32 Personal Impressions of the Transvaal. 



from what is known it is one of the richest places in the world 

 and has a great future before it. Johannesburg has been built 

 up within the last 14 years by the industry and skill of the 

 Uitlander. It is a very fne city and a credit to our fellow- 

 countrymen. So oppressive, however, was the Boer Govern - 

 ' ment that the guns of the fort were kept constantly trained 

 Upon it. Johannesburg was founded in 1886, and in 1897 it 

 had a population of 100,000, one-half white. Mr. Bryce, the 

 historian, says, '' Johannesburg with its mining environs has 

 nearly all the industry and wealth and half the whole white 

 population of the Transvaal, a country, be it rememberd, as 

 large as Great Britain, Pretoria and the lonely country to the 

 north, east, and west has the rest of the population and all the 

 power.'' 



Considering the political situation before the war and the 

 grievances of the Uitlanders, instances of which I met with in 

 Johannesburg, it seemed to me clear that the war was inevit- 

 able, and was directly brought about Dy the Boer government 

 for its own ends. The Boer does not care for hard work, 

 but has no objection to enjoy the fruits of others labours. 

 This explains in a great measure their attitude towards the 

 Uitlanders, and their barbarity to the Natives. 



The South African Republic was only a Republic in name, 

 and was really a corrupt oligarchy, almost all the members of 

 the government and most of the public men being known to 

 accept bribes freely, and President Kruger has pushed into 

 public and well paid offices as many of his 108 grandchildren 

 as he could, whether they had the necessary qualifications 

 or not. The fact is that the Boers are far behind the 

 times ; they are ignorant, taciturn, and suspicious — their ideas 

 in dealing with others is to be " slim," ?>., crafty. The 

 Uitlanders had many grievances to complain of ; it had been in 

 trying to bring about a redress of those grievances that the 

 present war originated. It is to be hoped that the issue will 

 be on the side of right and justice. 



In showing some slides of Pretoria, I may explain that 



