A General Survey and Summary of Events 181 



Witwatersrand Gold Fields, entirely altered the 

 conditions of life in South Africa, both for the white 

 and coloured inhabitants. Labour has been in 

 demand at high wages, railways have superseded 

 the ox- wagon, towns have been built, banks estab- 

 lished with a coin currency, and inter-communi- 

 cation is rapid and convenient. Those people who 

 do little or nothing themselves, should be less prone 

 to abuse the so called mining magnates, who have 

 brought in millions of capital to develop the 

 resources of this country, which, if dependent on the 

 enterprise of the old inhabitants might have re- 

 mained dormant another ten centuries. Agriculture 

 in all its branches would have also stood still, but 

 for the infusion of fresh blood, the object-lessons 

 given, and the new methods introduced. I am of 

 opinion, that unless oversea immigration is en- 

 couraged, South Africa will slowly but surely revert 

 to the dark races, and become again barbarous. 

 The children of the old Boer pioneers as a rule are 

 going backward, they will not farm properly them- 

 selves, but let the Kaffirs work their farms on shares. 

 The consequence is, and must be, that the Kaffirs 

 are becoming industrious farmers, white owners are 

 drifting into the towns, and many becoming " poor 

 whites," and a burden to the State. Many children 

 of leading land owners of the last generation have 

 squandered their land and money, and are now 

 asking for Government support. While under 

 Sir Richard Southey, as Governor of Griquland 

 West (including the diamond fields), permission was 

 granted diggers and companies to pay their natives 

 wages with fire-arms instead of money ; and 

 thousands of guns (mostly of very inferior quality) 

 were obtained by Kaffirs hailing from various tribes, 

 Sekukuni, Zoutpansberg Mountain tribes, Natal 



