352 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
and, after a stubborn resistance, he defeated 
them at the battle of Boem Plaats, in the year 
1848. Those who then submitted to his arms, 
were allowed to remain upon their new posses- 
sions, and to govern themselves, very much by 
their own laws, on condition that they would 
recognize "the Sovereignty" of the Crown of 
England. Hence it was, that the whole central 
district of Southern Africa, between the two 
branches of the Orange river, the u Nu Gariep" 
and the u Ky Gariep" (of which the former is 
called the Orange, and the latter branch, the 
Yaal river,) acquired the name of the " Sover- 
eignty," beyond the Orange river. 
A large portion, however, of the defeated 
Boers, under their leader Pretorius, migrated 
still further to the J^orth, beyond the Vaal 
river, and at length succeeded in forming a 
republic there for themselves, called the u Trans- 
Vaal Republic" beyond the reach of British in- 
terference. Some 25,000 Dutch Boers now 
reside there, scattered over that rich and pic- 
turesque tract of country. The chief town of 
Poschefstrom, which stands at the confluence 
of the Mooi and the Yaal rivers, contains some 
400 or 500 inhabitants. There is another 
smaller village named Eustenberg, at the foot 
of the Magaliesberg range of mountains, where 
about 150 more dwell. Eight days journey to 
