er, with his
band of traitors, proceeded through Klipkloof and across
Joubertshoogte, accompanied by 100 armed kaffirs, and passed
Field-Cornet Zwart's farm at Uitkomst, where the plundering of Boer
families and homesteads was commenced. This was done at the explicit
instructions and in the presence of the said Harber.

The same afternoon Harber was met by the forces under Colonel Parke,
at Rustplaats, whence they conjointly withdrew to Kruger's Post Nek.

The next morning Colonel Parke once more proceeded to Ohrigstad, where
our families were again plundered and deported, and the homesteads
raided and burned.

Accordingly, only the last paragraph of Colonel Parke's report is
correct; and if your Excellency would take the trouble to question
and examine the families now in your hands--as requested in my former
letter--your Excellency would easily ascertain the true facts.

Since I construe from your Excellency's letter that Harber and his
corps are recognised as attached to His Majesty's forces, His
Majesty's officers must be held responsible for the acts of the said
Harber and his kaffir hordes.

It is not to be assumed that Harber and his corps, all armed, and
attired in khaki, only accompanied His Majesty's Army as spectators or
military attaches.

In conclusion, I observe that your Excellency repeats the allegation
that kaffirs are promiscuously shot, robbed, and maltreated by our
burghers, and that arms have been sold to the kaffirs by our burghers;
and that you trace the hostile attitude of the kaffirs towards us to
these causes.

As regards the hostile attitude of the kaffir races I can refer your
Excellency to a letter from his Honour, General Louis Botha, on the
same subject, wherein it is notified, _inter alia_, that prior to the
arrival of British troops in these districts, and in Swaziland, the
kaffir races, without exception, maintained a pacific attitude, a fact
which speaks for itself.

I must again repeat that the allegation that burghers sold arms to
the kaffirs is, so far as I know, untrue, and that this is merely one
of the many baseless accusations which have emanated from traitors and
unscrupulous individuals, and are offered by them as "important
information" to the British officers.

That kaffirs were provided by His Majesty's officers with arms can be
proved by intercepted documents, and I enclose herewith an extract
from the diary of Sergeant Buchanan, of Steinacker's Horse, from whi