agricultural possibilities
enlarged upon. Finally, goaded thereto and justified therein by
Lobengula's continued cruelties, his raids on the defenceless Mashonas,
and his threats to the English, Dr. Jameson had led another expedition
against the King himself in his stronghold of Bulawayo. On that occasion
sharp fighting ensued, but he at length brought peace, and the dawning
of a new era to a vast native population in the country, which, with
Mashonaland, was to be known as Rhodesia. In fact, up to then his luck
had been almost supernatural and his achievements simply colossal. Added
to all this was his capacity for attaching people to himself, and his
absolutely fearless disposition; so it is easy to understand that
Kimberley hardly dared breathe during the next momentous days, when the
fate of "the Doctor," as he was universally called, and of his men, who
were nearly all locally known, was in suspense.

During many an evening of that eventful week we used to sit out after
dinner under the rays of a glorious full moon, in the most perfect
climatic conditions, and hear heated discussions of the pros and cons of
this occurrence, which savoured more of medieval times than of our own.
The moon all the while looked down so calmly, and the Southern Cross
stood out clear and bright. One wondered what they might not have told
us of scenes being enacted on the mysterious veldt, not 300 miles away.
It was not till Saturday, January 4, that we knew what had happened, and
any hopes we had entertained that the freebooters had either joined
forces with their friends in Johannesburg, or else had made good their
escape, were dashed to the ground as the fulness of the catastrophe
became known. For hours, however, the aghast Kimberleyites refused to
believe that Dr. Jameson and his entire corps had been taken prisoners,
having been hopelessly outnumbered and outmanoeuvred after several
hours' fighting at Krugersdorp; and, when doubt was no longer possible,
loud and deep were the execrations levelled at the Johannesburgers, who,
it was strenuously reiterated, had invited the Raiders to come to their
succour, and who, when the pinch came, never even left the town to go to
their assistance. If the real history of the Raid is ever written, when
the march of time renders such a thing possible, it will be interesting
reading; but, as matters stand now, it is better to say as little as
possible of such a deplorable fiasco, wherein the only po