tain, which is a very strong
fortification, was attacked in two columns, or rather an attempt was
made to attack it, for when it came to the pinch only about forty men,
mostly English and Germans, would advance. Thereupon the whole commando
retreated with great haste, the greater part of it going straight home.
In vain the President entreated them to shoot him rather than desert
him; they had had enough of Secocoeni and his stronghold, and home they
went. The President then retreated with what few men he had left to
Steelport, where he built a fort, and from thence returned to Pretoria.
The news of the collapse of the commando was received throughout the
Transvaal, and indeed the whole of South Africa, with the greatest
dismay. For the first time in the history of that country the white man
had been completely worsted by a native tribe, and that tribe wretched
Basutus, people whom the Zulus call their "dogs." It was glad tidings to
every native from the Zambesi to the Cape, who learnt thereby that
the white man was not so invincible as he used to be. Meanwhile the
inhabitants of Lydenburg were filled with alarm, and again and again
petitioned the Governors of the Cape and Natal for assistance. Their
fears were, however, to a great extent groundless, for, with the
exception of occasional cattle-lifting, Secocoeni did not follow up his
victory.

On the 4th September the President opened the special sitting of the
Volksraad, and presented to that body a scheme for the establishment of
a border force to take the place of the commando system, announcing that
he had appointed a certain Captain Von Schlickmann to command it. He
also requested the Raad to make some provision for the expenses of the
expedition, which they had omitted to do in their former sitting.

Captain Von Schlickmann determined to carry on the war upon a different
system. He got together a band of very rough characters on the Diamond
Fields, and occupied the fort built by the President, from whence he
would sally out from time to time and destroy kraals. He seems, if
we may believe the reports in the blue books and the stories of
eye-witnesses, to have carried on his proceedings in a somewhat savage
way. The following is an extract from a private letter written by one of
his volunteers:--

"About daylight we came across four Kafirs. Saw them first, and charged
in front of them to cut off their retreat. Saw they were women, and
called out not to fire. In