AFRICA SINCE ISSS 
165 
When the Boers were in Cape Colony, and for some time after- 
ward during their nomad life, they Avere under English rule. 
They rebelled at times, but it was not until 1852 that they threw 
off the English yoke and became a free people. In 1882 Paul 
Kruger was elected president, and by the Convention of London 
in 1884 the Transvaal was recognized as a nation, England merely 
retaining the right to approA'e “ all treaties made Avith any state 
or nation other than the Orange Free State, and Avith any native 
tribes outside the Transvaal.” The Boers agreed^ that “all per- 
sons, Avith their families, should have full liberty to reside in any 
part of the Transvaal and to carrry on any kind of business, 
and such persons Avere to be subject to no higher taxation than 
is or may be imposed upon citizens ; ” also that no slavery was 
to be tolerated. If these privileges are conceded, England has 
no right to interfere in its internal affairs. 
The government of the Transvaal is nominally administered by 
a parliament, but the poAver is in the hands of Paul Kruger, the 
president, the grandson of a German, a stolid Boer of great nat- 
ural abilitA" and shrewdness, Avith strong homely features and blue 
eyes shoAving keen Avatchfulness and great firmness of purpose. 
When parliament is not in session, he has poAver to issue proc- 
lamations, Avhich can be enforced until its next meeting, and 
Avben it is in session he rules the members, it is said, b}’' threat- 
ening to reduce their salaries. 
In 1885 gold Avas discovered on a ridge about six thousand 
feet above sea-level, near the present cit}'’ of Johannesburg. Im- 
migrants immediately flocked in. Today Johannesburg is the 
center of a district, according to an informal but relial)le census, 
of 120,850 Euroj>eans and Americans, all of Avhom are engaged 
in mining. This discovery of gold has been most fortunate for 
the Avorld. As the production of the mines of California fell 
off, the loss has been made up in the Transvaal. After the dis- 
covery of the California mines, the gold production of the Avorld 
gradually increased until 1853, Avhen it reached the maximum 
of §155,000,000 ; tlien it stcadil^Mliminished until 1883, Avhen it 
Avas only §05,W0,000; at this time the African mines began to 
supply the market. Since then production has rapidly increased, 
and it is believed that in 1800 it Avill be over §200,0(_K),0()(), the 
largest amount ever mined, and one-half Avill come from the 
Transvaal. The veins have been carefully surveyed and traced 
for several hundred miles, and it is believed that they are more 
extensive than any other gold fields. In many places the re- 
