X INTRODUCTION. 



written on South African affairs, he has " no axe to 

 grind," has no prejudices, and whatever there may be of 

 bias in his arguments pro and con the claims of Uit- 

 lander and Boer is but the natural outcome of a long 

 study of evidence received at first hand in daily inter- 

 course with men belonging to different races and parties. 

 As an expert, his opinion deserves attention and his 

 suggestions for ameliorating the present tension merit 

 consideration. 



No one can read the chapters on game and shooting 

 without being convinced that although a hunter for the 

 market the author is a thorough sportsman. Of personal 

 adventures he is slow to write, remarking that one 

 episode is very much the same as another ; many 

 sportsmen will regret that one who has killed so many 

 lions and much other large game is so reticent on 

 the subject of his sporting exploits, but those who 

 intend visiting South Africa in search of sport will 

 read with greater profit the particulars he gives of the 

 game-lands, and his remarks on the subject of game pre- 

 servation should be borne in mind by those who have 

 the interest of South Africa at heart. To the Boer large 

 game has been a source of wealth, and its rapid extinction 

 in the Transvaal will probably result at no distant date 

 in a " trek" of the Boer stock-raisers to districts within 

 British territory, and this must react on the division of 

 parties within the Transvaal and so has a political as 

 well as an economical aspect. 



