the days of my life-第20章

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　under　the　name　of　apprenticeship　practically　enslaved　many　of　them。　But　in　those　days　I　saw　only　the　results；　and　judged　by　those　results。　I　did　not　see　nor　had　I　learned　the　causes　which　produced　them。　Now　I　know　that　there　is　much　to　admire　in　the　Boer　character；　also　that　among　them　were　many　men　of　real　worth。　Indeed；　as　I　shall　tell；　one　of　these　afterwards　saved　my　life　and　those　of　my　two　panions。
On　our　way　up　to　Pretoria　we　entertained　our　Dutch　visitors　on　several　occasions　as　well　as　the　circumstances　would　allow。　These　were　uncouth　dinner…parties；　but　very　amusing。　At　one　of　them　I　remember　a　jovial　old　boy　who　sat　next　to　me　invited　me　to　e　and　“opsit”　with　his　daughter；　whom　he　described　as　a　“mooi　mesje；”　that　is；　a　pretty　girl。　I　accepted　the　invitation；　packed　the　old　Boer　off　home；　and　went　to　Osborn　to　inquire　exactly　what　“opsitting”　might　be。
When　I　discovered　that　it　consisted　in　sitting　alone　with　a　young　woman　at　night　with　a　candle　burning　between　the　two；　which　somewhat　dreary　proceeding　ipso　facto　involved　a　promise　of　marriage；　I　did　not　follow　the　matter　further。　I　should　explain；　however；　that　the　engagement　depended　upon　the　length　of　the　candle。　If　the　young　lady　wished　to　encourage　the　“opsitter”　she　produced　a　long　one　that　would　last　till　dawn；　and　his　fate　was　sealed。　If　she　desired　to　be　rid　of　him　the　candle　was　of　the　shortest；　and　when　it　was　burnt　out　he　was　bound　to　go。　Conversation；　if　allowed；　was　unnecessary；　all　you　had　to　do　was　to　sit　on　either　side　of　the　candle；　which　might　not　be　passed。
I　wonder　if　they　still　“opsit”　in　South　Africa；　or　if　the　twentieth　century　has　made　an　end　of　this　quaint　and　doubtless　ancient　custom。
In　Pretoria；　where　everyone；　whatever　his　nationality；　was　utterly　sick　of　the　Boer　regime；　the　Mission　was　received　with　the　greatest　enthusiasm。　There　were　reception　mittees；　there　were　dinners；　there　were　balls；　for　although　the　munity　was　practically　bankrupt　this　did　not　detract　from　its　gaiety　or　the　lavishness　of　its　hospitality。　How　the　bills　were　paid　I　am　sure　I　do　not　know；　but　I　presume　it　must　have　been　in　kind；　for　no　one　had　any　money。　The　position　of　the　Republic　was　desperate；　and　of　it　all　despaired。　Taxes　could　no　longer　be　collected；　and　it　was　said　that　the　postmasters　were　directed　to　pay　themselves　their　own　salaries　—　in　stamps。　The　forces　of　the　country；　or　rather　the　mandoes　of　burghers；　had　been　defeated　by　the　Basuto　chief；　Secocoeni；　with　a　loss　of　seven　thousand　head　of　cattle。　As　a　result　the　war　against　this　potentate　and　his　nine　thousand　warriors　who　lived　in　the　Loolu　Berg；　a　range　of　mountains　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　to　the　north…east　of　Pretoria；　was　then　being　carried　on　by　a　small　force　of　filibusters。　These　men　received　no　pay；　while　they　were　expected　to　provide　for　themselves　out　of　what　they　could　take。　The　upshot　may　be　imagined。
The　President　of　the　Republic　was　a　Cape　Colonist　minister　of　the　Dutch　Reformed　Church　who　was　educated　in　Holland；　of　the　name　of　Burgers；　a　well…meaning；　curious；　and　rather　attractive　man　of　intelligence　and　good　appearance；　but　one　utterly　lacking　in　stability　of　character。　He　had　recently　visited　Europe　in　the　interests　of　the　Republic；　and　had　even　succeeded　in　raising　90；000　pounds　in　Holland　for　the　construction　of　a　railway　to　Delagoa　Bay；　which　money；　I　believe；　was　lost。　Also　he　was　said　to　have　had　certain　nebulous　dealings　with　the　Germans　which　even　in　those　days　were　a　cause　of　some　anxiety　to　this　country。6　I　have　seen　President　Burgers　almost　in　tears　over　the　condition　of　the　Republic；　nor　did　he　veil　his　opinions　of　its　state　in　his　addresses　to　the　Volksraad；　as　anyone　who　cares　to　consult　the　history　of　the　period　can　discover　for　himself。　At　no　time　was　he　an　earnest　opponent　of　the　annexation。　Ultimately　he　accepted　a　pension　from　our　Government；　and　died　in　the　Cape　Colony　in　1881。
6　See　Sir　Bartle　Frere’s　letter　to　Mr。　J。　M。　Maclean；　“Life　of　Frere；”　vol。　ii；　p。　183。
