History of South Africa and the Boer-British war. Blood and gold in Africa. The matchless drama of the dark continent from Pharoah to "Oom Paul." The Transvaal war and the final struggle between Briton and Boer over the gold of Ophir. A story of thrilling romance and adventure among wild beasts and wilder men, in search of sport and gems and gold...

Front matter

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Preface

THE century ends in war. The next to the last year of it was marked by a gathering of the Powers at The Hague to make plans for the maintenance of peace. But at the very moment when that august and benevolent assembly was deliberating upon its task, the elements of war were vigorously at work. Nor was the latter on a small scale. A war was in menace which was destined to overshadow half the world.

For ages Africa has been the wonder-continent of the globe. " Ever comes something new from Africa," said Pliny, and his words hold true to-day. After centuries of adventure, discovery, and what not else, that continent is made at the end of the nineteenth century the battle-ground on which is to be decided the fate of the greatest empire the world has ever seen.

That is the paramount feature of the case. The strife between Briton and Boer in South Africa is an old one. It had its orio-in a century ago. The discovery of diamond mines at Kimberley, surpassing those of old Golconda, roused it into new activity. The discovery, or rediscovery, of the gold mines of ancient Ophir, whence King Solomon drew his unrivaled wealth, brought it to a crisis. But it was not a mere strife between Briton and Boer.

For many a year Cape Town, the British metropolis in South Africa, had dreamed her dream, as Kipling has put it, of ''one land from Lion's Head to Line." Similarly, the sturdy Dutchmen of the Transvaal and Orange State, with not a few of those of Cape Colony itself, had dreamed of one day undoing the ancient British conquest, of driving the hated British away from the Cape, and of making of all South Africa a purely Dutch confederation.

For the accomplishment of these ends, both parties worked. The British were over-confident of their strength. They reckoned that they were bound to win, and that by the steady influx of their settlers they would gain control of the land. The Boers were more shrewd. They guarded against British political control by passing

PREFACE.

laws forever excluding British and American and all English-speakino- settlers from citizenship, and they prepared to execute their plans with force and arms by secredy developing great military potency.

It was in the penuldmate year of the century that the crash came. In October, 1899, the war began. To-day, as this volume is issued in the beginning of 1900, it is still raging fiercely, with a promise, or a threat, to continue through the year, to the century's end.

The purport of the present book is to present the history of the origin of that w^ar, and to narrate the story of the actual conflict as it rages. While these pages are being w^ritten batdes that may decide the fate of the Empire are being fought. The emergency is unique, and must be met in unique fashion. Mankind cannot wait a generation for a history of such a war. The history must come hot from the press, as the cannon-shot comes hot from the deadly tube. In the performance of this task, writer and pubHsher have spared no pains. It is necessarily a case of "history w^ritten while you wait." The first edition must be given to the w^aiting world before the issues of the war are fully decided. The writer must tell his story in the present tense. It is not the war that was, but the war that is. When the last chapter is written, and the last edition sent forth, the w^ar will be done. Until that time, the historian is the chronicler of the day's doings, awaiting the morrow^ for the continuation of his tale.

Never, perhaps, w^as history w^ritten from more romanticallygained advices. One correspondent sends his contribution from a beleaguered city under the wings of a carrier dove. Another sends his by a lithe native runner, who slips through the enemy's lines at risk of life. A third gives his bulletin in flashes of fire upon the sk}-. read thirty miles aw^ay. And all come quivering over the thousands of leagues of wnre, stretched on the deep sea floor, to where the historian, and the typesetter, and the lightning press, w^ait to put them into the finished form of a book for a million eager readers. Such is the present w^ork. As such it is commended to the public that awaits it as the contemporaneous record of one of the most momentous wars the present generation has beheld.

M

FieId=Marshal Lord Roberts.

Lord Kitchener.

