled to follow the beautiful process of the treatment of pyrites by chlorine gas. The pyrites are roasted previously to treatment, becoming extremely friable, losing the sulphur which they contain, freeing the gold, and rendering it accessible to the attractions of chlorine. In the Me Arthur-Forrest process, or the cyanide of potassium process, the tailings do not require to be roasted, the expense of treatment being thereby considerably reduced, but it is asserted that the McArthur-Forrest process is only available for the treatment of tailings where the gold is free, and that it produces no appreciable results when treating pyritic concentrates.1 In the simple chlorination process the pyrites having been roasted (sufficiently to make them porous,
1 This statement, which was made on the authority of Dr. Simon, is altogether denied by the representatives of the McArthur-Forrest process.
70 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
but with a slow heat in order not to smelt them), are placed in a vessel upon a filter composed of powdered quartz and glass. The chlorine gas is produced in another vessel by combining man- ganese and hydrochloric acid. It is then passed through water in order to get rid of the hydro- chloric acid, and it is then passed through sul- phuric acid in order to get rid of the water which it may have taken up. It finally penetrates through the filter described above, to the pyrites in the condition of pure chlorine gas. In a few hours the chlorine combines with the gold in the pyrites, and becomes chloride of gold. This chloride then treated with sulphate of iron, the gold is immediately precipitated in the shape of a black powder ready for smelting. The process when conducted and viewed in a laboratory is very beautiful and wonderful. Other mines claiming attention, and either now or in process of becoming valuable properties, are the " Simmer and Jack," the " Jumpers," and the " Salisbury," all of which I have had the opportunity of in- specting. Speaking generally about this gold- field, it may be remarked : (1) The ore, when first discovered near the surface, was free-milling ore, easily treated, and yielding in places from two or three up to as much as eight ounces to the ton. Small batteries originally produced striking results, the managers being able to pick and choose those parts of the reef where the ore was richest. Since that time larger stamp batteries have been everywhere erected, the easily-treated
THE GOLD-FIELDS OF JOHANNESBURG. 71
rich free-milling ore has become or is becoming rapidly exhausted, and most, if not all, of the mines have now before them an almost inexhaus- tible quantity of hard conglomerate rock, yielding, when treated as a whole and indiscriminately, a considerably lower average of gold, and to extract the gold from which, with any prospect of fair profit, requires the most ingenious and elaborate appliances and the most skilful and economical administration. (2) In the early days of the Randt gold-field folly and fraud reigned supreme. The directors and managers were, as a rule, con- spicuous for their ignorance on all matters of practical mining. The share market was their one and only consideration, the development and proper working of the mine being in many cases absolutely neglected. I was shown the other day the Grahamstown Mine, which, possessing only a claim and a quarter, was palmed off upon the public with a capital of 120,OOOZ. This mine, though situated on the main reef, unfortunately struck upon a spot where the reef was inter- sected by a thick dyke of clay, and it is scarce1 y an exaggeration to say that hardly an ounce of gold ever has rewarded or will reward the victimized shareholders. (3) But this case is by no means unique. Millions of money have been literally thrown away. Bad machinery badly put up has been badly situated, badly worked. Many of the mines are at a standstill for want of capital, and most of them, so eminent experts assure me, are sadly behindhand with their
72 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
development in view of the vast plant which has been erected. A healthier tone and spirit now prevail, the work of reorganization, of reducing capital and working expenses, proceeds apace. Unskilful managers and incompetent directors are being got rid of, either by the efforts of share- holders or of far-sighted men, and viewing the extent and nature of the reefs it is safe to predict that the Randt is on the high road to become the greatest gold-field of the world. It should be remembered that in addition to all the diffi- culties and obstacles which I have described above, and which the gold-fields have had to encounter and overcome, must be reckoned the most stupid, selfish, and incompetent Government which ever afflicted a community or a country. The Transvaal possesses everything which man can desire for comfort, luxury, and general pros- perity. An unequalled climate, a soil of exuberant fertility, mines of gold, silver, coal, and iron, all of great richness : the Boers in their stubborn and mulish ignorance have resolved that, so far as in them lies, none of this great wealth shall be taken advantage of and developed. In a country where millions of acres might produce millions of quarters of grain, only comparatively a few hundreds of thousands of acres produce Indian corn. In a country where the storage of water and irrigation works offer little difficulty either to the engineer or to the exchequer, no systematic storage of water is attempted. Yet the presence of water everywhere within a few feet of the surface of tho
THE SILVER MINES OF THE TRANSVAAL. 73
soil, and the long period of winter drought, would seem to render such storage of water and such irrigation works imperative. In a country desti- tute of trees, but which nevertheless might after a few years' care and industry be covered with forests of various and valuable timber, not an effort at tree planting is made except in the neighbourhood of the gold mines. In a country where for the development of its mineral resources the rapid construction of railways is essential, and where the physical configuration of the ground and other causes marvellously facilitate such con- struction, the same stubborn ignorance, the same mulish folly before alluded to, has successfully delayed and still delays any such railway con- struction.
In the foregoing pages I have spoken of the silver mines. These are situated some forty miles to the east of Johannesburg, and are of very recent discovery. The history of them is some- what remarkable. A company was formed to work them with a capital, I believe, of about a quarter of a million. The affair was probably a fraud, the money was mostly wasted, little was found, nothing was done, and the silver mines of the Transvaal fell into disrepute and disfavour. Some person or persons, however, discovered on the property specimens of ore of singular richness. These being brought to gentlemen possessing ex- perience and capital, were pronounced by them to be good silver ore. A small syndicate was soon formed, shares of the old company were quickly
74 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
bought up, new capital was expended, the reef has been opened up and developed and ascertained to be of great extent and fair richness. The average yield of the ore has been estimated by assay to be about 30oz. of silver to the ton. In some places, however, it reaches the high average of from 200 oz. to 300 oz. to the ton. It also con- tains about 30 per cent, of lead. I am informed by experts that the geological formation of these ore deposits is peculiar, the presence in abundance of carbonate of iron and the almost total absence of zinc and of any excess of silica rendering smelting very easy. At present some difficulty in working this ore at a profit may arise from the necessity of having to use for smelting imported coke at the cost of some 15Z. a ton. In the immediate neighbourhood coal mines are being worked, but it is doubtful whether this coal can be manufac- tured into coke sufficiently good for smelting purposes. It is known, however, that there exist hard by beds of superior coal, and great hopes are entertained that sufficiently good coke may be pro- duced upon the spot. Silver reefs appear to abound on the properties adjoining that of the Transvaal Silver Mines Company ; one or two small syndicates have been formed to acquire and develop these properties, and it is quite possible that the silver mines of the Transvaal may become a larger, a more important, a more valuable industry than even the gold mines of the Randt. I made, in company with some friends, a very interesting and pleasant expedition to these silver
WITH DOG AND GUN. 75
mines, and the incidents of the journey lead me to offer a few remarks upon the presence of game and the prospects of sport in the Transvaal. My friend and I, who were naturally not competent to form any practical judgment on mining values, took with us our guns and dogs in order to while away the time during which the engineers and experts would be at work. Not very many years ago these wide and grassy plains abounded with game of almost every description. Persons whose word can be implicitly relied upon have informed me that within the last fifteen years they can remember these plains being covered as far as the eye could reach with countless thousands of wildebeest, blesbok, springbok, and other varieties of the deer and antelope tribes. So desolate and lifeless is the appearance of these plains now that it is diffi- cult to credit the assertion. It happened, how- ever, unfortunately for the sportsman, that not long ago the demand for hides was considerable, and the wise, prudent, and intelligent Boer im- mediately set to work and slaughtered without discrimination every wild four-footed animal. So reckless and ruthless was the slaughter that these Boer sportsmen (?) never cared to carry home the animals they had slain. Forming themselves into large shooting parties, they shot the beasts down everywhere by scores, by hundreds, and by thou- sands, leaving the carcases to be devoured by the vultures, and going a few days afterwards to gather up the skins which the vultures had neg- lected, and which the sun had dried and tanned.
