CHAPTER XXIII. 

 THE FUTURE OF CAPE COLONY. 



EVER since 1806, when a British force 

 under Sir David Baird effected its capture, 

 the Cape Colony has remained without 

 interruption in the hands of England. Before that 

 time it had been in our possession from 1795 to 

 1803, but had been restored to the Dutch at the 

 Peace of Amiens. But although, in point of years, 

 the Cape occupies an ancient position among our 

 colonies and dependencies, it has, for a variety of 

 reasons, lingered tardily behind in the race of 

 material progress and prosperity. India, Australia, 

 New Zealand and Canada have, within these last 

 forty years, advanced with amazing strides ; but 

 South Africa, with advantages in many respects 

 equal, in some superior, to her sisters, has hitherto 

 not taken that part in the world that she had the 

 right to command. Camoens, in his " Lusiad," 

 makes mention of Adamastor, the spirit of the 

 stormy Cape, and it would almost seem that the 

 grim phantom he portrays had really cast an evil 

 spell over this fair country ; for the Cape has been 

 to the British during long years a distressful and 

 disturbed possession. But all, or nearly all, the 

 influences that have created these troubles have 

 passed, or are passing away. There are unmistak- 

 able signs that the dawning of a new era of peace, 

 enlightenment and progress, has come for South 