TABLE OF CONTENTS,

Chapter I. Pagh

The Dawn of History — Origin of Egypt — Israel in Egypt — The Plagues of Egypt — ^The Mystery of the Nile — The Persian Conquest — ^The Christian Era — Growth of Egyptian Commerce — Alexander the Great — The Ptolemies — The Founding of Carthage — Growth of Carthage — The Opening of Africa — The Punic Wars — Hannibal — Invasion of Italy — ^The Defeat of Carthage — The Fall of Hannibal — Rebuilding Carthage — The Last Struggle — "Carthago Defenda Est" — The Final Scene — Caesar^ and Pompey — Antony and Cleopatra 17

Chapter II

The Mohammedan Invasion and Colonization of Africa — The Mohammedan Invasion — Mohammedan Colonization — The Coming of the Portuguese — War in Morocco — Henry the Navigator — Explorations and Conquests — Trade in Slaves and Gold — Vasco Da Gama — Prester John's Kingdom — ^The West Coast and the Congo — The Kingdom of Congo — On the East Coast — Advent of the Dutch in Africa — Foundation of Cape Colony — Trouble with the Natives — French Huguenots at the Cape — Growth of the Colony — Trouble with the Kaffirs — A Bankrupt Colony — British Seizure and Annexation — Story of South Africa 38

Chapter III

Early Explorers of the Dark Continent — Early Explorers — Greeks and Romans — Ptolemy — Portuguese Explorers — Exploring South Africa — British Adventurers — Seeking the Source of the Nile — Timbuctoo — Mungo Park — Dutch Settlements — Portuguese Activities — The British in South Africa — Congo and Niger — French Explorers — ^The Sahara and Soudan — Lander's Work in Nigeria — Borrioboola-Gha — British Enterprise — Earth's Great Work 57

Chapter IV

The Dutch Settlements at the Cape of Good Hope — A Despotic System — Growiih of the Colony — British Acquisition — Establishing British Rule — Origin of the Boers — ^The Missionaries — Increasing Colonization — Friction between the Briton and Boer — ^The Slave Question — EflFects of Emancipation 74

TAl'-LK OF CONTENTS.

Chapter V

Chaka, the Zulu Tyrant — Chaka Comes to the Throne — A Bloody Beginning — The Zulu Army — The Deadly Assegai — Schemes of Conquest — The Zulu Government — A Reign of Terror — At the Height of his Power — Scenes of Slaughter — Chaka's Dream — The Crowning Infamy —The Tyrant's End— The World's Worst Monster 83

Chapter VI

The Great Trek — Triechard begins the Exodus — Settling the Transvaal — Moselekatse—War with the Matabeles — ^An Awful Massacre — A Bloody Struggle — Losses of the Boers — A Campaign of Vengeance — An Unfortunate Halt — "Trekking" in Earnest — Dissensions Arise — In Dingaan's Country — A Savage Trick — The Slaughter of the Boers — Massacre at the Camp — Flight of the Missionaries — Invading Zululand — Death of Uys — Another Disaster — Zulu Raids — To the Rescue — ■ Action of the Government — A Halt in the Campaign 96

CHAPTER VIL

The Great Kaffir War — A Change of Policy — Advance in Education — The "War of the x\xe'' — Sir Harry Smith — Missionaries and Convicts — Witch Doctors Cause Trouble — British Disasters — The Birkenhead — Progress of the War — Sir George Grey — The Kosa Kaffirs — A Disastrous Movement — Sending Aid to India — South African Federation — Progress at the Cape — The Discovery of Diamonds — End of Kaffir Troubles 118

Chapter VIII

Dingaan and the Dutch — "Dingaan's Day" — Fall of Dingaan — British

Jealousies — Natal Seized by the British 136

Chapter IX

Progress of the Republic — Prosperity — Rise of the Transvaal — Pretorius and Kruger — British Annexation — Opposition of the Boers — The War for Independence 141

Chapter X

The Zulu War — Moving Against the Zulus — The Zulus Defeated — Invasion of Zululand — End of the War — Boer Seizure of Zululand — In-

TABLE OF CONTENTS. 9

PAGE

crease of Cape Colony — Basutoland — The Basuto War — ^The Basutos and the Orange Free State — ^Annexation of Basutoland — Bechuanaland 148

CHAPTER XL

Outbreak of the First Boer War — Outbreak of the War — Disaster for the British — ^Advance of the Boers — Defence of Potchefstroom — Fierce Assaults — Colley's Campaign — Sympathy with the Boers — The Rival Forces — Laing's Nek — Ingogo — British Reinforcements — Majuba Hill — ^The British Routed — End of the War — Compensation for Losses — Transvaal Finances 159

CHAPTER XH.