76 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Now the traveller can compass mile after mile of plain without seeing so much as a solitary buck. In a few places, however, attempts are made to resuscitate and preserve the blesbok and the springbok. On an estate of some 80,000 acres belonging to Messrs. Marks and Co., situated on the Vaal river, about forty miles south of Pretoria, there has been raised a herd of a few hundred springbok, which are carefully preserved. On another estate not far off, near Paritj, belonging to Mr. Koetze, some thousands of blesbok are to be found, and are carefully preserved. These two examples show what might be done in the way of preservation of deer if, not only as regards this, but also as regards many other matters, God had only given a glimmer of intelligence to the Boer. For it must be remembered that these animals are fairly profitable to keep, both their meat and their hides being in some demand. Over the whole Transvaal, however, little now remains to the sportsman beyond feathered game. This exists in respectable quantity and variety, but the expanse of plain is so vast that the game is greatly scattered, and the sportsman must often walk far and long before he is rewarded by a shot, On the grassy veldt will be found more than one kind of magnificent crane ; the pauw or greater bustard may sometimes be secured with a small- bore rifle; the koran or lesser bustard is more numerous ; in the morning and in the evening his discordant call may constantly be heard, and in anything like decent cover he is easily secured with a shot gun. Scattered about the veldt are
SHOOTING THE GAME. 77
" pans " of water, surrounded by reeds and rushes, where wild-fowl may often be seen in considerable numbers, but generally difficult to approach ; while along the " spruits " and in swampy places, snipe of more than one variety at certain times of the year abound. In the neighbourhood of cultivated grounds, of homesteads, and of gardens coveys of red partridges are frequently met with ; and in certain spots quails may be said to swarm at the proper period of the year. The sportsman, how- ever, will have to work very hard and shoot very straight to make up what to an Englishman would appear a respectable bag. My friend and I, shoot- ing for two days in the neighbourhood of the silver mines, obtained the following singularly varied but somewhat scanty bag, nor do I think that the scantiness could be fairly attributed to any exces- sively unskilful shooting: three snipe, ten quail, six duck, one wild goose, seven partridges, five koran, three plover, four pigeons, one eagle, and five bitterns.
At this time I was enabled by the kindness of Messrs. Marks to make a shooting expedition to the estate before alluded to, which is carefully pre- served, and where shooting is seldom allowed. Our party consisted of four guns, and we remained on the estate for four days. The weather was perfect ; cool, and even frosty nights, bright and warm days with refreshing breezes. We camped out on the veldt, sleeping in a bell tent. The method of living, though rough and ready, was rendered enjoyable by the presence of a French cook, who skilfully treated us in the evening with
78 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
the different varieties of game we had secured in the day. In the morning, up before daybreak, mounted on well-trained ponies, we chased the springbok emerging from the cultivated land on to the veldt, galloping as near to them as the fleet- ness of our horses would permit, generally about 400 yards, dismounting, rapidly firing a snappy chancey shot, then remounting and after them again, getting, perhaps, two or three more shots, and so on until the herd had galloped far away out of range. This method of shooting deer requires much habit and experience, and much good fortune. Only two springbok rewarded our efforts, neither of which, I must confess, fell to my rifle. The chase, however, is in itself ex- citing, the gallop across the veldt in the cool morning air indescribably exhilarating, and the effect of it is to make breakfast a widely different and far more agreeable meal than one knows it to be at home. After breakfast the shot guns are resorted to, and likely places are hunted over by pointers and setters, or beaten by "boys," after the partridge, the koran, or the quail. In the evening, thoroughly wearied out, the dinner table and the camp fire are found to be real luxuries, and nine o'clock would see us huddled up in our bell tent, and sleeping that slumber which only the satisfied sportsman knows. A description of the bag may be of interest : four duck, fifty par- tridge, four hares, 250 quail, eight koran, eleven snipe, one dikkop, one wild turkey, one blue crane, and two springbok.
A CHANCE FOR BRITISH ENTERPRISE. 79 CHAPTER VI.
THE TRANSVAAL BOERS.
A chance for British enterprise — The capacity of the Transvaal and the incapacity of its rulers — The journey from Johan- nesburg to Pretoria — Description of Pretoria — The Dutch Parliament — From the Strangers' Gallery — An interview with President Kruger — Parliamentary manners — General Joubert — Report of a case showing the Boer idea of jus- tice— Illtreatment of Natives by the Boers — Shall we surrender Swaziland 1 — The Withering Grasp of the Boer.
No English traveller who observes and reflects can leave Johannesburg and not desire that the merits of this town and its many attractions might be made known to and appreciated by the English people. Here almost every description of British enterprise and skill may find a promising opening. The accountant, the young clerk who has received a good commercial education, the skilled mechanic, the farmer, the market gardener, the miner, the agricultural labourer, will all find themselves in demand. A comparatively small capital, ranging from 101. to 50Z., would probably be found suffi- cient to start these different descriptions of labour on their road to fortune, relatively, of course, to the employment which they select, and to the education which they have received. Domestic service also offers a most favourable field. Scarcely anything is requisite for success beyond steady and temperate habits, and an industrious and versa- tile disposition. I have come across more than
8o MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
one young Englishman, who, coming out here at an early age, with hardly a penny at his disposal, finds himself at the age of twenty-five in possession of what may be accurately termed a fortune. Now, probably, is the moment for an emigrant. In two years' time or so a railroad communication between Johannesburg and the coast will have been established, and although by the establish- ment of such communication, all vested interests from the highest to the lowest, corporate and individual alike, will be enormously increased in value, the labour market will become more fully stocked, and the competition for existence pro- portionately harder. It can hardly be a matter for doubt that the gold-fields of Johannesburg are destined to attract and support a population which will ultimately dominate and rule the Transvaal. Not only is it certain that there is gold ore practically in sight sufficient to occupy the energies of a mining plant far larger than that which now exists for one or two generations, but the many wants of a mining population where wealth is easily and largely gained, and where luxury and free expenditure become a habit, offer to every variety of commercial enterprise promis- ing prospects. The mere feeding of such a popu- lation will be a work of great profit. All over the Transvaal, and especially around Johannesburg, the well-watered and yet easily-drained valleys possess a soil of astonishing fertility, which with ordinary skill and care could produce abundant crops of almost every grain, every vegetable, and every fruit. Whether for housebuilding, for use
in mines, or for common firewood, the plantation of trees proposes to a landowner munificent re- muneration. Such is the geniality of the climate, such the fertility of the soil, that many kinds of useful and valuable trees are estimated by competent authority to make a growth of no less than ten feet in the course of a year. For the independence of the Transvaal Boers it was truly a most fortunate circumstance that the discovery of the gold-fields succeeded rather than preceded the restoration of Boer independence in 1881. Had Johannesburg, with its present popu- lation, its present possessions, and its present prospects, existed at the time of the Transvaal War, it never would 'have been suffered to pass away from the dominion of the British Govern- ment. I adhere to the opinion I expressed in a former letter that the restoration of Dutch inde- pendence was necessary if not essential to the peaceful government of the Cape Colony, but viewing the Transvaal as it is, and calculating what it might be if its possessors and rulers were English, one cannot but lament that so splendid a territory should have ceased to be British. The English traveller, according to his disposition, must be sorrowful or indignant when he considers the contrast; which is afforded by the capacity of the country and the incapacity of its present rulers. The natural events of the future will probably peacefully retrieve the losses occasioned by the errors of the past. The gold-fields, when connected by railways with the coast, will be
82 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
crowded in a few years' time with thousands of Englishmen, who will impatiently jerk from their shoulders the government of the Boers. These will be out-numbered, absorbed, or scattered. Already this process is perceptibly going on. All the capital invested in the Transvaal is foreign and under foreign direction. Such is also the case with all industry other than pastoral ; I was informed on good authority that more than three-fourths of the land itself is now owned by foreigners. The days of the Transvaal Boers as an independent and distinct nationality in South Africa are numbered ; they will pass away un- honoured, unlamented, scarcely even remembered either by the native or by the European settler. Having had given to them great possessions and great opportunities, they will be written of only for their cruelty towards and tyranny over the native races, their fanaticism, their ignorance, and their selfishness ; they will be handed down to posterity by tradition as having conferred no single benefit upon any single human being, not even upon themselves, and upon the pages of African history they will leave the shadow, but only a shadow, of a dark reputation and an evil name.
