l66 SOUTH AFRICA. 



of any European race, who would certainly starve 

 on the wages which satisfy the Kaffir. 



Very few individual Kaffirs work more than a 

 few weeks or months on the gold fields, which they 

 come to with a view to obtain a certain fixed sum 

 previously determined on, and having achieved 

 their specific object, depart, and are replaced by 

 fresh arrivals. Indeed, the majority of these black 

 labourers are sent by their Chief to work for his, 

 and their, own benefit conjointly, and on their 

 return to the kraal a division of the acquired spoil 

 ensues as a matter of course. House rent, taxes, 

 and the other expenses of a white man on these 

 fields are very serious amounts, only earnable by 

 skilled artisans, of whom there is always rather 

 more than an ample supply. 



The administration of the government of this 

 Republic is wholly in the hands of the President, 

 Paul Kruger, and a clique of his favourite 

 Hollanders. There is a Parliament, Council, or 

 Raad, but, although not quite dumb, any re- 

 calcitrant member is very effectually silenced by 

 the omnipotent Paul, who, on any symptom of 

 opposition, rages in fierce texts from the Old 

 Testament at the offender, who then incontinently 



