ERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO

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^ HTKFRIQ AND THE AND THE TRANSVAAL WAR South Africa AND THE Transvaal War

BY LOUIS CB.ESWICKE

AUTHOR OF " ROXANE," ETC.

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS

IN SIX VOLUMES

VOL. I—FROM THE FOUNDATION OP TO THE BOER ULTIMATUM OF QTH OCT. 1899

EDINBURGH : T. C.

In writing this volume my aim has been to present an unvar- nished tale of the circumstances—extending over nearly half a century—which have brought about the present crisis in South Africa. Consequently, it has been necessary to collate the opinions of the best authorities on the subject. My acknowledgments are due to the distinguished authors herein quoted for much valuable information, throwing light on the complications that have been accumulating so long, and that owe their origin to political blundering and cosmopolitan scheming rather than to the racial antagonism between Briton and Boer. L. C. CONTENTS—Vol. I.

PAGE CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE ix INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I

FAriE The Growth of the Transvaal. 13 Some Domestic Traits 18

The Boer Character . . 15 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS—Vol. I.

I. COLOURED PLATES

Dying to Save the Qiken's Drum-Major and Drummer, Cold- Colours. An Incident of the Battle stream Guards .... 80 of Isandlwana. By C. E. Fripp Colour -Sergeant and Private, /• rontispiece THE Scots Guards . . .104 Colonel of the ioth Hussars Sergeant AND Bugler, ist Argyle (H.R.H. the Prince ov Wales). i6 AND Sutherland Highlanders . 140 2ND Dr.^goons CRoval ScotsGreys) 32 Colour-Skrgeant and Private (in Regiment) . 172 Officer of the i6th Lancers . 64 khaki),Gloucester

2. FULL-PAGE PLATES

Cape Town, Devil's Peak, Table The M.\tarele War—Defending Mountain, and Lion's Head, a Laager. By R. Caton Woodville 120 from Table Bay .... 8 " To the Memory of Brave Men." A Kaffir Kraal in the Trans- The Last Stand of Major Wilson on vaal 20 the Shangani River, 1893. By Allan 124 , from the South . 24 Stewart The Defence of Rorke's Drift. A Matarele Raid in Mashona-

Small . . By Alphonse de Neuville . . 40 LAND. By W. .128 Kimp.erley, as seen from the The Battle of : the Final Rush of the Zulus. By R. Caton Rock Shaft . . . .132 Woodville 56 , from the East . .136 The River at Norval's South African Natives—Bound Pont 72 for the Goldfields. . . . 148 The Battle of M.\juba Hill. By Jameson's Last Stand—the Battle R. Caton Woodville .... 88 OF Doornkop, 2nd January 1896. Where Colley Fell. Rough Cairn By R. Caton Woodville . . .160

of Stones on .Majuba Hill . 92 Johannesburg, from the North . 168

3. FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS

fACP. TACK

Sir , Bart. . 48 Dr. Leander Starr Jameson General Sir Evelyn Wood, G.C.B., Right Hon. Joseph Chamherlain, V.C 9^) M.P., Secretary for the Colonies 176 , President of the Sir Alfred Milnkr, K.C.B., High Transvaal Republic .... Commissioner for South .Africa 184 Right Hon. Cfcil John Rhodes, Viscount Woi.seley, Commander- P.C 144 in-Chief of the British Army

4. MAPS

Map of British South Africa Affront Plan of Disposition of Forces Map of the „ ON Top of Majuba Hill . . 89 Map of Zului.and and the ad- Map of Matabeleland . . .121 joining Portions of 41 Map Illustrating the Jameson Map of Coitntry round Laing's Raid. . 163 Nek and Majuba Hili 81 VIll CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE—Vol. L

1851.^—First Basuto war. 1872 -75. —Delagoa Bay arbitration. 1852. — Convention, granting 1874, —Ichaboe and Penguin Islands an- independence to Transvaal nexed. . 1875, —Delagoa Bay award. 1853. —Province of British Kaffraria 1875 -80. —Lord Carnarvon's scheme for created. making the different colonies Introduction of representative and states of South Africa into government in Cape Colony. a confederation with common 1854.—Convention of Bloemfontein and administration and common Treaty of Aliwal, granting in- legislation in national matters. dependence to Orange Free 1876 —Fingoland, Idutywa Reserve, and State. No-Man's-Land annexed. abandoned to Dutch. Acceptance by Free State of 1855. —Establishment of a Constitution ;^9o,ooo for . for ; Khama, Chief of Bamangwato, not completed till 1858. seeks British protection against 1856.—Natal created a separate Colony. Boer aggressions.

2000 German legion and 2000 1877, , — of Transvaal by Sir German labourers arrived. T. Shepstone, after the country 1858.—War between had been reduced to a state of and Basutos. anarchy by misgovernment. 1859. —First railway constructed. 1877 -78. —Gaika and Gealika rebelUon. 1865. —British Kaffraria incorporated 1878, —Walfish Bay proclaimed a British with Cape Colony. possession. War between Free State and 1879 —Zulu war. Basutos. Transvaal declared a Crown 1867.—First discovery of diamonds near Colony. . 1880 —Basuto war. First discovery of in Trans- Sekukuni campaign. vaal. Boer protest against British rule at 1868. —Annexation of Basutoland. a mass meeting held in Decem- 1869. —Discovery of diamonds near ber at Paardekraal (now Krugers- Lower , where Kim- dorp). They seize Heidelberg. berley now stands. South African Republic estab- Commercial Treaty concluded be- lished. December 16. —Kruger, tween Portuguese Government Joubert, and Pretorius pro- and the South African Repub- claimed South African Re- lic, which led to British claims public by hoisting flag on Din- to Delagoa Bay. gaan's Day. Kruger made 1871.—Annexation of Griqualand West President on December 17. (Diamond Fields). British treacherously surrounded Basutoland added to Cape. at Bronkhurst Spruit, December 1872. —Responsible Government granted 20, when about 250 of 94th to Cape Colony. Regiment, after losing nearly Cetchwayo succeeds his father, all their men, surrendered. Panda, as king in Zululand. Colonel Bellairs besieged in IX ;