These were the reflections with which I journeyed from Johannesburg to Pretoria. The road traverses a rolling veldt, similar to the other parts of the Transvaal which I have visited. Al- though a highway of great importance, and crowded with traffic of one kind and another,
PRETORIA. 83
the Transvaal Government allow this road to be maintained in a condition as bad, if not worse, than that of any other highway communication in the country. Pretoria lies some five-and-thirty miles to the north of Johannesburg. Round Pretoria the veldt becomes more broken, and the eye is pleased at having its range of vision inter- rupted by low chains of hills, among which are seen pretty dells and valleys and streams, and some appreciable appearance of tree and bush. Fifteen hundred feet less than Johannesburg above the level of the sea, lying in a sheltered hollow, Pretoria, in respect of climate, is far milder and more genial than the high ridges of the gold-fields. The soil of Pretoria is of wonderful fertility for the cultivation of vegetables, flowers, and trees. Nearly every house has its garden, and every garden possesses a plentiful supply of water. The white population numbers under 6000, and it is estimated that some 6000 natives also inhabit the town. It bears all the appearance of a town in its infancy, low straggling cottages and shanty residences adjoining stone and brick buildings of imposing size. The Govern- ment buildings, which are approaching com- pletion, erected in a French style of architecture, are distinctly fine and good. They have been built at a cost of about 200,0002. They accom- modate all the Government offices and the two Chambers of the Volksraad. I was present at one of the sittings of the Dutch Parliament, and observed a combination of pomp
G 2
84 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
and commonplace which was somewhat amusing. The First Chamber (or the House of Commons) transact their business in a lofty, spacious, and well-proportioned hall painted in red and green, the national colours, decorated with the arms of the South African Republic largely displayed, and with a full-length portrait of the present President. The Chairman is seated on a platform which traverses the whole length of the hall. On his right is a seat for the President, and again on the right of the President are seated the members of the Executive, conspicuous among whom was General Joubert. Below on another platform are seated two clerks who read out to the assembly the orders of the day and the contents of bills, memorials, or petitions. To these clerks is also confided the arduous duty of taking down in shorthand the speeches of the members. On the floor of the hall are ranged the members, seated at three long, narrow, parallel tables, slightly curved in the form of a horse-shoe. Some thirty members were present while I was there. Coats and hats were hung up round the wall ; a mes- senger or doorkeeper, in a sort of light brown shooting jacket, heavy walking boots, and a slouch felt hat, strolled about among the members, and represented to my mind the decorous and well- attired officials of our own Parliament. The members speak from their places when called upon by the Chairman. The President is a constant attendant, and takes so free and frequent a part in the debates, that the jealousy of the assembly has
THE TRANSVAAL PARLIAMENT. 85
been at times aroused, and efforts are from time to time made to restrain the eloquent interference of the Head of the State. I had the advantage of hearing several speeches, and though not under- standing the Dutch language, I noticed that the speakers combined fluency with brevity, that their manner was one of ease and of dignity, their gesticulation natural and free. In the Second Chamber I heard the President himself take part in the debate. Three times he spoke with much deliberate composure, but by no means without animation. The two Chambers sit from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. till 4 p.m. They adjourn, however, for a few minutes every hour, for the purposes of smoking and conversation. During one of the adjournments of the Second Chamber I had the honour of being presented to the Presi- dent. His Honour is a gentleman of some sixty- five years of age, tall, and rather stout, with a grave, shrewd, but by no means unkindly counte- nance. At the moment of adjournment he had lit a short pipe, at which he puffed hastily and im- petuously. Other members were walking about the Chambers also smoking. Some of these manners the English Parliament might copy with great advantage. His Honour was good enough to express to me the opinion that the Boer trek into Mashonaland, which has been so much talked about, would give rise to no trouble or anxiety whatever, but that, on the other hand, Boer settlers in Mashonaland would be of great advan- tage and assistance to the Chartered Company. In
86 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
answer to an inquiry from me his Honour also expressed the opinion that the Matabele would show no hostility against the white settlement in Mashonaland as long as their own proper country was in no way interfered with. The President's manner was extremely gracious and genial, and it was not difficult, after only a few minutes of con- versation with him and of observation of him, to understand the great and strong influence which he has acquired and retained over his countrymen. The discussions of the Volksraad in either Chamber are often of extreme simplicity and, indeed, frivo- lity. The Second Chamber a short time ago dis- cussed at length with much gravity, and at times with some heat and asperity, the question of how its members should be attired. It was at length resolved that a tall white hat, white tie, and black coat should be the prescribed costume. I may add that this Second Chamber has only recently been created. Its members are elected by the same con- stituencies as those which elect the First Chamber. The Boer Constitution-mongers having brought this political infant into existence were exhausted, and neglected to supply it with powers, rights, or duties. It can neither initiate, nor alter, nor oven review legislation. Its consent is not sought for to any law, neither has it any right to discuss any question of expenditure, nor is any information given to it as to expenditure. In its present form it is a mere debating society. In the First Chamber the following incident occurred the other day : Two members, Messrs. Benkes and De Beer,
PARLIAMENTARY MANNERS. 87
who sit next one another, have the weakness to be exceedingly nervous and shy. Immediately after the afternoon opening, at 2 p.m., Mr. Benkes dis- covered that some joker had put a dead lizard among his papers. Jumping up he threw the lizard to Mr. De Beer, who loudly exclaimed, " Mr. Chairman, there is a cogolomander here, " and ran away. The Chairman : " What is it ? " Mr. De Beer : " A lizard, Mr. Chairman. " The Chairman : "It won't bite you, it is dead. " Mr. De Beer, throwing the reptile at Mr. Benkes, " Take that. " The Chairman : " Order, now ! let us proceed with the work. Come here, messenger, and take that lizard away. " Mr. De Beer then resumed his seat, crying to Mr. Benkes, " You were more afraid than I was. " The President, with difficulty sometimes, controls and gets his way with these assemblies. In old days he was accustomed to awe them by threats of his resigna- tion in case they did not agree with him. This method having become weak by over-use, he has hit upon a new device, and quite recently he told the members who where disputing with him that if they did not yield he would reduce their salaries. They were terrified into -immediate submission. It may be mentioned that the members of either House receive a salary of SZ.per diem while the Houses are in Session. The President receives a salary of 8000Z. a year. He lives very quietly, never entertains, indeed, he never gives bite or sup to a soul. He is reported to have amassed a large fortune. One of the curiosities of the Boer
88 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Constitution which should b'e noted is, that during the recess of Parliament the President has power of his own authority to issue proclamations having the force of law, which are, and remain, valid until the meeting of the First Chamber, when they are confirmed or disallowed. This power, which obvi- ously is open to the greatest abuse, has been, it is asserted, much abused.
General Joubert cumulates in himself three distinct offices — that of Commandant of the Army, Minister for Native Affairs, and member of the Executive Government. For these three offices he receives a salary of 3000/. a year. Nearly all the offices of Government are occupied by Hollanders. These immigrants — "Uitlanders," as they are called — are disliked by the old Boer and Africander population. They are pure office- seekers, without any sympathy for the Boer, speaking high Dutch — a language " not under- standed of the people," and are justly reputed to be as ignorant as they are arrogant, as corrupt as they are stupid. The Boer idea of justice, as between Boer and native, deserves remark. I read the report of a case in which Adriaan E. de Lange, a . Government official, belonging to a family much respected in the district, was indicted for having caused the death of a native by violence. It appeared that in November last a Kaffir accused of theft was committed to the care of De Lange, the assistant Field-cornet for the ward of Hooge- veldt, to be lodged in the Rustemburg goal, and that before reaching the latter place the Kaffir
BOER HUMANITY. 89
died on the following morning, of injuries said to have been inflicted by De Lange. When De Lange was brought before the magistrate he was committed for trial on the charge of culpable homicide, and the magistrate refused to admit him to bail. On hearing of this, the Boer farmers in the neighbourhood assembled in such numbers, and assumed such a menacing attitude, that the magistrate was terrified and allowed De Lange to go out on bail. From medical evidence at the trial it appeared that the Kaffir had been mal- treated in a frightful manner, the body being covered with bruises and raw places from top to toe. He had also received internal injuries to the lungs and to the stomach, which were full of blood from ruptured blood vessels ; the kidneys were severly inflamed. The external injuries, the district surgeon stated, must have been caused partly by some blunt instrument, such as a " sjambok, " and partly by dragging the body along the ground by means of a leather strap which was found attached to the wrist. There was no doubt that death had resulted from the injuries inflicted. The chief witness for the prose- cution was Jantje, a native in the employ of a storekeeper, who deposed that De Lange had arrived on the afternoon of November 12th at his master's store with the deceased in charge, and that at De Lange's request Jantje was told by his master to take the deceased to Rustemburg. Ac- cording to this witness many sores and bruises were visible on the Kaffir on his arrival at the
9O MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
store. Jantje then related in a very graphic manner how De Lange presently overtook him as he was leading the unwilling and weary prisoner along, stating that he was dissatisfied with his slow progress. De Lange, after getting off his horse and thrashing the deceased, got on again, and by means of a long rein fastened to the boy's left wrist, dragged him along the road. This, he asserted, De Lange repeated many times, alter- nately dismounting to shower blows on deceased with his " sjambok," and mounting again to drag him along the ground by the rein round the wrist. Finally, De Lange, after kicking deceased, and stamping with his foot on his neck, chest, and stomach, left him and rode off to a farmhouse near by to get more assistance, instructing Jantje to go on meanwhile, and if the Kaffir would not walk to drag him if necessary, instructions which Jantje feared to disobey. De Lange presently returning, commenced the same ill-treatment as before, and further seized deceased by the throat, holding him so tightly that the tongue protruded, all but suffocating him. Eventually the poor wretch entirely gave in, and had to be taken to a black- smith's shop in the neighbourhood, where he was tied up by De Lange, and watch set over him. Jantje's evidence was corroborated by that of his master, by the medical evidence, and by two other witnesses. De Lange then proceeded to Rustem- burg, where he spent the night. The following morning he returned to fetch his prisoner, but death was before him, for half an hour previously
BOER JUSTICE. 91
the hunted wretch had breathed his last. The jury were absent an hour and a half, and on their return announced that they found a verdict of " Not Guilty. " The report adds that the accused is a member of the " Gereformeerde, " or " Dopper " Church, that all but two of the jury were of the same denomination, arid further, that there were relatives of the accused among them. The native, Jantje, whose testimony was so important, quite unshaken under the most searching cross-examina- tion, had been some twenty-six years in the service of his present master, and had always borne an excellent character. For nearly six months before the trial he was detained in gaol as a witness, although the accused was liberated on bail. His master stated that he himself had offered bail to the amount of 250/. for Jantje's appearance, but it was refused. The report concludes : — " Among the Boers in the ward, for which De Lange is Field-cornet, feeling ran high, and would, it is thought, have taken very definite shape had the verdict been different. De Lange is most popular with them, for it is felt that he is a man who understands how to deal with a Kaffir. Should he consider that recent occurrences make it becoming on his part to resign his field-cornetcy, they express their determination to re-elect him immediately. " l Such is Boer justice.
