THE TRANSVAAL. 169 



Gibeonites, and black ones at that, generally had 

 to put up with a good allowance of " Sambok " 

 treatment in those days, especially at the hands 

 of the elite of the puritanical pietists, whose 

 principles and practices were then in the ascendant. 

 Kamian and his people at last got tired of this sort 

 of thing ; suddenly fled over the Marico, in a body, 

 locating themselves very comfortably in a suitable 

 place, where the tribe still lives in peace. Soon 

 after this Kaffir exodus Paul began to take an 

 active part in the curious politics of the country, 

 and acted as Commander-in-Chief in several little 

 wars, mostly with success. Shortly after the 

 Transvaal war he was elected as President, and, 

 in spite of his antiquated notions, the Republic has 

 thriven wonderfully. 



No deficiencies on the part of the Government 

 could have arrested the prosperity of a country 

 containing such successfully developed gold fields 

 as those of Johannesburg, which began to attract 

 efficient capital some three or four years after the 

 signing of the Majuba Convention. Till that time 

 poverty had reigned supreme, and unless the 

 discovery of profital ; gold mines had been 

 timely made, the country would soon have been 

 depopulated by emigration and starvation. 



