fought for Massow are now occupying my ploughing, grazing, and hunting grounds. . . . The Boers are preventing my people from ploughing by threats."] - Nov. The "United States of Stellaland."-British Resident in Bechuanaland reports to the High Commissioner a Boer proposal to join Stellaland and Goshen as "The United States of Stellaland." [A proclamation to that effect was issued, but the scheme was not carried out. Van Pittius remained supreme in Goshen and van Niekirk in Stellaland.] [See 1884, Feb.] 3. England too late.-English warship, the Boadicea, which had been sent from Capetown to Angra Pequeña, returns with news that she had been met there by the German corvette Carola, and had been informed that she was in German waters, and that Herr Lüderitz had acquired rights over the coast as far as the Orange River. -- 7. Boer discontent with the 1881 Convention.Transvaal deputation, consisting of Mr. Kruger, Mr. S. J. du Toit, and Mr. N. J. Smit, wait on Lord Derby (Secretary of State for the Colonies) in London, to present various objections to the 1881 Convention. [They desired, inter alia, the removal of the Suzerainty, the withdrawal of the clauses referring to natives, freedom in regard to external relations, and substitution of title "South African Republic" for "Transvaal State." Negotiations proceeded until Feb. 27, 1884, which see. "When the British Government in 1881 conferred a modified independence on the Transvaal, they undoubtedly believed that they were performing a generous action, and hoped that the guarantee of the Boers would be the best guarantee for the peace of South Africa. How mistaken they were! and yet how natural was the mistake! The reason of it is simple. The Boers believed that they had been deeply wronged by the annexation; they claimed as a right the complete restoration of their independence as it had been before 1877. They received a partial independence, and accepted it, not as a full settlement, but as a first instalment. While we were expecting to find them gratefully enjoying their restored right of selfgovernment, they were only considering how they could regain complete independence."-Quarterly Review, Jan. 1900.] - 29. Imperial administration for Basutoland.— The troubles between the Basuto and Cape Colony have led the former to regard with much disfavour the rule of the latter, and various attempts at a settlement have been unsuccessful. Cape Colony, too, after spending over £3,000,000 on the "gun war" of 1880, is by no means enamoured of Basutoland. Then, again, the Basuto have found that independence may involve not only civil strife but also serious dangers when carried on in the proximity of the Orange Free State, and they urge that Basutoland should be taken under the direct administration of the Imperial Government. The latter (after withdrawing self-government in June) consent, provided that the Basuto give clear evidence of their approval, that the Orange Free State will respect its frontiers, and that the Cape Colony pays towards the cost of administration a sum equal to the duties on goods imported into Basutoland. A national gathering of Basuto now held agrees to these terms. [See 1884, March 13.] - DEC. 14. The Delagoa Bay Railway.-Concession granted by Portugal to Col. Edward McMurdo, an American citizen, for the construction of a railway from Lorenzo Marques to the Transvaal frontier. [See 1887, Dec. 14.] 22. Boer promises.-The Times publishes the following letter received by Mr. J. Davies, secretary of the Lisbon-Berlyn (Transvaal) Goldfields, Ltd., from the secretary of the Transvaal deputation in London (of which Mr. Kruger was the leading member), negotiating for a revision of the Pretoria Convention : "ALBEMARLE HOTEL, I, ALBEMARLE STREET, W., "December 21, 1883. "SIR,-I am directed by the President and deputation of the Transvaal to acknowledge your letter of December 19, inquiring whether the Transvaal Government will view with satisfaction the development of the properties on which concessions have been granted, and whether the companies acquiring concessions can count upon Government protection. In reply I am to state that the President and deputation cannot refrain from expressing surprise and indignation at your directors thinking such an inquiry necessary, as it is absurd to suppose that the Government of the Transvaal would grant a concession on the Lisbon and Berlyn, or any other farm or plot of ground, and then refuse to protect the rights conveyed thereby. The Government desire to see the mineral resources of the Transvaal developed to their fullest extent, and will give every assistance incumbent on them to that end. "I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, "EWALD ESSELEN, Secretary." 1884. (a) Gold.-Systematic gold-mining begun in the Transvaal, previous efforts in this direction having been on only a comparatively small scale. [Before long some reefs of gold-bearing quartz of great richness were discovered, among them being the famous Sheba Mine in Barberton, which place quickly developed from a few shanties into a town of 5,000 white inhabitants. See 1886, July 18.] - (6) Emigration to the Cape.-Between 1873 and 1884, 23,337 immigrants were introduced into Cape Colony under the auspices of the British Government. [The work of assisted emigration to the Cape has been in abeyance since 1884.] FEB. The freebooters and their spoils. The Executive of the Republic of Goshen officially announce that their territory comprises 250 farms of 3,000 morgen each. [The lots already drawn by the "volunteers" and others, with the sanction of the Executive, represented 350 farms, so that there was not yet sufficient land to go round.] 9. British interests in Bechuanaland.-Commission issued to Sir Hercules Robinson to look after British interests in Bechuanaland. [Both the Imperial and the Cape Governments were by this time being aroused out of their lethargy, and convinced of the disadvantages of a non-intervention policy, by the activity, on the one hand, of Germany, who, it was feared, might stretch her possessions to meet those of the Transvaal, and so entirely block the way to the Zambesi, and, on the other hand, by the tactics of the Boer filibusters, who were gradually appropriating all the territories on the west of the Transvaal.] [See April 12.] -- 27. The London Convention.-Fresh Convention between Great Britain and the Transvaal signed in London. The preamble says that "whereas the Government of the Transvaal State... have represented that the Convention signed at Pretoria . . . contains certain provisions which are inconvenient, and imposes burdens and obligations from which the said State is desirous to be relieved, and that the south-western boundaries should be amended. . . it is hereby declared that the following Articles of a new Convention . . . shall . . . be substituted for the Articles embodied in the Convention of 3rd August, 1881." The new Convention sanctions the change of name from "Transvaal State" to "The South African Republic," and does not repeat the stipulations of the Pretoria Convention as to a British Resident and the right to move British troops across the Transvaal territory. The boundaries are defined afresh, and it is reaffirmed that the Transvaal Government will "strictly adhere" to these boundaries, and "will do its utmost to prevent any of its inhabitants from making any encroachments upon lands beyond the said boundaries," the following being added to what was said on this point in the Pretoria Convention : "The Government of the South African Republic will appoint Commissioners upon the eastern and western borders whose duty it will be strictly to guard against all irregularities and all trespassing over the boundaries. Her Majesty's Government will, if necessary, appoint Commissioners in the native territories outside the eastern and western boundaries of the South African Republic to maintain order and prevent encroachments." |