The above case is a typical one, and for that reason, as well as for its shocking details, I have
1 Local Newspaper, Standard and Diggers' News, May 12th, 1891.
92 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
quoted it at length. Not that all Boers, or, indeed, many Boers, would be guilty of such inhuman cruelty. It is typical, in the sense that all Boers, whether on the bench or in the jury-box, would act in a precisly similar manner, no matter what the circumstances of the case might be, where Boer interests and Boer life were on one side and native interests and native life on the other. Cases of cruel treatment inflicted by Boers on natives are by no means rare. The Boer does not recognize that the native is in any degree raised above the level of the lower animals. In conversa- tion he describes the native as a " creature." His undying hatred for the English arises mainly from the fact that the English persist in according at least in theory equal rights to the coloured popula- tion as are enjoyed by the whites. In the Trans- vaal no native may travel from one place to another unless he is provided with a pass. In the towns no native may be out at night, unless he is similarly protected. Neither can any native in the Transvaal acquire a title to land. On the other hand, throughout the Transvaal the native enjoys the valuable privilege of being able to purchase and consume in any quantity the most poisonous alcoholic compounds. Taking all these matters into consideration, I can imagine that a British Ministry or a British Parlia- ment may pause and hesitate before hand- ing over to Boer dominion Swaziland and its people. This is the territory which the Boers eagerly covet as giving them additional grazing
SHALL WE SURRENDER SWAZILAND ? 93
ground and a fine opening on to the coast. They aver, with what amount of truth I know not, that Swaziland has been more than once promised to them by persons holding official positions under the British Crown. The main cause and object of the recent threatened " trek" into Mashonaland was to put pressure upon the High Commissioner in this matter of Swaziland. " If you will redeem your promise of giving us Swaziland we will drop the trek. " Such was always the Boer thought, and such was often the Boer expression from President Kruger downwards. Two circumstances undoubtedly militate in favour of the cession of this territory to the Boers. In the first place the British Commissioner, Sir Francis de Winton, sent out specially by the British Government to inquire into and report upon the condition of things in Swaziland, recommended the cession of the territory to the Boers. In the second place the present arrangement, namely, a joint Govern- ment of the country by British and Dutch Com- missioners, is unsatisfactory to all parties con- cerned, cannot be regarded as a permanent one, and could very easily be made unworkable by the Boers themselves.
In spite, however, of these considerations, in view of the utter misgovernment of the Transvaal, of the insolent denial by the Boers of all political and even municipal rights to persons residing in the Trans- vaal, other than of Dutch birth, strongly impressed with the knowledge of the vicious and cruel senti- ments which the Boers entertain towards the native
94 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
races, I own that it would be with the greatest misgiving and reluctance that I could persuade myself as a member of Parliament to support the surrender to the Boers of the fortunes and destinies of the Swazis ; a race, in many respects, of superior quality and promise, one, moreover, which in recent years has fought gallantly side by side with British troops, and has acquired a peculiar title to British protection.
The Boer farmer personifies useless idleness. Occupying a farm of from six thousand to ten thousand acres, he contents himself with raising a herd of a few hundred head of cattle, which are left almost entirely to the care of the natives whom he employs. It may be asserted, generally with truth, that he never plants a tree, never digs a well, never makes a road, never grows a blade of corn. Rough and ready cultivation of the soil for mealies by the natives he to some extent permits, but agriculture and the agriculturist he holds alike in great contempt. He passes his day doing absolutely nothing beyond smoking and drinking coffee. He is perfectly uneducated. With the exception of the Bible, every word of which in its most literal interpretation he believes with fanatical credulity, he never opens a book, he never even reads a newspaper. His simple ignor- ance is unfathomable, and this in stolid composure he shares with his wife, his sons, his daughters, being proud that his children should grow up as ignorant, as uncultivated, as hopelessly unpro- gressive as himself. In the winter time he moves
THE WITHERING GRASP OF THE BOER. 95
with his herd of cattle into the better pastures and milder climate of the low country veldt, and lives as idly and uselessly in his waggon as he does in his farmhouse. The summer sees him returning home, and so on, year after year, generation after generation, the Boer farmer drags out the most degraded and ignoble existence ever ex- perienced by a race with any pretensions to civilization. I have, I must admit, met some persons in Government circles and elsewhere of Boer or Dutch birth who are entirely excluded from the scope of these remarks, whose manners were polite and amiable, who . were anxious to show kindness and hospitality, whose conversa- tion was distinguished by original ideas and liberal sentiments. These, however, are but bright exceptions. I speak of the nation of Trans- vaal Boers as a whole, as I think I have seen it. I turned my back gladly on this people, hastening northwards to lands possessed I hoped of equal wealth, brighter prospects, reserved for more worthy owners entitled to happier destinies ; I rejoiced after all that I had seen in the Trans- vaal, that the country and the people of the Matabele and the Mashona had been rescued in the nick of time, owing to the genius of Mr. Rhodes and the tardy vigour of the British Government, from the withering and mortal grasp of the Boer.
96 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
CHAPTER VII.
ON THE ROAD TO MASHONALAND.
The Chartered Company's Station at Fort Tuli — Mining in the Zoutspanburg District — The Progress of the " Spider " — Our first cooking efforts — Hints for sportsmen — Sixty miles without water — A glimpse of Fairyland — We meet Major Sapte and Mr. Victor Morier — Meeting with Captain Laurie at Rhode's Drift — The Bechuanaland Border Police — A " Boer trek " — President Kruger's posi- tion— Sir Frederick Carrington and the B.S.A.C. Go's police — Experiment with the new magazine Rifle.
