Would England really acquire the Transvaal gold by the annexation of that State, seeing that its mines are already capitalized and as good as expropriated in favour of the host of shareholders, some of whom are English, but the greater portion German, French, and of other nations?

What advantage would accrue to shareholders?  Would England, in case of forcible annexation, not be under the necessity of incurring a heavy charge in the increase of her South African garrisons, and so be justified in levying a considerable royalty upon the output, which would materially reduce the dividends?  What advantage would arise to England by substituting an unproductive and costly war in South Africa for conditions of peace and prosperity, which alone can yield her commerce profit?  England can only derive profit from wars waged between other peoples.  And as to the incentive of commercial supremacy, England, while possessing that to a large extent already, freely and voluntarily allows all comers from other nationalities to share the benefits with her by her principle of free trade.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 10:  Extract from Pretoria Volksstem, 20th November, 1899, from a long letter averred to have appeared in the London Times, dated 12th October, 1899, said to have been signed by a well-known Cape Boer, then in England:—­

“We have desired delay, and we have had it, and we are now practically masters of South Africa from the Zambesi to the Cape.  All the Afrikaners in the Cape Colony have been working for years past for this end.

“For thirty years the Cape Dutch have been waiting their chance, and now their day has come; they will throw off their mask and their yoke at the same instant, and 200,000 Dutch heroes will trample you tinder foot.  We can afford to tell you the truth now, and in this letter you have got it.”]

PORTUGUESE TERRITORY—­TRANSVAAL LOW VELDT—­MALARIA—­HORSE SICKNESS

Between the north-eastern borders of the Transvaal and the coast lies the Portuguese colony Mozambique.  Its frontier railway station, Ressario Garcia, is near that of the Transvaal, viz., Komati poort, which is 53 miles from Delagoa Bay.  A low-lying country extends from the coast about 100 to 200 miles inland, and is tropical.  Except some elevated spots, the whole of it is almost uninhabitable in summer by whites on account of malaria.  During some specially bad seasons natives even succumb to that malady.  The only comparatively safe months are from June to November.  Marshy localities, and wherever there is shaded rank vegetation in low-lying parts, are dangerous all the year round; in such places the water is deadly at all times unless first boiled.