The Conventions Between Great Britain and the Boers — Suzerainty — Mr. Gladstone on Blood-Guiltiness — The Convention of 1884 — The Transvaal Constitution — The State Church — ^The President — The Army — The Judges — ^The Second Volksraad — Purport of the Constitution — The Orange Constitution 173

CHAPTER XHL

The Explorations and Missionary Work of Livingstone — Burton and Speke — Up the Nile — Baker and His Work — Livingstone in Zambezia — Stanley's First Venture — Dr. Rohlfs — Dr. Nachtigal — Miss Tinne — Paul Du Chaillu — Serpa Pinto — Dr. Schweinfurth — On the Zambezi — The "Scramble for Africa" — Rhodesia — ^Joseph Thomson — Stanley and Emin Pasha — West Africa — Somaliland ' 184

CHAPTER XIV.

The Transvaal Parliament — Secret Sittings — The Favorite Topic — Kruger's Influence — ^The Second Raad — What the Members are Like — The Cape Parliament — Plenty of Room — The Sessions — Winter Ses-

CHAPTER XV.

The Famous Diamond Mines of Kimberley — A Unique Scene — Discoveiy of the Diamonds — View of the Mines — How they are Worked — "Spreading the Blue" — Washing Out the Stones — ^Searching the Workers — In the Offices — Who Owned the Stone? 206 lO TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVI.

PAGE

Cecil Rhodes — Made by Diamonds — His Only Chance — Mr. Rhodes and General Gordon — Dealing with the Basutos — Making a Dream Come True — A Fitting Leader — The Jameson Raid — Never Caught Napping — In the Matoppo Hills — In the Savage Council — Talking with the Savages — A Daring Speech — The ]\Iaking of Peace — A Conqueror — A Typical Empire Builder 212

CHAPTER XVn.

The Cape-to-Cairo Railroad Scheme — From Cape Town to Cairo — ^The Road now^ in Operation — The Next Stage — On the Lakes — The Final Stretch — Some Account of the Countr\' — North of the Zambezi — In the Highlands — Lake Tanganyika 222

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Story of Khartoum — The Time of Change — The Rise of the Mahdi — The Soudan in the I\Iahdi's Hands — The Alahdi Comes to Khartoum — The Siege of Khartoum — The Effect of Abu Klea — The Death of Gordon — ^The Death of the ]\Iahdi — The Rule of the Khalifa — The End of it All — Adowa — Kassala — The Victory at Firket — Up to the Atbara — The Atbara Campaign — The Night March — The Battle of the Atbara — The Final Advance on Khartoum — The Concentrating Point — The Shabluka Cataract — The Sirdar's Calculations — The Battle of Omdurman, September 2, 1898 — With Sword and Spear and Banner as of Old — The First Attack — The Second Derv-ish Attack — The Final Advance — The Sirdar Enters Omdurman — In ^Memory of Gordon 232

CHAPTER XIX.

The Great Chartered Companies — Origin of the Matabeles — First Steps toward Colonization — The South Africa Company — Trouble with Lobengula— The Shangani Patrol— "Men of Utn They Were"— Fall of the Native Power — The Last Struggle — Railroad Building — Up to the Lakes 252

CHAPTER XX.

Discovery of Gold — "The Rand" — Johannesburg — The Outlanders — Origin of the Transvaal Wealth — Adventures — Features of the Mining Region —How the Gold is Found — Cost and Profit — Equipment of the Mines — In the Assav Office 262

TABLE OF CONTENTS. II

CHAPTER XXI.