" There is Fort Tuli. " Such were the welcome words uttered by Captain Laurie, of the Bechu- analand Border Police, who was riding with me on the morning of Sunday, the 12th of July. I looked up and found that a sudden turn of the road descending to the Tuli River disclosed an emi- nence about 300 feet high, somewhat resembling in miniature the Hog's Back at Aldershot, surmounted by a group of white tents over which floated in the breeze the British flag. Early in March, 1891, I was in the Westminster Palace Hotel, talking over with Mr. Cecil Rhodes the journey to South Africa which I then contemplated. " There is Fort Tuli," he said, " the first station of the Chartered Company," pointing to a spot on the map before him, and drawing a straight line in pencil from Pretoria to Tuli. He added, " And that is the
DEPARTURE FROM PRETORIA. 97
road you must travel." I own I little thought at the time I should ever get to Tuli, for these long journeys are chancy sort of things, and many difficulties and obstacles often intervene to prevent their accomplishment. Between seven thousand and eight thousand miles I had travelled since leaving London ; now only about four hundred miles separated me from Fort Salisbury, in Mashonaland, to which I was bound. A period of eleven weeks was occupied in compassing the greater distance , a further period of six weeks will be taken up in traversing the lesser. Now begins the hard travel- ling. The country ahead is still in a savage state. No hotels, no stores, no provisions to be bought on the road, beyond mealies, and perhaps here and there milk and eggs and poultry. Everything necessary for the support of the expedition has to be carried along. Before entering upon the com- position and the plant of the expedition, a short description of the journey from Pretoria may be of interest. Our party, consisting of Captain Williams, Mr. H. C. Perkins, myself, and a servant, with a fair allowance of baggage, left Pretoria in the early morning of Friday, the 3rd July. We travelled in one of the ordinary coaches of the country, which had been specially retained. Going north the grass veldt is left behind, and the road descends on to the low country bush veldt, passing through hill scenery of much beauty. It is a great relief, getting away from the high grass veldt, with its hopeless expanse, unbroken by tree, bush, or living creature. Now the surroundings
98 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
captivate the mind. Trees, bushes, glens, glades abound on every side hi much variety. Often one may fancy oneself in an English park, or in an English wood. Although winter, numberless ever- green trees, plants, and bushes attract and please the eye. The day passes rapidly travelling through this lovely country. It is midday, ap- parently, immediately after sunrise, and dusk before one has had time for a brief afternoon slumber. Our first halt was made at the Warm Baths, about fifty miles from Pretoria. Here there are some hot springs, possessing medicinal qualities. The water issues from the ground at a temperature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The baths are of the roughest description, square holes dug in the earth, the sides plastered with mud. However, we found them fairly refreshing after a long and dusty drive. The hotel accommodation is rude but clean, and doubtless the Boer considers the place a perfect Capua for luxury. The next day, passing always through beautiful woodland scenery, brought us at noon to Nylstrom. Here are a Landroost's office, a telegraph station, a hotel and store, all newly erected. The hotel and store were kept by a rascally fellow, who told us we could have no food for two hours, and on being informed thai; we were provided with supplies of our own, calmly charged us 21. 10s. for an hour's use of the common dining-room. In the evening we reached Bads-loop, where we found some clean bedrooms and an excellent store, the property of a young German settler, who was
MINING IN THE ZOUTSPANBURG. 99
most obliging, amiable, and hospitable, whose charges were moderate. In the morning we journeyed to Eytings, where again we found good accommodation. The place is named after the owner of the hotel. During the two previous days' travelling through the low bush country we had descended to a level of about 3000 feet, but on the third day the road again ascended, and at Eytings reached the altitude of 4500 feet. Start- ing at daybreak the following morning we passed through Smitsdorp, a flourishing and rising little town, about 10 a.m., and reached Pietersburg at noon, having taken three days and a half over a journey of about 180 miles. Pietersburg is the capital of the extensive district of the Zoutspan- burg. Round about, both in the high and low country, many mining enterprises are being carried on. We visited the Mount Marais Mine, four miles from Smitsdorp, and the Palmitsfontein Mine, about six miles from Pietersburg. In the former the ore is of low grade ; in the latter it is in places very rich, but uncertain in extent and depth and pockety. It is not probable that either of these mines will greatly reward its owners. Accounts more or less reliable reached us of extremely rich gold findings recently made in the low country Murchison district, about eighty miles to the east- ward of Pietersburg, one mine, "The Birthday," having produced some very remarkable quartz specimens. This district is, however, at present very inaccessible, much tormented with fever, horse sickness, and " fly," and some long time will
H 2
ioo MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.-
elapse before precise and definite information can be obtained, and some still longer time before any development of the auriferous properties can be made. But the mineral resources of the Transvaal are, indeed, extraordinary. Far and wide all over the country they may be found, and it is difficult to over-estimate the numbers of the population which will at some future day be settled here or the amount of wealth which will be produced.
At Pietersburg our method of travelling had to be changed. The coach was abandoned and " the spider" resorted to. This latter carriage I had purchased from Mr. Nelmapius at Pretoria ; it had been specially constructed for travelling in the veldt. The four wheels are high, light in appear- ance, but of great strength. The seats inside provide for four passengers, and are roomy and comfortable. On the driver's seat three persons can be seated. Over all, projecting well on to the splashboard, is a light canvas covering fitted with windows and with cushioned sides. At night the space between the inside seats is fitted up with the cushions from the front seat, the curtains behind and in front are let down, the windows raised, and a first-rate sleeping apartment and bed are at once secured. These "spiders" are constructed to go over almost any road, and are far more comfortable and less jolting than a two-wheel Cape cart. Eight fine strong mules, an English driver, and a " boy," complete the equipment. Besides the " spider " we had to engage a cart with six mules for our baggage and provisions. From Pieters- burg to Tuli there is no hotel and little store ac-
i
Ot
THE SPIDER." 101
commodation. This will, probably, be soon provided, as a coach service now passes along the road, either way, twice a week, but the traveller who desires to be reasonably comfortable will do well to rely upon his own feeding, cooking, and sleeping resources, and for a long time to come will find a night passed in the bush very preferable to one passed in the inside of a Transvaal shanty. For twenty or thirty miles round Pietersburg, the high grass veldt without tree or bush is seen, broken here and there by isolated kopjes. We travelled twenty-five miles on leaving Pietersburg, where I may remark we found a thoroughly good hotel, and encamped near a small store kept by a German. Here commenced our first cooking efforts. To collect brushwood and dried dung for the fire, to fill the kettles and boil the water are the first duties ; bacon and eggs and bread are the staple of the repast, supplemented by such tinned provisions as may have been brought along. Eggs and bread and milk are very often not obtainable, when biscuits and preserved milk form indifferent substitutes. My party soon became very skilful and expeditious with their kitchen arrangements, and would have breakfast or dinner ready within half-an-hour of outspanning. The weather was perfect, with the exception of one day, when for a few hours we were troubled with a regular Scotch drizzle ; the nights were cool, but not cold ; the bush country into which we plunged on the second day after leaving Pietersburg, varied and agree- able. Partridges, " pheasants(?) " guinea foAvl, and doves can be secured along the route, and form ap-
102 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
preciable additions to the daily meals. Any one travelling in this country for pleasure should cer- tainly be accompanied by a couple of well-trained pointers. With these he would often have excel- lent sport. Long-haired dogs, such as setters, retrievers, spaniels, should not be brought here, as they soon become infested by ticks which cannot be seen or extracted, and which bleed and torture the poor animals, making festering sores, until the dogs fall away in condition, become weak and use- less, and often die. A good supply of carbolic oil is essential, as all scratches from thorns, bites, and stings from insects on the hands or face are likely in this country to fester and give trouble unless treated with carbolic oil. Two hours at daybreak and an hour and a half at sunset are the best times for shooting game, which the wild beauty and variety of the bush renders a most exhilarating pursuit. On the second and third days we had to traverse a route totally unprovided with water for a distance of about sixty miles. The abundant vegetation demonstrates that any quantity of water could be found within a few feet of the surface by digging ; but wells are looked upon by the Boers as useless luxuries, and unless Nature has provided a " pan " or " spruit," the Boer passes on, at a cost of no matter what amount of suffering to his ani- mals. For twenty-four hours our mules got no water, and consequently reached Jahshaan on the evening of the third day in a very exhausted con- dition. A night's rest and good water completely restored them. At Jahshaan is a kopje, where there are many guinea fowls. Here also, is a kraal,
SIXTY MILES WITHOUT WATER. 103
where relays of mules are kept for the coach service. On the afternoon of the fourth day we arrived at a spot which for beauty of scenery is unrivalled. The abundant presence of palm trees and palm bushes indicated that the tropics had been entered. Many large trees give most grateful shade. The " cream of tartar " tree is a most re- markable growth, in that the circumference of the trunk, from thirty to forty feet, often exceeds the height of the tree itself, and the branches, which are thrown off at the top, are so disproportionately small, when compared with the trunk, as to give to this tree a most grotesque and rather weird appear- ance. The fruit hangs in pods about the size of a small cocoanut from the branches, and contains a white, creamy substance highly acid to the taste, which the natives aver is a specific in cases of fever. Our camp was situated about 400 yards from the Limpopo. I was strolling along the river bank in the evening with a gun, when I suddenly came upon the most lovely scenery that I ever beheld ; I can only describe it as a combination on a large scale of the tropics, Windsor forest, and a fine reach of the Tay or Tweed. If this was situ- ated in Europe it would be the resort of thousands, and would be covered with hotels, villas, and gardens. The setting sun threw on this enchant- ing spot a light of inconceivable loveliness. It was absolutely fairyland, but the fairies were a few ugly naked Kaffirs. At this place we met Major Sapte, military secretary to his Excellency the High Commissioner, Mr. Victor Morier, and Major Gascoigne, on their way down from Mashonaland.
104 MEN« MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
The former had been sent by the High Com- missioner early in May up the Pungwe River with despatches for the Portuguese Governor and for Colonel Pennefather at Fort Salisbury, command- ing the Chartered Company's Police. He told me he had left everything quiet and peaceful on the frontier round Massi Kessi, but that it was unlikely that the Pungwe route would be available as an ordinary travelling route for a considerable time, probably not for another year. He added that he had been treated with the greatest politeness and courtesy by all the Portuguese, not only by the officials, but also by the detached groups of Portuguese soldiers who had been encountered on the road. Mr. Victor Morier, who had been present at the skirmish near Massi Kessi, between the Portuguese and the Chartered Company's Police, gave me an interesting account of that in- cident. It appears that the Portuguese advanced from Massi Kessi to the position held by the police, informed the officer in command of the police that Manicaland was in a state of siege, that all strangers were to be turned out, and demanded that he should evacuate the position. This the officer declined to do, upon which, after a brief interval, the Portuguese, some 400 or 500 strong, natives and Europeans combined, advanced to attack the position, firing the first shots. They were fired upon in return, and after two hours' skirmishing the Portuguese retired with much pre- cipitation and some loss, and so great was their discomfiture that they stayed not in Massi Kessi,
THE SKIRMISH AT MASSI KESSI. 105
some miles distant, where they would have been undisturbed, but evacuated that place also, and, leaving all their stores, scattered away on the route down to the Pungwe. Mr. Victor Morier informed me that the police force of the Chartered Com- pany only numbered thirty-five all told. This place of outspan for the night must also be com- memorated by me on account of the wonderful dinner we had that evening. Baked partridges, fried partridge liver, minced koodoo and stewed vegetables, winding up with hot stewed prunes.
