SUNDAY, JANUARY 12.—­Mr. and Mrs. Perkins called this morning to advise Betty’s not going immediately to Pretoria, as was her intention.  Mr. Perkins said that the Boer feeling was very bitter, and foreign women were insulted in the streets.  Advocate Wessels has also written to me, insisting upon my waiting two or three days, as my presence in Pretoria could do no good, and might prejudice my husband’s cause.  A little trunk was packed and sent to my husband last night.  I got out of bed to superintend, and felt tragically tender as I watched the things laid in.  A fresh suit of clothes, some personal and bed linen, towels, shoes, family photographs, flea powder, ginger-snaps, beef essence, soap, my little down pillow, and his beloved and well-read Shakespeare.  I was able to sit up for an hour this afternoon to receive Sir Sydney Shippard, Mr. Seymour Fort, and Mr. Manion.

Yesterday the Governor of Natal, Sir Walter Hely Hutchinson, started for Pretoria to confer with the High Commissioner in regard to the transport of Dr. Jameson and his men through Natal.  They are to be handed over to the English Government.

Search parties of mounted Boers are going about looking for hidden guns.  The Robinson Mine seems to be the spot most suspected.

Yesterday’s ’Volksstem’—­a Government organ—­recalled to the minds of the Boers the Slachter Nek affair of eighty years ago—­a story of Boers hung by Englishmen for their insistence in punishing a negro slave according to established custom.  What a cruel sinister suggestion underlies this![6]

Keen resentment is felt here against the young German Emperor and his indiscreet message to Kruger.  I never dreamed years ago, when I used to see him, a tall, slender-legged boy in Berlin, that in maturity I should have so strong a desire to chastise him.  England has commissioned a Flying Squadron, and the forces at Cape Town are to be strongly augmented.

JANUARY 13.—­Mr. Manion showed me to-day a cable from the United States Secretary of State, Mr. Olney.  ’Take instant measures to protect John Hays Hammond, and see that he has fair play.’  It brought such a feeling of confidence and comfort!  All he wants is fair play, and I pray to God that he may be protected until he gets it.

Many business meetings had to be postponed to-day on account of the large number of influential men in jail.  I hear from Mr. ——­ that on Thursday and Friday it was most difficult to keep the Boers from storming the town.  President Kruger dissuaded them by promising each a new suit of clothes.  These they have since been seen carrying, tied to the cantle of their saddles.

Feeling is strong and bitter against the leaders; they are held responsible for all the trouble brought about by the Jameson invasion.

Commandant Cronje’s Burgher force paraded the street this morning—­they are the men who captured Jameson.  Jameson is the god of the hour, and Johannesburg resented the intrusion; but for the sake of their hero, still in the power of the Government, there was no indication of intolerance beyond a few audible sarcasms; remarks which were answered in kind by the Burghers.