Sir Sydney’s speech, on the contrary, was strong and full of feeling.  He told the people that he sympathised deeply with them in their struggle for what he believed to be their just rights, but that being an English Government official he could take no part.  He reminded them that Jameson was lying in prison, his life and the lives of his followers in great jeopardy.  The Government had made one condition for his safety:  the giving up of their arms.  ’Deliver them up to your High Commissioner, and not only Jameson and his men will be safe, but also the welfare of those concerned in this movement—­I mean the leaders.’  He continued:  ’I, whose heart and soul are with you, say again that you should follow the advice of the High Commissioner, and I beg you to go home and to your ordinary avocations; deliver up your arms to your High Commissioner, and if you do that you will have no occasion to repent it.’

January 8.—­Arms are being delivered up.  About 1,800 guns already handed in.  The Government assert that we are not keeping our agreement and are holding back the bulk of the guns.  My husband tells me that these are being given up as fast as possible, but that there are not over 2,700 among the entire Uitlander population.  The Reform Committee has assured the High Commissioner that they are keeping good faith, but that they never had more than about 2,700.  The disarmament is universally considered the first step to an amicable settlement.  The Reform Committee has sent out orders and the guns are coming quietly in.  Everybody feels a certain relief now that the strain is eased; the members of the Committee are dropping down into all sorts of odd places to make up for the lost sleep of the past week.  Dozens are stretched on the floor of the club rooms.  Some steady-going gentlemen of abstemious habit are unprejudiced enough to allow themselves to be found under the tables wrapped in slumber as profound as that of infancy.

In contrast to my feelings of yesterday I am almost joyous.  But for poor impetuous Jameson and the newly dead and wounded of Doornkop, I could laugh again.

The women are going back to the mines.  Many brave little men who have remained in the shade to comfort their wives now step boldly to the front and tell us what they would have done if it had really come to a question of fighting.  There is so much talk of moral courage from these heroes, I fear it is the only kind of courage which they possess.  One gentleman, not conspicuous for his bravery during the preceding days, gravely said to me:  ’If there had been war, I wonder if I should have had the moral courage to keep out of the fight?’ I looked into his face, and, seeing there his character, answered with dryness, ‘Oh!  I suspect you would.’  He was too complaisant to appreciate the sarcasm.  God made little as well as great things!  I suppose we should love all humanity, even if it be in the spirit of a collector of curios.