PAGE.

Grievances of the Outlanders — Equal Privileges Promised in 1881 — Changing the Law — How the Promise was Kept — Condition of Citizenship — Allegiance, and Nothing in Return — The Agitation for Redress — Another Turn of the Screw — The Demands of the Outlanders — Beginning Agitation 270

CHAPTER XXH.

The Story of Delagoa Bay — Great Britain Gets the Bay — MacMahon Against England — Impossible Condition — Slow Work in Court 2JJ

CHAPTER XXIII.

The Story of the Jameson Raid — Services Among Savages — ^A Fine Administrator — Fighting the Matabeles — How the Raid Began — Inspired by Clive — Preparations for the Raid — Recruiting a Motley Host — On the March — The Raid Condemned — Progress of the Raiders — The Battle of Krugersdorp — The Boers ''Lie Low" — A Desperate Charge — A Bad Night — The End of the Game — How the Raiders were Trapped — ^The White Flag — ^Treatment of the Raiders — A Tell-tale Letter — Magnanimity of President Kruger — Handed Over to the British — Punishment of the Raiders — The TransvaaFs Bill 283

CHAPTER XXIV.

Renewed Agitation — The Outlander Petition — The Mining Industry — In terference with Justice — Conduct of the Police — Summary of Grievances — The Right of Public Meeting — The Reply to the Petition — Arrests by the Boers — Failure of the Conference — Schemes and Counter-schemes — Suggesting Another Gonference — The Final British Proposal — Acceptance Urged — ^The Ofifer Rejected — Attitude of the Orange State 302

CHAPTER XXV.

General Joubert's Address to Queen Victoria — The Boers' Discontent — The 181 5 Rebellion — ^The Trek from the Colony — The Dangers of the Wilderness — First Kaffir Engagement — Ill-fated Trekkers — The Ding^an Massacre — Visit of Captain Jarvis — Defeat of Dingaan — The English Occupation — Emigrant Boers Resist — Antagonism to British Rule — ^The Boomplaats Engagement — Sand River Treaty — The Disruption — War with England- —The Retrocession — Discovery of Gold — Discontent in Johannesburg — Mr. Chamberlain's Statements 315

I 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXVI.

PACK

*'Ooni Paul"— Taking Part in the "Great Trek"— A Panther Fight— Rising to Leadership — Leader of the Transvaal — The Rush for Gold — Personal Appearance — His House and His Lions — Mr. Kruger's Wealth — Hardihood and Hunting Prowess — Characteristic Incidents — Kruger's Diplomacy — A Curious Combination 33^

CPIAPTER XXVII.

Boer Leaders — Joubert and Kruger — A Much Camera'd Man — How He Helped Kruger's Election — A Great Letter Writer — The Boer Ambassador — A Man of Craft — His Rise to Power — A Social Leader — Sent Abroad — A Boer Judge — Secretary Reitz — Landdrost Smith— A Boer Jingo — A German OfBcer .• ..■ 348

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Negotiations Ended — Reaction at Pretoria — Moving for Action — Preparing for the Plunge — The Boer Ultimatum — Complaints Against England — Military Menaces— The Final Demand — "All South Africa" — An Afrikander Nation 358

CHAPTER XXIX.

Sir Alfred Milner, British Governor of the Cape — Beginning a Great Career — In Politics — A Born Diplomatist — Personal Traits — The British Commander — In the Thick of It — From Sheer Fatigue — Buller and the Drunkard — Buller on Colley's Blunder 369

•

CHAPTER XXX.

Outbreak of the War — The Great Exodus — Commandeering — A Multitude of Exiles — British Preparations — Under-rating the Boers — Beginning the War ^yg

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Boer Advance — The First Shot — Hot Fighting — On the Hill— General Symons's Courage — A Comical Sight — Abandoning Dundee — Flight of the People — A Veritable Panic — Entry of the Boers — Scenes of Loot — Boers in Full Control , .';-.-i .:v;i;;; , , ^d>6