1 82 SOUTH AFRICA. 



parts of the West of Ireland. There were, of 

 course, exceptions to this rule, but they were few 

 and far between, and in these individual instances 

 consisted of men who had left the Cape Colony 

 comparatively rich in flocks. Hundreds were 

 eating up their capital in a country where to hope 

 for any reasonable increase of live stock from mere 

 breeding sources is a delusion. In spite of the 

 frequent mention of " Our beloved country " and 

 so forth in official documents, the Boers have really 

 no attachment to it in the patriotic sense of the 

 word, and since the final extermination of the game 

 their only wish has been to " trek " to any available 

 country now suitable to the successful pursuit of 

 the only industry of which they are capable that 

 of stock farmers. 



With a view to a wholesale exodus, they have 

 been continually fitting out expeditions for the 

 discovery of a promising country ; all expeditions 

 have been disastrous failures from one cause or 

 another, but chiefly from the enmity of the fever- 

 fiend and thirst No doubt they would have anti- 

 cipated Mr. Rhodes and occupied Matabeleland 

 long ago could they have persuaded their leaders 

 to organise an expedition strong enough to attempt 



