m by Vasco de Gama, and that the
Dutch formed the first settlement on it under Van Riebeek in 1652, but
beyond this my knowledge of Cape history and dates is hazy and confused.
I know, however, that your forefathers mismanaged the country for about
a century and a half, after which it finally came into possession of the
British in 1806."

"Humph!" ejaculated Hans, while a shade of displeasure flitted for a
moment across his broad visage. "'Tis a pity your reading had not
extended farther, for then you would have learned that from 1806 the
colony has been mismanaged by _your_ countrymen, and the last fruit of
their mismanagement has been a bloody war with the Kafirs, which has
only just been concluded. Peace has been made only this year, and the
frontier is now at rest. But who will rebuild the burned homesteads of
this desolated land? who will reimburse the ruined farmers? above all,
who will restore the lost lives?"

The young Dutchman's eyes kindled, and his stern face flushed as he
spoke, for although his own homestead had escaped the ruthless savage,
friends and kindred had suffered deeply in the irruption referred to,
which took place in 1819, and one or two of his intimate comrades had
found early graves in the wild karroo.

Considine, sympathising with his companion's feelings, said, "I doubt
not that you have much to complain of, for there is no colony under the
sun that escapes from the evil acts of occasional bad or incompetent
Governors. But pray do not extend your indignation to me or to my
countrymen at large, for few of us know the true merits of your case.
And tell me, what was the origin of the war which has just ended?"

The young farmer's anger had passed away as quickly as it came. Letting
his bulky frame sink back into the reclining position from which he had
partially risen, he replied--

"Just the old story--self-will and stupidity. That domineering fellow
Lord Charles Somerset, intending to check the plundering of the colony
by Kafirs, chose to enter into treaties with Gaika as paramount chief of
Kafirland, although Gaika himself told him plainly that he was not
paramount chief. Of course the other chiefs were indignant, and refused
to recognise such treaties. They did more: they made war on Gaika, and
beat him, whereupon Somerset, instead of leaving the niggers to fight
their own battles, must needs send a great commando of military and
burghers to `restore' Gaika to his so-called su