I90i]i Disasters in Natal II 



were a revelation to me of the political atmosphere in which our 

 royal personages move. 



" 20th Sept. — In London. A day of disaster for His Majesty's 

 arms by land and sea. Two defeats in South Africa, three guns lost 

 to Botha in Natal, the 17th Lancers cut to pieces in Cape Colony, 

 and His Majesty's ship ' Cobra ' totally wrecked off the Yorkshire 

 coast. I called on George Wyndham and talked the situation over 

 with him. The whole army, he says, is overdone and stale, the 17th 

 Lancers have been on the run since the 10th of May, trying to 

 catch the Boers, without a day's rest, and it is the same with them 

 all, horses and men can do no more. He thinks now the winter is 

 over and the grass up on the veldt, our army will have to mark time 

 and stay on the defensive till next year. He is beginning to think 

 we shall have to make terms with the Boers. I suggested a ' Reserva- 

 tion ' for them such as the Basutos have where they could be free 

 and govern themselves and live in their own way. He told me in 

 confidence he had long ago proposed exactly this solution as the only 

 one to end the war. The Boers ought to be allowed a ' blow hole.' 

 What they wanted was to lead a patriarchal life according to their 

 own ideas. He thought that if this was allowed they would be even- 

 tually amalgamated with the rest of South Africa by the natural pro- 

 cesses of progress. George is much pleased with his work in Ireland, 

 and is glad now he did not get the War Office as he had wished. He 

 is taking my advice of doing nothing, and waiting instead of forcing 

 the situation, as people were urging him to do. He described a yacht- 

 ing tour he has made in very stormy weather with his son Percy. 

 We also talked over the Fox-hunting case at Cairo ; he has been stay- 

 ing with Lord Lansdowne. 



" 21st Sept. — There is another defeat this morning, two more guns 

 taken. Hampden is now all for ending the war. 



" 2$th Sept. — Rennell Rodd is gazetted our Ambassador to Rome. 



" 2&tli Sept. — Cromer's marriage with Lady Katharine Thynne an- 

 nounced. 



" $rd Oct. — Captain H came to shoot with me and Neville. 



He has just come from the war. He thinks the fault lies in not 

 hanging the Boers, man, woman, and child. 



"4th Oct.— To London. Met Austin Lee at the Club. He tells 

 me Cromer's engagement was a very sudden affair. Cromer had been 

 down to lay a wreath on his late wife's grave at Bournemouth, and 

 had taken his place in the steamer for Cairo with Gorst. Gorst had 

 gone on to Paris, and he was to meet him there, but this engage- 

 ment has intervened. 



