attle under the impression that it is all in settlement
of hire for the grazing licenses granted by his headmen. This, I have no
hesitation in saying, is the usual method by which the Boers obtain
what they call cessions to them of territories by native chiefs. In
Secocoeni's case they allege that his father Sequati cedes to them the
whole of his territory (hundreds of square miles) for a hundred head of
cattle."

So rapidly did this progress go on that the little Republic to the
"North of the Vaal River," had at the time of the Annexation grown into
a country of the size of France. Its boundaries had only been clearly
defined where they abutted on neighbouring White Communities, or on
the territories of great native powers, on which the Government had not
dared to infringe to any marked degree, such as those of Lo Bengula's
people in the north. But wheresoever on the State's borders there had
been no white Power to limit its advances, or where the native tribes
had found themselves too isolated or too weak to resist aggressions,
there the Republic had by degrees encroached and extended the shadow, if
not the substance, of its authority.

The Transvaal has a boundary line of over 1,600 miles in circumference,
and of this a large portion is disputed by different native tribes.
Speaking generally, the territory lies between the 22 and 28 degrees of
South Latitude and the 25 and 32 degrees of East Longitude, or between
the Orange Free State, Natal and Griqualand West on the south, and the
Limpopo River on the north; and between the Lebombo mountains on the
east, and the Kalihari desert on the west. On the north of its territory
live three great tribes, the Makalaka, the Matabele (descendants of
the Zulus who deserted Chaka under Mosilikatze) and the Matyana. These
tribes are all warlike. On the west, following the line down to the
Diamond Field territory, are the Sicheli, the Bangoaketsi, the Baralong
and the Koranna tribes. Passing round by Griqualand West, the Free
State, and Natal, we reach Zululand on the south-east corner; then
come the Lebombo mountains on the east, separating the Transvaal from
Amatonga land, and from the so-called Portuguese possessions, which
are entirely in the hands of native tribes, most of them subject to the
great Zulu chief, Umzeila, who has his stronghold in the north-east.

It will be observed that the country is almost surrounded by native
tribes. Besides these there are about one milli