The next day we travelled along the Limpopo to Rhodes's Drift, a distance of twenty-five miles. At Morrison's, a small store four miles from the drift, we were fortunate in meeting Captain Laurie, R.A., now in command of the detachment of JBechuanaland Border Police guarding the drift. He conducted us across the Limpopo, and made us most comfortable in his camp for the night. Our cart with our luggage and provisions had sadly broken down, wheel and dissel-boom having been smashed over the rocky parts of the track, and was far behind; without the aid of Captain Laurie we should have passed a night unprovided with food, covering, or shelter. The Limpopo, or Crocodile river, was high for the time of year, the water coming right over the floor of the " spider," and well up on the shoulders of the horse I was riding. At Rhodes's Drift the river is about 120 yards wide, a fine, strong flowing river. The banks are steep, and the crossing was one of some slight anxiety, but, thanks to the assistance
106 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
of a trooper of the detachment, who stripped off his clothes and led our mules through the water, we effected the passage without loss or damage. Possibly, in a few years' time, there will be a fine iron 'railway bridge across this river. On the other side of the Limpopo, 500 yards from the
Sir Frederick Carriugtou and officers of the Bechnanaland Border Police and British South African Company's Police.
river, lay the camp and fort of the Bechuanaland Border Police ; to see again the British flag, to feel that at last one was well out of Boerland, was truly pleasant and refreshing. These Bechu- analand Border Police are as fine an irregular cavalry force as could be seen. Composed of men
THE BECHUANALAND BORDER POLICE. 107
of good education, and in many cases of good* family, their training fits them for all kinds of service, enures them to any hardship, makes any difficulty a trifle to them, enables them to confront with resolution any vicissitude of march, bivouac, or combat. They are clothed in a tunic and breeches of dark yellow corduroy, very smart and well fitting, and wear a most pictu- resque sombrero kind of hat of the same coloured felt, adorned with a red or blue ribbon, according to the particular troop. Black boots, three- quarters up the knee and partly laced over the ankle, complete the attire. They are armed with a Martini-Henry rifle, which is carried with its stock resting in a small leather bucket hanging from the saddle on the right side. Across the shoulder hangs a bandolier, holding fifty rounds of ammu- nition. A strong, long sword-bayonet is carried on the left side. Haversack, water-bottle, cloak in front, patrol tin in leather case on the saddle, and a thick, warm rug behind, are also added ; the whole weighing, with the rider, on an average about sixteen stone. The force numbers about 600 men, divided into five troops. It has been entirely raised and organized by Sir Frederick Carrington, its present commander, and would certainly under him perform the highest services. The men are all well trained in rifle-shooting, many of them being first-rate marksmen. The great smartness of their appearance and demeanour would satisfy even the particular and critical eye of H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge. At Rhodes's Drift the small detach-
io8 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
ment quartered there, consisting of Captain Laurie and thirty men, had, in a space of three weeks, cleared some acres of bush, sunk a well with tim- bered sides about thirty or forty feet in depth, erected a circular fort with thick earthworks and timbered walls and wide deep ditch. Underground in the fort was kept the ammunition and other stores. The whole represented an immense amount of hard, incessant labour, and had been effected with an amount of neatness, of ingenious expedient, of fertility of resource that spoke volumes in favour of the skill and science of the officer, of the esprit de corps and resolution of the men. What an army we might have in England if only we had no War Office ! The B.B.P. are now guarding about 150 miles of the Limpopo in an- ticipation of the Boer trek. Along this length of river are four or five drifts where detachments are stationed, and where forts have been erected.
Major Goold- Adams described to me the attempt made shortly before by a party of Boers to cross the river. About thirty Boers, the advanced guard of a much larger party, came down to the river, fully armed, intending to cross. They were called to that they would be fired upon by the British force if they advanced, upon which they sent over two or three of their party to parley. They were in- formed that they could not be allowed to go in un- less they signed declarations of their intention to recognize the British flag, and to abide by the laws and regulations of the Chartered Company, and that in no case would any large armed party be
A "BOER TREK." 109
allowed to enter. • They refused to sign any docu- ments, and in a manner described as most insolent and menacing, declared that they would cross by force. They returned to their party, and once more came down to the edge of the water. A Maxim gun was brought into position by the de- tachment, and laid on to them, and the officer, Major Goold- Adams, called out that if they pro- ceeded a single step further he would fire. They halted, hesitated, and, prudent counsels prevailing, turned back and rejoined the main body some distance from the river. Here a violent scene is said to have taken place between the leader of the advanced body and the leaders and men of the main body. The latter were reproached by the former for cowardice and desertion of him. The quarrel terminated by the small and violent group abandoning the enterprise and disbanding. The other and larger body, with whom was Colonel Ferreira and a certain Malan, a son-in-law of General Joubert, then marched to another drift, where they encountered the same officer, and where a similar, but much less stormy, scene took place. Colonel Ferreira crossed over by himself and was immediately arrested under orders received from the High Commissioner, and sent to Fort Tuli. After a few days' detention he was liberated and allowed to proceed up country, having signed all the necessary documents. The other Boers, finding the British in force, determined to resist their passage, retired and immediately dispersed. Thus, happily and fortunately, ended the cele-
no MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
brated "Boer trek." At one moment an en- counter, with certain bloodshed and loss of life, was very near, but the firm determination of Major Goold- Adams and his men, the adequate preparations made beforehand by Sir Frederick Carrington and the High Commissioner, averted what would have been a great calamity. " The Boer trek " promised at one time to be a very for- midable business. The Boer leaders, more or less encouraged by General Joubert, who were carry- ing on intrigues with the Portuguese on one hand, and the Matabele on the other, undoubtedly saw their way to a successful incursion into what they regard as ** a promised land specially reserved for them by God." Fortunately President Kruger never hesitated ; from the first he exerted against the " trek " all his great authority, he kept from it all actual sympathy or effectual support among the mass of the Boers, and his telegram of April last to the High Commissioner to the effect that he had damped the trek was, even at that time, strictly accurate. It is quite possible that in taking this action he has overstrained his influence and im- perilled his popularity. Unless he succeeds in obtaining Swaziland for his people this will surely be found to be the case. But these things cannot be determined until 1893, when the next Presi- dental election takes place.
At Fort Tuli our party was most hospitably received and entertained by Sir Frederick Carring- ton, Captain Leonard (in command of the post), Major Tye, the civil magistrate, and by the officers
PRESIDENT KRUGER'S POSITION.
in
of the B.B.P. In the fort are quartered from eighty to ninety men of the B.B.P. and of the British South African Chartered Company's Police
Lord Randolph discussing bis route with Bir i1. Carrington at Fort Tuli.
