no Men, Mines, AND Animals in South Africa. 



was very near, but the firm determination of 

 Major Goold-Adams and his men, the adequate 

 preparations made beforehand Idv Sir Frederick 

 Carrington and the High Commissioner, averted 

 what woukl have been a great calamity. " The 

 Boer trek " promised at one time to be a very for- 

 midable lousiness. The Boer leaders, more or less 

 encouraged by General Joubert, who were carry- 

 ing on intrigues with the Portuguese on one hand, 

 and the Matabele on the other, undoubtedly saw 

 their wav to a successful incursion into what they 

 regard as " a promised land specially reserved for 

 them by God." Fortunately President Kruger 

 never hesitated ; from the first he exerted against 

 the " trek " all his great authority, he kept from it 

 all actual sympathy or effectual support among the 

 mass of the Boers, and his telegram of April last to 

 the High Commissioner to the effect that he had 

 damped the trek was, even at that time, strictly 

 accurate. It is quite j)ossiblc that in taking this 

 action he has overstrained his influence and im- 

 perilled his popularity. Unless he succeeds in 

 obtaining Swaziland for his |)eople this will surelv 

 be found to be the case. But these things cannot 

 be determined until 1893, when the next Presi- 

 dental election takes place. 



At Fort Tuli our party was most hospitably 

 received and entertained bv Sir Frederick Carrino-- 

 ton, Captain Leonard (in command of the post). 

 Major Tye, the ci^dl magistrate, and by the officers 

 of the B.B.P. In the fort are quartered from 

 eighty to ninety men of the B.B.P. and of the 



