228 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



are they distinguished for their loyalty. There are those 

 who contend that when they, or rather I should say 

 when the majority of them, left South Africa and settled 

 in the Protectorate the gain was South Africa's and the 

 loss was our Protectorate's. Be that as it may, they are 

 certainly too poor to pay the lowest boarding fees, nor 

 will they consent to be taught otherwise than in the 

 Taal. The general demand has been for a series of 

 wandering Dutch teachers who will go round and 

 expound in various districts. There is, however, also 

 a small stationary school at the Government centre. 



Again, there are some who say that they cannot see 

 why British gold should be spent in teaching Dutch 

 rebels in a foreign tongue. There are others who say 

 that to educate the beast will raise his status, and that 

 an educated Boer is more loyal and of more use than 

 an uneducated one. Further, that to attain that 

 object it is best and cheapest to start his education in 

 the Taal. Perchance there is an element of truth in 

 both arguments. 



In 191 1 it was thought desirable to impose a veneer 

 of education on the sons of chiefs ; whereby it was felt 

 that they would be bound the closer to us and would 

 also acquire an added authority among the tribes. For 

 this purpose a sum of ^*8oo was voted. The method 

 of their education, however, did, and still does, present 

 considerable difficulty. The original idea, as promul- 

 gated by the Government, was that the sum should be 

 subdivided in the nature of a bonus or grant among the 

 Missions of various denominations, who should then 

 grab as many sons of chiefs and headmen as evaded 

 the clutches of their neighbouring rivals. It was 

 pointed out by opponents of this scheme, firstly, that 

 already the Missions were educating the son of every 



