, Wednesday, May 30th, between ten and eleven in
the morning, Major Francis Davis appeared with a flag of truce and
requested to see Dr. Krause.

At the time the Commandant was at the fort attending to General
Grobelaar and about 500 men who were retreating in the direction of
Pretoria. During the day bodies of armed burghers were continually
passing through the town.

On arrival at his office Dr. Krause found Major Davis in the company
of two old Johannesburg residents. The latter were dressed in mufti.
Both these men had taken an active part in the agitation which
preceded the war.

Major Davis in soldierly manner addressed Dr. Krause by saying that he
was commanded by Lord Roberts to demand the immediate and
unconditional surrender of the town, in the name of Her Majesty Queen
Victoria.

Dr. Krause's reply was very short: "No, sir, not immediately and not
unconditionally."

Major Davis thereupon said that Lord Roberts had also expressed a
desire that the Commandant should grant him an interview, at which the
matter could be discussed. Dr. Krause assented to this proposition.

What the Boers wanted was delay--and if Commandant Krause could delay
the forward advance of the British troops a great advantage would be
gained.

Lord Roberts was encamped just above the Victoria Lake, close to
Germiston. On arrival at the camp Dr. Krause was met by Lord Roberts
on the verandah of the house occupied by him and his staff.

A private interview then took place between the two officers, at which
the terms of surrender of Johannesburg were agreed upon, and which
will be found in the letter set out hereunder.

The chief reason for an armistice advanced by the Boer Commandant was
that if the British were at once to enter the town, street-fighting
would undoubtedly take place, as the many armed burghers passing
through the town would only obey the orders of their own respective
Commandants and Field-cornets. Such street-fighting would be a serious
menace to the women and children and to the other peaceful citizens of
the town. Lord Roberts agreed to this, adding that he had once, in
Afghanistan, experienced street-fighting and would not like to see it
again.

Another incident of this interview is worth recording, viz. the
protest made by Dr. Krause at the presence of the two civilians who
accompanied Major Davis. Lord Roberts asked for the reason of this
protest, and was informed that, according to the view of the people