138 llecollcctions oj Adventure* 



arrange proceedings. I employed myself in collect- 

 ing all the information I could from the works on 

 the Mining Laws of Australia, New Zealand and 

 California, which I had sent for some time pre- 

 viously, and drafted a set of laws, which I con- 

 sidered would suit South Africa. The Attorney- 

 General did not like me, having usurped his place, 

 but as there were no Transvaal Mining Laws, and 

 he had made no attempt to frame any, Mr. Burgers 

 agreed that he would discuss the laws that I had 

 drawn up, clause for clause, and with a few slight 

 alterations, the Law as drafted by me, became the 

 Transvaal Gold Law. It rained incessantly that 

 season, and the rivers were high. We were warned 

 on the way up that the diggers were unruly, and had 

 threatened to assault Mr. Burgers if he came to the 

 diggings to interfere with them, so, on reaching the 

 swollen Blyde River a camp was formed and a 

 council of war was held. Some tried to persuade 

 the President to return to Pretoria and not take any 

 risks, but I pointed out how completely such a 

 retreat would destroy the prestige of the Govern- 

 ment, offered to swim the river and interview the 

 diggers in the morning, and I prevailed. In the 

 morning some hundreds of diggers assembled on the 

 opposite bank. I swam across in a "state of nature," 

 introduced myself as the proprietor of the property, 

 said that I intended to make reasonable terms with 

 them, and that President Burgers who was on the 

 other side, wished to see them and discuss the 

 matter. The good enough fellows cheered me, said 

 they would treat Mr. Burgers with respect, and at 

 my request sent to the Mining Camp for a long rope 

 to assist us through the rushing stream, which was 

 slowly going down. Mr. Burgers said "my dear 

 Struben, I can't swim," but I promised not to let him 

 drown I put stones in the wagon to prevent it 



