But the empire has always had poor luck in South Africa, and never worse than on that occasion.  Through no bad faith, but simply through preoccupation and delay, the promises made were not instantly fulfilled.  Simple primitive men do not understand the ways of our circumlocution offices, and they ascribe to duplicity what is really red tape and stupidity.  If the Transvaalers had waited they would have had their Volksraad and all that they wanted.  But the British Government had some other local matters to set right, the rooting out of Sekukuni and the breaking of the Zulus, before they would fulfill their pledges.  The delay was keenly resented.  And we were unfortunate in our choice of Governor.  The burghers are a homely folk, and they like an occasional cup of coffee with the anxious man who tries to rule them.  The three hundred pounds a year of coffee money allowed by the Transvaal to its President is by no means a mere form.  A wise administrator would fall into the sociable and democratic habits of the people.  Sir Theophilus Shepstone did so.  Sir Owen Lanyon did not.  There was no Volksraad and no coffee, and the popular discontent grew rapidly.  In three years the British had broken up the two savage hordes which had been threatening the land.  The finances, too, had been restored.  The reasons which had made so many favour the annexation were weakened by the very power which had every interest in preserving them.

It cannot be too often pointed out that in this annexation, the starting-point of our troubles, Great Britain, however mistaken she may have been, had no obvious selfish interest in view.  There were no Rand mines in those days, nor was there anything in the country to tempt the most covetous.  An empty treasury and two native wars were the reversion which we took over.  It was honestly considered that the country was in too distracted a state to govern itself, and had, by its weakness, become a scandal and a danger to its neighbours.  There was nothing sordid in our action, though it may have been both injudicious and high-handed.

In December 1880 the Boers rose.  Every farmhouse sent out its riflemen, and the trysting-place was the outside of the nearest British fort.  All through the country small detachments were surrounded and besieged by the farmers.  Standerton, Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Lydenburg, Wakkerstroom, Rustenberg, and Marabastad were all invested and all held out until the end of the war.  In the open country we were less fortunate.  At Bronkhorst Spruit a small British force was taken by surprise and shot down without harm to their antagonists.  The surgeon who treated them has left it on record that the average number of wounds was five per man.  At Laing’s Nek an inferior force of British endeavoured to rush a hill which was held by Boer riflemen.  Half of our men were killed and wounded.  Ingogo may be called a drawn battle, though our loss was more heavy than that of the enemy.  Finally came the