South Airica

I'oichefstroom, but Boers retire tion ; withdrawn on remon- when shelled. December 29. strance. —Captain Elliot treacherously Ultimatum by Sir H. Robin- murdereil while fording the Vaal. son, requiring protection of 1880-81. — Reinforcements sent out De- frontiers. cember and January. British annexation of Southern, (kiqualand West incorporated and protectorate of Northern with the Cape. Bechuanaland. 1881. — TransvaaJ rebellion. I'retoria Basutoland made independent. Convention, creating "Trans- Port St. John annexed. vaal State ' under British suze- British flag hoisted in Lucia Bay, rainty. Zululand (ceded to England in

Sir ( teorge CoUey takes command 1843, by Panda). of our troops, January. His 1884-85.— Sir 's expedi- attack on Laing's Nek repulsed tion. with heavy loss. Colonel Deane 1885. —Annexation of Bechuanaland to and Majors Poole and Hingi- Cape Colony. ston killed. 1885.— British protectorate over Khama's 1881. —Severe engagement near Ingogo country proclaimed as far as River, Feb. 8. British re- Matabeleland. pulsed after 12 hours under Discovery of great gold-fields in fire. Sir E. Wood joined Witwatersrandt, Transvaal. Colley with reinforcements. 1886. — Opening of principal gold-fields Orange Free State neutrality in Transvaal. declared. Colley and Majuba British Government put a stop to Hill, Feb. 27; Colley killed Boer raids into Zululand, and with 3 officers and 82 men confined them to a territory of 122 men taken prisoners. nearly 3000 square miles; to Sir F. (now Lord) Roberts sent be known as the " New Re- out, Feb. 28. public." Armistice proposed by Boers, 1887. — British annexation of the rest of accepted March Zululand. March 5 ; 23. Peace proclaimed, March 21. British treaty with Tonga chiefs, surrendered with in which they undertook not to honours of war in ignorance of make treaties with any other armistice, April. power. Commission appointed to carry 1888. —"New Republic" annexed to out Treaty of Peace, April 5. South African Republic. Convention agreed to, ceding all Treaty concluded between British territory to Transvaal, with the and Lo Bengula, the ^L'ltabele Queen as suzerain, and a king, in which he undertook British resident at Pretoria, not to cede territory to, or Aug. 8. treat with, any foreign power Convention ratified, Oct. 25 without British consent. P'.vacuation of Transvaal by British 1889. — Charter granted to British South

troops began on Nov. 1 8. Africa (Company. 1884. London Convention restoring to 1890. — First Swaziland (Convention, giv- thcTransvaal the title of ''South ing Boers certain rights to a African Republic.'" railway to the coast. Annexation of Damaraland by British and German "spheres of riermany. influence" defined by formal Boer Republics of and agreement. Goshen set up in Bechuanaland. 1891. —Southern boundary of Portuguese Boers seize and annex Montsioa- territory fixed by treaty with

land ; sanctioned by proclama- Great Britain. ;

Chronological Table

1893. —Responsible government granted 1896. — Dr. Jameson's party, outnum- to Natal. bered and without resources, Matabele war. defeated by Boers near Kru- 1894. —Malaboch war. gersdorp, Jan. i. Question of "commandeering" Fight at Vlakfontein, and sur- British subjects raised in South render of Jameson, Jan. 2. African Republic. Johannesburg surrendered uncon- Second Swaziland Convention, ditionally by advice of British placing Swaziland under Boer Government, Jan. 2. control. Dr. Jameson and other prisoners Annexation of Amatongaland. handed over to Sir H. Robin-

Annexation of Pondoland. son, Jan. 7. British subjects exempted from 1897.—Judicial Crisis in South African military service by Transvaal Republic. Government, June 24. Annexation of Zululand to Protest by British Government Natal. against closing the Vaal Drifts, 1899. — Petition of to the as contrary to Convention Queen, May 24. Nov. 3. Agreed to Nov. 8. Conference, at Bloemfontein, be- 1895.—Crown Colony of Bechuanaland tween Sir A. Milner and Kru- annexed to Cape Colony. ger. May 30. Terminated with- Proclamation of Reform move- out result, June 6. ment by Uitlanders in Johannes- British Despatch to Transvaal, burg (National Union), Dec. 26. setting forth demands for im- —he crossed the mediate acceptance, Sept. 8. frontier with a force from Pit- Unsatisfactory reply, Sept. 16. sani Pitlogo, Dec. 29. Troops despatched to Natal, Sept. Sir H. Robinson telegraphed to and Oct. Jameson to retire, Dec. 30. Insulting Boer Ultimatum, making

Mr. Chamberlain and Sir H. war inevitable, Oct. 9. Robinson sent order to stop Orange Free State joins with the hostilities, Dec. 31. Transvaal.

XI #*«