336 KLOOF AND KARROO. 



taught by Sir Harry Smith at Boomplaats, on the 

 Free State plains, and by the suppression of the Van 

 Jaarsfeld Insurrection in 1798, were still remembered. 

 Suddenly, like a thunderclap, came the news of 

 Majuba Hill, and that subsequent surrender 

 everlastingly disgraceful to England's name. Since 

 that day much is changed, and the Boer, whether he 

 be colonial or a dweller in the republics beyond the 

 Orange River, goes his way with altered demeanour. 

 In the Old Colony, the Afrikander bond has done 

 much to educate the Dutch party, and instead of 

 viewing the elections with apathy, the up-country 

 Boer now controls the helm of state, and, through 

 his mouthpieces — -Mr. Hofmeyr and others^ — dictates 

 his own terms to the Premier for the time being of 

 the Cape Parliament. Agitation skilfully conducted 

 has proved as great a power among these rude 

 people as among the newspaper-reading artisans of 

 English cities. Only a short time back, in our 

 district of Zwart Ruggens, a meeting of farmers^ — 

 English and Dutch — was held, and among the 

 subjects discussed was the advisability of supporting 

 an Act for the compulsory fencing of farms, proposed 

 by the Cape Legislature. An old Boer of our 

 neighbourhood, Hans Knoetze by name, presently 

 got up and passionately exclaimed, "Ik schiet moors 

 dood die erste man wat durf een gut mark op myn 

 grond voor een draat henning" (" I'll shoot as dead 

 as mutton the first man who will dare to make a 

 hole on my ground for fencing"). Before Majuba 

 this old man would never have dared to make 

 such a speech. 



But, compared with their relations of the 

 Transvaal, the Boers of the Old Colony are 