(B.S.A.C.P.). This latter force greatly resembles the B.B.P.. on the model of which it was formed. The composition of the rank and file of the
ii2 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
B.S.A.C.P. is fairly indicated by the following authentic anecdote : — A new officer had joined and was riding along in front of his men. A trooper riding behind was overheard to remark to another, " I say, Bill, I don't think much of this new fellow. I don't remember having ever met him in White's or Boodle's." There are in the force serving as troopers two sons of British peers, and many men of birth and good family. Some come out to see life and adventure, and make a fortune ; others, and not a few, to make a living, and if possible regain a lost fortune. Fort Tuli is a strong position against any artillery which is likely to be brought against it for many years to come. It is armed with a Maxim and with a Gatling gun. Sir Frederick Carrington allowed me to see these guns at practice. The range was 1600 yards, the target some small bushes growing on the sandy bed of the river, which for some distance is effectu- ally commanded by the fort. The Maxim appeared to be remarkable for its precision, the Gatling for the extent of ground swept by its projectiles. The effect of the fire of either was very striking, and I would imagine terrifying to any finding themselves within the range of these ingenious little monsters of destruction. Here I had a good opportunity of ascertaining the opinion of trained marksmen upon the new magazine rifle now being supplied to the British army. The Secretary of State for War had given me one of these rifles, Mark I., to take along with me and try. It was now produced and examined by the officers with
AN EXPERIMENT WITH THE MAGAZINE RIFLE. 113
much interest. A fine experiment was made with it, one which could not have been carried out in England without the intervention of the S.P.C.A. A slaughter ox was tethered on the sand of the river 15QO yards distant and about 300 feet below the bastion from which the rifle was fired. Captain Capper, renowned in the B.B.P. for his skill as a rifle shot, fired at this distant and certainly not large object. All his shots were observed through the telescope to go very close to the ox. The afternoon was clear, there was no wind. At the twentieth shot the animal fell like a mass, and remained perfectly motionless. We mounted our horses and rode out to examine the carcass. The bullet, which had slain the ox so instantaneously, had entered the nape of the neck rather high behind the ear, passing downwards, severing the spinal cord, and emerging lower down the neck nearer the shoulder on the other side. We observed that the animal had also been struck by another bullet, which had penetrated the middle of his side, passed across the body somewhat upwards, emerging just under the hump on the other side, injuring the intestines and other vital parts. This small bullet had produced no apparent immediate effect on the animal, who had during the firing been under the observation of the strongest telescopes, and was not observed to start or even to make a movement till the last bullet struck him. I asked Captain Capper what he thought of the weapon for accu- racy : he told me he thought he would have made more accurate practice with the Martini-Henry,
I
ii4 MEN. MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
but this he attributed to the method of sighting adopted for the magazine rifle, which he strongly condemned. I think he rather liked the rifle on the. whole. On the other hand, I fancy I may state that the balance of opinion was not favour- able to the weapon. All pronounced it very com- plicated ; all doubted whether it was a practical weapon for a common soldier. The method of half-cocking the arm, the arrangement and spring of the magazine, the short cleaning rod, the poor and weak bayonet, received nothing but condem- nation. One officer, perfectly entitled to give an opinion, said he would like the rifle without the magazine. I thought this the most damaging opinion I had yet heard given. I am confident that all were unanimous that if they had to fight for their lives they would choose the Martini- Henry in preference to the new magazine, but this judgment, definite and unqualified as it was, is perhaps discounted by the notorious human prejudice in favour of what is accustomed to and against change and novelty. This discount, more- over, is strongly supported by the equally notori- ous fact that at the time of the introduction of the Martini-Henry into the service, high military and high expert opinion leaned heavily towards a preference for the ancient Snider. Again, on the other liund, the defects of the new rifle are great and glaring even to eyes by no means expert, and to minds not trained in mechanics. The uses it will be subjected to, the hands in which it will be placed, cannot have received real practical atten-
EXPERT OPINION ON THE NEW ARM. 115
tion. Impossible perfection has been sought after irrespective of matter-of-fact practical common- place considerations. Personally I venture to sum up the question by the remark that it is, one of extreme difficulty; that if I were Secretary of State for War, viewing the expenditure to be incurred, the great national disasters certain to follow on an error of decision, the serious and to a great extent successful manner in which the new rifle has been impugned, no human power that I am aware of would induce me to assume the responsi- bility of imposing this magazine rifle on the. army. The Small Arms Committee and other highly-paid expert and inexpert officials with which our country is blessed or oppressed have taken five years to decide upon a weapon. After such an extravagant consumption of time, a few months more would be of little account. A review of all the circumstances of the case by fresh and equally well-informed, but by more impartial and less personally interested judges, would probably allay public anxiety, increase military confidence, and certainly relieve the load of responsibility which must attach to any minister or ministry who make the final decision. Nor can it be said that there is any great hurry. A good magazine is probably a better weapon than a Martini-Henry, but the difference is minute and insignificant compared with the difference between a known and tried Martini- Henry and a bad magazine.
i 2
n6 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA
CHAPTER VIII.
THE EXPEDITION: ITS COMPOSITION AND EQUIPMENT.
Major Giles — A fine collection of giants — Our rifles and guns — AVarning and advice to future travellers — Composition of the Expedition — Major Giles's trek from Vryburg to Tuli — The horse sickness in Africa — A camp fire concert at Fort Tuli.
AT Tuli I had the pleasure of joining my waggons and of seeing again the other friends who accom- panied me to Mashonaland, whom I had taken leave of at Cape Town more than six weeks previously. They had been doing all the real hard, rough work of the journey, and making a long, tedious, and, from some points of view, an anxious trek. Major Giles, an ex-Artillery officer of many years' South African sendee and expe- rience, had undertaken the superintendence and general management of the Expedition : a heavy and complicated business, as will be seen when the composition of the Expedition is gone into in detail, in which he had been most efficiently assisted by Mr. Edgell, who had seen much wild life in the Rocky Mountains and in cattle ranches, and by Mr. McKay, who last year formed one of the Pioneer force despatched into Mashonaland.
A FINE COLLECTION OF GIANTS.
117
I may mention that Major Giles stands 6ft. 4in., Mr. Edgell 6ft. 4Jin., Mr. McKay 6ft,, Messrs. Mockell and Myburgh, the conductors, 6ft. 5in. each : a fine collection of giants. The organizing and equipping of an African expedition is an elaborate and costly business, and a detailed ac-
The long and the Bhort of it.
count of the work may be of value to those at home who may be contemplating, or who may undertake a similar journey. In London a large outlay had been made. Tents, all camp equip- ment, cooking appliances and utensils had been supplied by a well-known London outfitter. The
n8 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
following rifles and guns had been bought of a London firm: — 1. A double-barrel '577 E. L. Henry rifle. 2. A single-barrel ditto. 3. A single "450 B. L. Henry rifle. 4. A pair of No. 12 breech-loading shot guns with rebounding locks. 5. Six Winchester repeating rifles, new pattern, •450 bore, carrying four cartridges in the magazine. 1 also had from Messrs. Fraser, an Edinburgh firm, a '500 bore B. L. double-barrel rifle. With this rifle I did all my shooting, and found it to be a most perfect, accurate and beautifully sighted arm. In addition to this armament there were purchased at Kimberley two pairs of No. 12 shot guns, made by Greener, four ordinary Martini- Henry rifles, and two sporting rifles. We had with us about 10,000 rounds of ammunition. A London house had furnished a great variety of provisions, tinned meats, pressed vegetables, fruit, bacon, ham, tea, coffee. Saddlery, horse clothing, and halters were purchased in London, as also medicines, etc. I would venture to give a word of warning and advice to those who start on a South African journey, and who have to purchase material at home. I foolishly imagined that if I resorted to West-end tradesmen in London, though I would have to pay considerably higher prices, at least I would obtain the best articles turned out and packed in the best possible manner. But in this I was disappointed from not having personally seen after everything, down to the smallest details. For instance, three bell tents were supplied, all of old and each of different patterns, with poles too
HINTS FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE. 119
long, causing very great inconvenience when un- packed and brought into use. All the packing cases were of such weak and flimsy material that after being opened they became useless. More than that, the packing of the articles was so de- fective that many things were broken, especially an elaborate stove, and lamps of more than one kind. An expensive canteen, on being opened, was found to be defective in many articles. I could cite other instances of carelessness and neg- lect, which ought to be most carefully guarded against, for in a country such as this defects in the original equipment cannot be made good, will always produce vexation and inconvenience, may sometimes be attended with consequences still more serious. At Kimbeiiey servants and grooms were engaged, waggons, oxen, mules, horses pur- chased. Here again I would advise the traveller who has to make purchases at Kimbeiiey to personally inspect and examine every article ordered and to see to the packing of it. One large wholesale house to whom I had special letters of recommendation, supplied us with many shocking bad articles of the most shoddy description. Also some essential parts of the mining equipment which had been ordered were found on arrival here not to have been sent. The state of the expedition as I found it on arrival here was as follows : — In addition to those gentlemen I have already mentioned, it had been joined by Captain the Honourable Charles Coventry, of the B.B.P., who had obtained three months' leave. Also I had
120 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
been fortunate in securing the services of Mr. Hans Lee, a well-known and most successful hunter, through whom I hoped to obtain some good big- game shooting. The remainder of the per- sonnel was as follows : — 3 white servants, 2 " Caye boys," 4 grooms, two cooks, with 2 native boys to assist, 2 donkey herds, 14 native drivers and leaders. The live stock consisted of 103 oxen, one slaughter cow, 13 riding horses, 18 mules, 1 mare to run with the mules, 14 donkeys, 11 dogs, mostly curs. The vehicles were 1 " spider " carriage, 1 large mule waggon on springs drawn by 12 mules, 4 half-tent waggons, drawn by 18 oxen each, 1 buck or uncovered waggon, also drawn by 18 oxen, the Scotch cart, a covered waggon on two wheels, drawn by 8 oxen. This quantity of wheeled vehicles and cattle and mules had to draw about 21,000 Ibs. of meal, mealies, potatoes, onions, and various other provisions, 2000 Ibs. of ammunition, 1500 Ibs. of trading goods, 2500 Ibs. of mining tools and plant, 8000 Ibs. of baggage, 5000 Ibs. of camp equipment, furniture, and miscellaneous articles, 3000 Ibs. of corn and forage for horses, and about 1500 Ibs. of saddlery and stable equipment, making a total, with allow- ances for other necessary weights, of upwards of 40,000 Ibs., or, according to local measurement, some twenty tons weight of freight. The enumer- ation of the above will be sufficient to indicate the amount of thought, care, and trouble requisite for the conveyance of such a troop and such a quantity of stores across such a country as South Africa,
CARRYING STORES ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA. 121
with its hopeless roads, its swamps, its rocky places, fevers, and sicknesses, without incurring accident, damage, or loss. The trek from Vry- burg to Tuli, a distance of 550 miles, was ac- complished in a period of fifty-four days, only thirty-five days of which were occupied in actual
Camp. life at Tuli. Branding cattle.
treking, thus covering the distance at the rate of about 16^ miles per travelling day. This trek was, moreover, accomplished without the loss of a single ox, with the loss only of two mules, one from sickness, one from accident, and with the temporary loss of seven donkeys, five of which
122 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
have been recovered. No case of sickness has occurred among the men of the expedition, either white or coloured. Major Giles was fortunate with the horses, all of which were brought as far as Tuli in even better condition than they were in when they were originally bought.
