The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1899-11-29
(0omtinucd from 1st page)

which can hardly be dignitied by
even the name of a village. II is
a scattered hamlet of few tin
shanties, but it is the centre of
very bellicose Boer country. The
farmers are tire-eaters to a man.
Jameson and his Inflated column
passed through here on his march
from Pitsani, and Ieerust, being
only u few miles from the Bechu-
analand border, it is possible that
retaliatory raids may take place
here if the younger Beers get out
of hand. AT Komati Poort sta
ton ,on the border, the Beers
have constructed a large camp,
which is faced by a fairly strong
force of Portuguese troops.
Swaziland is u Boer protector
ate. 1t was handed over in 1894
to the Transvaal by a special con-
vention. The capital is Bremers-
drop; the telegraph wire ends
here. The Swazis, though normal
ly subjects of the Beers, are their
bitter opponents, and may give
trouble some day.
AT Eshowe, the British, under
General Pearson, sustained a
memorable siege after the disaster
of Isandhlwana, in 1879. In that
campaign the defence of ROrke's
Drift saved Natal. The Zulu inn
pis were finally crushed at Ulun-
di.
The colony of Natal is more
antagonistic to the Transvaal
than Cape Colony, its British sen
timents indeed being very strong
ly marked. Durham, named after
the former governor, Sir Benja-
min D'Urban, is the chief port,
and one of the best harbors on
the east coast. Pietermaritzburg
is, however, the capital.
Neither of those towns would
be so seriously affected by hostil-
tiles as Ladysmith and Newcastle,
the former being the site, in peace
time, of a large British camp,
while the latter would probably
be the base of operations, as it
was in 1881.
To the north of Newcastle lie
the three battlefelds, or, rather,
skirmish fields, in which the Brit
ish sustained defeat in 1881, Ma
juba, Laing's Mex, and the Ingogo
Heights.
CharlestOwn is a small border
town, and no serious attempt
would be made to defend it in
case of war. The correspondents
at Johannesburg and Pretoria,
who do not wish to have their
kilograms withheld or altered by
the Boer government, send their
messages by train to Charlestown
or Newcastle, and there have them
put on the wire.
To the northwest of Ladysmith
is Van Reenen's Pass, $500 feet
high, by which, in case the Orange
Free State Joined the Transyaal
in warlike operations, one British
force would probably invade the
former country, while another
crossed into the latter at Laing's
Mex.
Basutoland is a British prOtec-
torate, its capital being Maseru,
near to which is Thaba Bosigo,
where the Basutos long defied the
Dutch with success. In the event
of war the Orange Free State
would have to maintain 10000
men along the Basuto frontier in
order to prevent any incursion by
the natives, whom it would be al
most impossible for the British to
keep in check, so great is their
animosity towards the Dutch.
BlOemfontein, the capital of the
Orange Free State, a quiet and
pleasant rural centre, contains
about 5000 residents, half that
number being whites. 1t was here
Sir A. Miner had his famous con,
ference with President Kruger
this year. AT Jagersfontein,
slightly to the south, are the well
known diamond mines. On the
west of the Transvaal and the
Orange Free State, going north