The character of the
Transvaal Boer and his sentiments towards the native races have not
modified during the last five years, but, on the contrary, a large
amount of energy, which has been accumulating during the period of
British protection, will now be expended on their devoted heads.

As regards the truth of these atrocities, the majority of them are
beyond the possibility of doubt; indeed, to the best of my knowledge, no
serious attempt has ever been made to refute such of them as have come
into public notice, except in a general way, for party purposes. As,
however, they may be doubted, I will quote the following extract from a
despatch written by Sir H. Barkly to Lord Carnarvon, dated 18th December
1876:--

"As Von Schlickmann has since fallen fighting bravely, it is not without
reluctance that I join in affixing this dark stain on his memory, but
truth compels me to add the following extract from a letter which I have
since received from one whose name (which I communicate to your Lordship
privately) forbids disbelief: 'There is no longer the _slightest doubt_
as to the murder of the two women and the child at Steelport by the
direct order of Schlickmann, and in the attack on the kraal near which
these women were captured (or some attack about that period) he ordered
his men to cut the throats of all the wounded! This is no mere report;
it is positively true.'" He concludes by expressing a hope that the
course of events will enable Her Majesty's Government to take such steps
"as will terminate this wanton and useless bloodshed, and prevent
the recurrence of the _scenes of injustice, cruelty, and rapine which
abundant evidence is every day forthcoming to prove have rarely ceased
to disgrace the Republics beyond the Vaal ever since they first sprang
into existence._"[*]

[*] The italics are my own.--Author.

These are strong words, but none too strong for the facts of the case.
Injustice, cruelty, and rapine have always been the watchwords of the
Transvaal Boers. The stories of wholesale slaughter in the earlier
days of the Republic are very numerous. One of the best known of those
shocking occurrences took place in the Zoutpansberg war in 1865. On this
occasion a large number of Kafirs took refuge in caves, where the Boers
smoked them to death. Some years afterwards Dr. Wangeman, whose account
is, I believe, thoroughly reliable, describes the scene of their
operations in these words:--

"The roof of th