The　great　danger　with　which　the　Transvaal　was　threatened　in　1877　was　that　of　a　Zulu　attack。　Secocoeni　had　all　along　been　acting　more　or　less　under　the　inspiration　and　orders　of　Cetewayo；　who；　when　he　saw　that　this　Basuto　chief　could　defeat　the　Dutch；　thought；　not　unnaturally；　that　the　time　was　ripe　for　him　to　strike。　The　Zulus；　who　had　never　forgotten　their　defeat　at　Blood　River　in　the　thirties；　had　many　old　scores　to　settle　with　the　Boers。　Moreover；　Cetewayo’s　great　standing　army　of　fifty　or　sixty　thousand　warriors　were　clamouring　to　be　allowed　“to　wash　their　spears；”　and　as　he　did　not　wish　to　fight　the　English　and　we　would　not　allow　him　to　fight　the　Swazis；　only　the　Boers　remained。　In　considering　the　history　of　the　annexation　of　the　Transvaal　it　should　never　be　forgotten　that　Shepstone　was　aware　of　this　fact。　Indeed　not　long　after　we　reached　Pretoria　the　news　came　to　us　that　the　Zulus　were　waiting　in　a　chain　of　“impis；”　or　armies　along　the　frontier；　prepared　when　the　signal　was　given　to　sweep　in　and　put　man；　woman　and　child　to　the　assegai。　It　was　his　fear　that　this　bloody　design　would　be　carried　out　which　pushed　on　Shepstone　to　place　the　land　under　the　protection　of　the　Queen；　knowing　as　he　did　that　in　their　penniless　and　utterly　disorganised　condition；　without　an　effective　government；　or　cannon；　or　reserves　of　ammunition；　the　Boers　had　not　the　slightest　chance　of　resisting　the　Zulu　hordes。　They　would　have　been　wiped　out　up　to　or　perhaps　beyond　Pretoria。
While　I　am　dealing　with　this　subject　I　　a　letter　which　was　written　to　me　in　November　1906　from　Ireland　by　the　late　Sir　Marshal　Clarke　a　propos　of　the　review　which　I　wrote　of　Dr。　Leyds’s　book；　“The　First　Annexation　of　the　Transvaal；”　which　appeared　in　the　issue　of　South　Africa　published　on　October　27；　1906。　It　is　an　interesting　document　and　illustrates　the　statements　that　I　have　made　above。
Sir　Marshall　says：
My　attention　was　called　some　days　ago　to　the　article　you　wrote　to　South　Africa　on　the　27th　ultimo。　I　have　not　read　Lloyd’s　book。　Brooke　＇our　colleague　on　Shepstone’s　staff。　—　H。　R。　H。＇　told　me　that　he　began　it　but　found　it　so　full　of　misstatements；　which；　considering　what　I　know　of　the　author；　was　natural；　he　did　not　care　to　go　on　with　it。　I　am　glad　that　you　did　read　it　and　were　able　to　expose　the　falsehood　of　the　charges　levelled　at　Sir　Theophilus。　There　are　few　of　our　party　left　now　and　not　one　with　the　plete　knowledge　you　have　of　what　took　place　in　Pretoria　at　the　time　of　the　Annexation。　I　can　of　course　fully　endorse　the　story　you　tell　of　what　took　place　when　the　joint　mission　went　to　Secocoeni；　but　only　on　one　occasion；　so　far　as　my　memory　serves　me；　did　I　hear　Sir　Theophilus　express　in　unguarded　language　to　a　Boer　。　。　。　＇word　illegible＇　his　views　as　to　the　imminence　of　the　danger　that　threatened　the　people　of　the　Transvaal　from　the　Zulus。　I　think　it　was　Lyle　＇Dr。　Lyle；　the　medical　officer　to　the　Mission　—　H。　R。　H。＇；　who　was　with　me；　thought　that　what　he　said　might　be　distorted　to　his　detriment；　but　on　expressing　this　opinion　to　Sir　Theophilus　he　said　he　did　not　care；　as　he　knew　the　reality　of　the　danger　he　had　indicated　and　felt　that　the　responsibility　laid　on　him　must　override　any　personal　consideration。　Looking　back　through　all　that　has　since　occurred　one　feels　all　the　more　strongly　the　courage　and　sense　of　duty　that　actuated　our　Chief。　Even　had　the　Boers　finally　beat　back　the　Zulu　onslaught　what　a　loss　of　life　and　untold　misery　must　have　at　first　resulted；　and　no　one　but　Shepstone　could　have　stopped　Cetewayo　and　that　only　by　the　act　of　Annexation　。　。　。　。
I　consider　that　this　letter；　emanating　from　so　distinguished　a　public　servant　as　Sir　Marshal　Clarke；　one　of　the　most　noble…minded　and　upright　men　that　I　ever　knew；　is　evidence　of　great　value　as　to　the　motives　which　actuated　Sir　Theophilus　at　this　period。　Moreover　it　entirely　confirms　what　I　have　written　above。
While　the　negotiations　were　going　on　between　Shepstone　and　the　Boers　it　was　suddenly　announced　in　the　Volksraad　“that　peace　had　been　provisionally　concluded　with　Secocoeni’s　envoys；　according　to　which　Secocoeni　and　his　people　became　subjects　of　the　State；　and　that　the　chief　himself　had　ratified　this　among　other　stipulations。”7
7　Sir　T。　Sh