CHAPTER 1. THE BOER NATIONS.

TakeacommunityofDutchmenofthetypeofthosewhodefendedthemselvesforfiftyyearsagainstallthepowerofSpainatatimewhenSpainwasthegreatestpowerintheworld.IntermixwiththemastrainofthoseinflexibleFrenchHuguenotswhogaveuphomeandfortuneandlefttheircountryforeveratthetimeoftherevocationoftheEdictofNantes.Theproductmustobviouslybeoneofthemostrugged,virile,unconquerableraceseverseenuponearth.Takethisformidablepeopleandtrainthemforsevengenerationsinconstantwarfareagainstsavagemenandferociousbeasts,incircumstancesunderwhichnoweaklingcouldsurvive,placethemsothattheyacquireexceptionalskillwithweaponsandinhorsemanship,givethemacountrywhichiseminentlysuitedtothetacticsofthehuntsman,themarksman,andtherider.Then,finally,putafinertemperupontheirmilitaryqualitiesbyadourfatalisticOldTestamentreligionandanardentandconsumingpatriotism.Combineallthesequalitiesandalltheseimpulsesinoneindividual,andyouhavethemodernBoer—themostformidableantagonistwhoevercrossedthepathofImperialBritain.OurmilitaryhistoryhaslargelyconsistedinourconflictswithFrance,butNapoleonandallhisveteranshavenevertreatedussoroughlyasthesehard-bittenfarmerswiththeirancienttheologyandtheirinconvenientlymodernrifles. LookatthemapofSouthAfrica,andthere,intheverycentreoftheBritishpossessions,likethestoneinapeach,liesthegreatstretchofthetworepublics,amightydomainforsosmallapeople.Howcametheythere?WhoaretheseTeutonicfolkwhohaveburrowedsodeeplyintoAfrica?Itisatwice-toldtale,andyetitmustbetoldonceagainifthisstoryistohaveeventhemostsuperficialofintroductions.NoonecanknoworappreciatetheBoerwhodoesnotknowhispast,forheiswhathispasthasmadehim. ItwasaboutthetimewhenOliverCromwellwasathiszenith—in1652,tobepedanticallyaccurate—thattheDutchmadetheirfirstlodgmentattheCapeofGoodHope.ThePortuguesehadbeentherebeforethem,but,repelledbytheevilweather,andluredforwardsbyrumoursofgold,theyhadpassedthetrueseatofempireandhadvoyagedfurthertosettlealongtheeasterncoast.Somegoldtherewas,butnotmuch,andthePortuguesesettlementshaveneverbeensourcesofwealthtothemothercountry,andneverwillbeuntilthedaywhenGreatBritainsignsherhugechequeforDelagoaBay.Thecoastuponwhichtheysettledreekedwithmalaria.Ahundredmilesofpoisonousmarshseparateditfromthehealthyinlandplateau.ForcenturiesthesepioneersofSouthAfricancolonisationstrovetoobtainsomefurtherfooting,butsavealongthecoursesoftheriverstheymadelittleprogress.Fiercenativesandanenervatingclimatebarredtheirway. ButitwasdifferentwiththeDutch.ThatveryrudenessofclimatewhichhadsoimpressedthePortugueseadventurerwasthesourceoftheirsuccess.Coldandpovertyandstormarethenursesofthequalitieswhichmakeforempire.Itisthemenfromthebleakandbarrenlandswhomasterthechildrenofthelightandtheheat.AndsotheDutchmenattheCapeprosperedandgrewstrongerinthatrobustclimate.Theydidnotpenetratefarinland,fortheywerefewinnumberandalltheywantedwastobefoundcloseathand.Buttheybuiltthemselveshouses,andtheysuppliedtheDutchEastIndiaCompanywithfoodandwater,graduallybuddingofflittletownlets,Wynberg,Stellenbosch,andpushingtheirsettlementsupthelongslopeswhichleadtothatgreatcentralplateauwhichextendsforfifteenhundredmilesfromtheedgeoftheKaroototheValleyoftheZambesi.ThencametheadditionalHuguenotemigrants—thebestbloodofFrancethreehundredofthem,ahandfulofthechoicestseedthrownintogiveatouchofgraceandsoultothesolidTeutonicstrain.Againandagaininthecourseofhistory,withtheNormans,theHuguenots,theEmigres,onecanseethegreathanddippingintothatstorehouseandsprinklingthenationswiththesamesplendidseed.Francehasnotfoundedothercountries,likehergreatrival,butshehasmadeeveryothercountrythericherbythemixturewithherchoicestandbest.TheRouxs,DuToits,Jouberts,DuPlessis,Villiers,andascoreofotherFrenchnamesareamongthemostfamiliarinSouthAfrica. ForahundredmoreyearsthehistoryofthecolonywasarecordofthegradualspreadingoftheAfrikanersoverthehugeexpanseofveldwhichlaytothenorthofthem.Cattleraisingbecameanindustry,butinacountrywheresixacrescanhardlysupportasheep,largefarmsarenecessaryforevensmallherds.Sixthousandacreswastheusualsize,andfivepoundsayeartherentpayabletoGovernment.ThediseaseswhichfollowthewhitemanhadinAfrica,asinAmericaandAustralia,beenfataltothenatives,andanepidemicofsmallpoxclearedthecountryforthenewcomers.Furtherandfurthernorththeypushed,foundinglittletownshereandthere,suchasGraaf-ReinetandSwellendam,whereaDutchReformedChurchandastoreforthesaleofthebarenecessariesoflifeformedanucleusforafewscattereddwellings.AlreadythesettlerswereshowingthatindependenceofcontrolandthatdetachmentfromEuropewhichhasbeentheirmostprominentcharacteristic.EventheswayoftheDutchCompany(anolderbutweakerbrotherofJohnCompanyinIndia)hadcausedthemtorevolt.Thelocalrising,however,washardlynoticedintheuniversalcataclysmwhichfollowedtheFrenchRevolution.Aftertwentyyears,duringwhichtheworldwasshakenbytheTitanicstrugglebetweenEnglandandFranceinthefinalcountingupofthegameandpayingofthestakes,theCapeColonywasaddedin1814totheBritishEmpire. InallourvastcollectionofStatesthereisprobablynotonethetitle-deedstowhicharemoreincontestablethantothisone.Wehaditbytworights,therightofconquestandtherightofpurchase.In1806ourtroopslanded,defeatedthelocalforces,andtookpossessionofCapeTown.In1814wepaidthelargesumofsixmillionpoundstotheStadholderforthetransferenceofthisandsomeSouthAmericanland.Itwasabargainwhichwasprobablymaderapidlyandcarelesslyinthatgeneralredistributionwhichwasgoingon.AsahouseofcalluponthewaytoIndiatheplacewasseentobeofvalue,butthecountryitselfwaslookeduponasunprofitableanddesert.WhatwouldCastlereaghorLiverpoolhavethoughtcouldtheyhaveseentheitemswhichwewerebuyingforoursixmillionpounds?TheinventorywouldhavebeenamixedoneofgoodandofevilninefierceKaffirwars,thegreatestdiamondminesintheworld,thewealthiestgoldmines,twocostlyandhumiliatingcampaignswithmenwhomwerespectedevenwhenwefoughtwiththem,andnowatlast,wehope,aSouthAfricaofpeaceandprosperity,withequalrightsandequaldutiesforallmen.Thefutureshouldholdsomethingverygoodforusinthatland,forifwemerelycountthepastweshouldbecompelledtosaythatweshouldhavebeenstronger,richer,andhigherintheworld'sesteemhadourpossessionsthereneverpassedbeyondtherangeofthegunsofourmen-of-war.Butsurelythemostarduousisthemosthonourable,and,lookingbackfromtheendoftheirjourney,ourdescendantsmayseethatourlongrecordofstruggle,withitsmixtureofdisasterandsuccess,itsoutpouringofbloodandoftreasure,hasalwaystendedtosomegreatandenduringgoal. Thetitle-deedstotheestateare,asIhavesaid,goodones,butthereisonesingularandominousflawintheirprovisions.Theoceanhasmarkedthreeboundariestoit,butthefourthisundefined.Thereisnowordofthe'Hinterland'forneitherthetermnortheideahadthenbeenthoughtof.HadGreatBritainboughtthosevastregionswhichextendedbeyondthesettlements?OrwerethediscontentedDutchatlibertytopassonwardsandfoundfreshnationstobarthepathoftheAnglo-Celticcolonists?Inthatquestionlaythegermofallthetroubletocome.AnAmericanwouldrealisethepointatissueifhecouldconceivethatafterthefoundingoftheUnitedStatestheDutchinhabitantsoftheStateofNewYorkhadtrekkedtothewestwardandestablishedfreshcommunitiesunderanewflag.Then,whentheAmericanpopulationovertookthesewesternStates,theywouldbefacetof