The horse sickness in South Africa causes such heavy loss that I am tempted to dwell on this subject. Most authorities are of opinion that it is useless to purchase horses for African journeys, unless they are what is termed " salted," that is, have had and have recovered from the sickness. Such horses, however, are, for the most part, sorry, wretched steeds, without spirit, with very inferior strength. They by no means enjoy per- fect immunity from further attacks of sickness. Large prices, moreover, ranging from 501. up- wards, are asked for them. Major Giles resolved to ascertain whether by great and constant care he could not, at least at this season of the year, preserve his horses from the sickness. He had to encounter a great deal of derision from persons of all sorts of experience, who freely prophesied he would not bring a horse alive to Tuli. Mr. McKay, who undertook the charge of the horses, gave the following details of his management. First, the horses are never watered before 1 1 a.m. or after 3 p.m. This precaution is adopted against the evils occasioned by the morning and evening dews, at times and in certain places very heavy. Secondly, when outspanned, the horses are covered with a horse-rug, buckling over the chest, and
MAJOR GILES AND HIS HORSES. 123
with a blanket rug, doubled, coming well back over the loins. At sundown the horses are fed in nosebags, the bottoms of which have been care- fully tarred. Three times a week eaich horse has its nostrils slightly tarred inside, once a week a tonic dose is administered to each, composed of about two wine-glasses of gin, with enough quinine to cover a shilling, well piled up, mixed with the gin. Further, in places with an evil reputation for horse sickness, the horses were never allowed to go to the river or other water ; buckets of water were brought to the camp and allowed to stand for an hour or more in the sun, and then slightly chilled by mixing warm water. The great and principal precaution is that some trustworthy person should daily see that the grooms carry out these regulations conscientiously. A few minutes' neglect destroys the effect of all the care of days and weeks. I admit that many persons assert that all precautions against horse sickness are unavailing, and that we were favoured by singular luck which could not be expected to follow us long.1 Yet the treatment described above is strictly in accordance with common-sense and with elementary sanitary science, and is surely ; worth a careful trial in view of the immense value of horses to the traveller in South Africa. On one day while at Tuli all the oxen were brought in for inspection and appeared to be of fine quality and in first-class condition. Certainly it would not have been thought that the respective spans
1 This opinion turned out to be correct.
124 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
had been engaged during six weeks in drawing waggon-loads of about 7000 Ibs. apiece over a distance of 550 miles along Bechuanaland roads. The camp was, by special permission of the com- manding officer, pitched on the north bank of the river, on a space which had been cleared for a cricket ground. All around is the bush veldt, where at some distance from the camp the animals find good grazing. Here, at an altitude of only 1850 feet, the weather is found to be much warmer in the daytime than in the high uplands of the Transvaal, nor is there any frost at night. At this time of the year the situation is fairly healthy, and there is no fever among the troops. During the rainy season the troops suffered considerably from fever and dysentery, the horse sickness ravaged the mounts, some 80 per cent, of horses having been lost. It is said that the Chartered Company will give up this station, which is to be taken over by the Bechuanaland Border Police.
' Before our departure the military force enter- tained the expedition at a camp fire concert. A colossal and Plutonic bonfire threw a wild and glaring light upon the surrounding scenery and upon the groups of men and natives in many- coloured and motley attire. The attendance must have numbered over a hundred. Many ex-, cellent songs were sung, one recitation bearing on Sir Charles Warren's Bechuanaland exploits achieved a great success. A single verse will in- dicate the spirit of the poem and the reputation of the officer : —
A CAMP FIRE CONCERT.. 125
So you see there was no fighting, on that glorious campaign, For not a man was wounded, not a warrior was slain ; And the doctors had an easy time, as doctors always will, Campaigning with a General who goes fighting with a quill.
It was after eleven before the programme was completed, officers and men taking equal parts in the performance. The men were in the highest spirits, the officer being obviously extremely popular. At the close Sir Frederick Carrington addressed them in a stirring speech, and was enthusiastically cheered. Truly an impressive scene. Here, some thousands of miles away from England, in a country inhabited by a numerous tribe of savages of noted ferocity, not a hundred miles from the kraal of the great Lobengula, was a tiny group of men holding their own, maintaining their authority partly by their own reputation for efficiency, partly because they represented the might and prestige of the Empire ; never dreaming for a moment that a shadow even of danger could approach them, never doubting their ability to dissipate any danger should it arise. This is the group of military force which holds for England a portion of South Africa, from Kimberley to Fort Salisbury, comprising a territory as large as Germany and France, replete with elements of a hostile and dangerous nature. May good fortune ever attend and reward them.
126 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
CHAPTER IX.
THROUGH BECHUANALAND.
Cold nights in camp — The horse sickness — Visit from Kaffir women to our Mariko River camp — Outspan on the banks of the Crocodile River — We cross the Mahalopsie River — Dr. Saur and Mr. Williams — Camp at Silika — Arrival at the Lotsani River — The luxury of a shave — The Suchi River — Headquarters of the Bechuanaland Police at Mat- laputta — The Macloutsie River — I lose myself near the Semalali River while in quest of game — Catching up the waggons.
From the Journal kept by SURGEON HUGH RAYNER.
RAMATLABANA, Sunday, May 3lst. — We are seventeen miles north of Mafeking, out of British territory, but in the British Protectorate. Nights are very cold. As soon as the sun goes down the temperature changes, and after midnight the cold is intense and continues till, sunrise, when it gradually becomes warmer. There is, however, always a cool breeze during the day, so that the heat of the sun is considerably tempered. If by chance the sun becomes obscured by clouds a feeling of cold is at once experienced. As a specimen of the night cold, I slept last night in a camp bed with a cork mattress and three blankets. I was in a rough flannel sleeping bag and covered with two camel's hair blankets and a sheepskin kaross. Yet my feet never became warm, and were quite cold on waking this morn-
THE HORSE SICKNESS. 127
ing. Mr. Sinclair came across to our camp this morning, and kindly offered to take us out for some duck-shooting, so we all made a start on horseback to some " vleys " some few miles away. We came across a flight of seven duck, all of which we killed, after following them backwards and forwards from " vley " to " vley."
Wednesday,, June 3rd. — At 1 a.m. we inspanned, and had not proceeded more than a couple of miles before one of the waggons stuck in tne mud in a drift. The night was very dark, the moon being in its last quarter. Then two others stuck. Eventually one of them — the meal waggon — had to be unloaded and the others double-spanned before they could be extricated. We did not start again till just before daylight — a hard night for every one except myself. I had a comfortable night's- rest, and being very tired from my exer- tions of the previous day, slept on quietly in my " K artel," l all unconscious of what was going on outside. We had intended to reach Sandpits by daylight, which is the nearest water (supposed), but luckily we came upon a " vley " where there is seldom water, about nine o'clock, so we out- spanned there. ... At 3.30 p.m. we inspanned, and at 5.30 arrived at Sandpits. On the way one of the mules was attacked by the dreaded " horse " sickness, and was dead in three hours. This sickness is well known in South Africa. It attacks horses and mules suddenly, but donkeys arc exempt. An animal is quite well up to a 1 Lari>e waggon slung matti-ess.
128 MEN, MINES, AND ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA.
certain time, in fact, it may be in rather better fettle than usual, when suddenly it appears un- well. It ceases to work and. becomes very tottery. In a few minutes it is noticed to be breathing hard, and its nostrils working are evidences of great distress. Almost at the same time a dis- charge of mucus appears at the nostrils, which presently becomes very profuse. The distress increases, and in a few hours the animal, becoming weaker and weaker, and more and more distressed in its breathing, falls down and dies. Post-mortem shows general congestion of the internal organs, especially of the lungs. All kinds of remedies have been tried, and have failed. In the case of our mule, half a bottle of gin and a large table- spoonful of quinine were at once administered, and this seemed to revive it for a time ; but soon the weakness came on again, and the animal died. June llth. — Sequana is about fifteen miles from Maripi, our last halting place. It is on the banks of the River Mariko, which provides good water. We are outspanned about 200 yards from the river by the road side. This afternoon a lot of Kaffir women