410 KLOOF AND KARROO. 



the Dutch farmers. In some instances the Boers 

 themselves have happily awakened to the fact that 

 they must either march with the times or be left 

 stranded, and they too are farming more in 

 accordance with modern practice. 



During the first four years of the British 

 occupation, old taxes were diminished and modified, 

 and no new ones were imposed. Every production 

 of the Colony increased greatly in demand and value. 

 More than 200,000 rix-dollars of arrears of rent 

 were remitted, as well as 180,000 rix-dollars of other 

 debts. The laws and religion of the inhabitants 

 remained undisturbed ; a much greater share of 

 personal liberty was enjoyed ; property increased to 

 double its former value ; the paper currency, which 

 had been devised by the Dutch Government as a 

 temporary stop-gap and had depreciated 40 per 

 cent., rose to par with specie ; and ^2,000,000 of 

 money was brought over from England and set in 

 circulation. The rent of houses became doubled, 

 and the country farmer found his sheep worth twice 

 their former value. " Four years of increasing 

 prosperity, of uninterrupted peace and domestic 

 tranquillity," says Barrow, " have been the happy 

 lot of the inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope." 

 There is a striking analogy between this rapid 

 advance under British influence at the Cape nearly 

 ninety years ago, and the brief period of British rule 

 in the Transvaal. In the latter country between 

 1877, when the Union Jack first floated there, and 

 1 88 1, when it was, to the everlasting disgrace of 

 Mr. Gladstone and his Government, hauled down, 

 property trebled in value, markets were good, capital 

 was abundant, and everything pointed to a rapid and 



