, 1877-07-18

in the use OF modern fire arms, and dis
tinguished for q ruthlessness in dealing
with their enemies almost surprising the
terOcitics of the Red Indians. Our re-
peatPd Kafir wars have warped us that
these black men are not to he compared
with any Of the weak aboriginal races with
which we have come into contact els. where.
1t is an eloquent fact that while Maores,
Australians, North-AnIelican Indians, Fiji
ans, and others Of our co CURED subjects
have dWindled away under our rule, the
Katirs, during a quarter of a century of
peace-within the English border at
least-have multiplied concurrentIy with
their advancement in the arts both of
peace and war. The immense and in some
respects alarming increase of the native
population in and around the Cape Colony
is due not only to natural fertility, but
also to a continuous immigration. The
natives have not been slow in understand
ing that under the British flag they are
sure of fair treatment, which they could
never hope for from the Beers. They are
certain also of a comfortable subsistence,
such as their native deserts could not
promise them. The result is that the
British Colonies contain an immense and
we r-increasing black population, whose
Lilh and kin are either 81 heled in the
neighbouring Republics under the hard
rule of the Dutch, or arc scattered over
tie unappropriated plains and mountain
districts that fringe the white settlements
on the north and east. The majority of
ALAoo A.,IoC 0r1 orN,0I Nth "a, and
they make admirable marksmeD. They
would be much more formidable in arms
against the British Power than their
fathers were during the Katir wars which
extended from 1916 to 1858, but the
policy of the British Government has been
for a quarter Of a century most pacific
and kindly, and within our own limits we
have had scarcely any troubles to COM
plein CT. But the Beers have been in
perpetual conflict with their black subjects
and neighbours, and the Transyaal Gov
eminent in particular has kept up continual
bickefiogs with the Zulus and the other
tribes which are i~nterpoSed between the
Republic and the sea-coaSt. President
Burgers, the chief Of the TtauSvaal Govern
ment, was rash enough to engage his coun-
try last year in a struggle with a native
chief who contested the claims of the
Republic to sovereignty among the noun
tains Of the north east. Lord Carparvon
in vain warned the IransvaaI Government
of the risks they were running, risks which
involved not only the Dutch Republic,
but the British Colonies as well. For if
the Beers were beaten, an invasion of their
State by the ZuIus was to be very seri-
ousIy unprecedented, and the fame once lit,
no one could predict how far it might
spread.
The Beers, however, persisted in at
lacking their enemy, and were beaten
The disaster gave a fatal blow to the
stability of the Government at Pretoria.
Anarchy and bankruptcy quickly follow
ed /; factions, led by reckless adventures,
who counted upon the dangerous autho-
rity of the mercenary soldiers called in to
help in driving out the Kafirs, threatened
the feeble power at the capital. A
Zulu invasion, with all its immdiate hor-
rors and all its more remote perils, seemed
inevitable. In this position of Affairs
Lord Carnarvon sent Sir T. Skepstone to
the Transvaal. with, as is understood, a
very wide discretion, and with full su-
thority to command the assistance, in case
of emerrencv. Of the whole military and