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 1911 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 ^800 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 
