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obinson ＇as to an appointment he desired at the time。 — H。 R。 H。＇； and was asked to dinner at Hilldrop with Rider and Louisa。 The latter did not attend。 Among the guests at the table were Sir Henry de Villiers and President Brand of the Free State。
Enclosed in this letter is one from Sir Evelyn Wood to my brother； in which he states that “I do not myself anticipate remaining Governor of Natal。” His dissent from the report of the Royal mission will suggest a reason why。
I do not remember much of President Brand； for some reason he made no great impression on my mind； but Sir Henry de Villiers I recall very well indeed； for we rode together and talked a good deal。 He an； pleasant and able； but of course Dutch by blood； and therefore； although he may not have known it himself； naturally in sympathy with Dutch aims and ambitions。 In him the Boers had an advocate of the best class。 Sir Hercules Robinson was a most agreeable Irish gentleman。 Also he was an official； and not of the strongest sort。 As a Royal missioner theoretically he was in an independent position； but he had a notable example before his eyes in the instance of Sir Bartle Frere of what happened to Colonial Governors who dared to take a line of their own。 Of this mission Sir Evelyn Wood was the only really independent member； and he dissented from its most important findings。
Never shall I forget the scene on the market square of Newcastle — it must have been about the 21st or 22nd of March — when it became known that peace had been declared as a corollary of our defeats； and that the restoration of the Transvaal was practically guaranteed within six months。 Some thousands of people were gathered there； many of them refugees； among whom were a number of loyal Boers； and with these soldiers； townsfolk； and natives。 I saw strong men weeping like children； and heard English…born people crying aloud that they were “b —— y Englishmen” no more。 Soldiers were raging and cursing； and no one tried to stop them； natives stood stupefied； staring before them； their arms folded on their breasts； women wrung their hands。
Then an idea struck the crowd； they made a rude effigy of Mr。 Gladstone and； as was done in most of the other loyal parts of South Africa； burnt it with contempt and curses。 It was a futile and perhaps a foolish act； but excuses must be made for the ruined and the shamed。 They could not believe their ears； in which still echoed the vehement declaration of Sir Gar Wolseley that no Government would dare under any circumstances to give back the Transvaal； and the statements； in the House of Lords； by telegram； and in other ways of various members of the Administration to the same effect。
And now I have done and am glad to have done with the matter of this great betrayal； the bitterness of which no lapse of time ever can solace or even alleviate； and will return to its results upon my own life。
On July 30； 1881； I sent to my father what I suppose was the last letter that I wrote to him from South Africa。 It was in answer to one from him enclosing a munication from the late Mr。 Blake； who was at that time my lawyer； in which for various reasons； both personal and connected with our property； they remended our return to England。
My dear Father； — I have delayed replying to your kind letter of June 22nd in order that I might have time to give it full consideration； and also to enable me to try to arrive at some satisfactory conclusion as regards the probable course of events in this country。 I must now tell you that after thoroughly thinking the matter over I have made up my mind to return to England next month。 This will probably seem a somewhat eccentric announcement； but my reasons are briefly as follows。 First I have given due weight to what you and Mr。 Blake write to me； and admit that there is a great deal in what you say。 What brings me back in such a hurry however is the state of the country。
I can only trust that I have arrived at a wise decision。 Of course you will understand that； under the circumstances； if we are to go； the sooner we go the better。
Cochrane is ing home with us on a trip。 I am sorry to say that he is suffering from a prolonged attack of dysentery； and I think that a rest and a change of air is the only thing that will pull him together again。 The farm will be left in charge of George and Mr。 North （our engineer）； a very respectable man who has the advantage of experience of the country。 。 。 。
I must add a few words about our farming life。 Our estate； Rooipoint； covered something over three thousand acres。 At any rate it was a large property lying between the Newcastle town lands and the Ingagaan River； in the centre of which rose a great flat…topped hill； the Rooi or Red Point； that gave it its name。 From the very crest of this hill flowed； and doubtless still flows； a strong and beautiful spring of water； though why water should appear at the top of a mountain instead of the bottom is more than I can say。 At the foot of this mount we erected the steam…driven grinding mill which I had bought in England； our idea being that we should make our fortunes or at any rate do very well as millers。 Whether this anticipation would or would not have been realised is more than I can tell； as we did not keep the farm long enough to learn。 As a matter of fact； however； it was a risky business to import expensive machinery into a place that was not accustomed to machinery； since it involved the employment of an engineer and long and costly delays if anything went wrong with the parts of the apparatus。
Still our efforts were by no means confined to this mill。 Thus we started the making of bricks； for which there was a good market in Newcastle。 I used to labour at this business； and very hard work it was。 Our energy； I remember； astonished the neighbourhood so much that Natal Boers used to ride from quite a distance to see two white farmers actually working with their own hands。 One of the curses of South Africa is； or used to be； the universal habit of relegating all manual toil； or as much of it as possible； to Kaffirs； with the result that it came to be looked upon as a more or less degrading occupation only fit for black men。11 Such； however； was the Dutch habit。 The Boer’s idea was to sit on the stoep of his house and grow rich by the natural increase of his flocks and herds； only cultivating sufficient land to provide his family with mealies and the other fruits of the earth。 This system； it must be admitted； had its merits in a country where time was of no object and where land was so plentiful that every son could in due course be acmodated with a farm of 3000 morgen。
11 From Mr。 Dawson’s work on South Africa （pp。 269 and 343）； published in 1925； it seems this trouble still exists。 — Ed。
Besides our milling and brick…making we were the first to farm ostriches in that part of Natal。 In my experience the ostrich is an extremely troublesome bird。 To begin with he hunts you and knocks you down。 One of ours gave Cochrane a frightful drubbing； and through a pair of opera glasses I saw an unfortunate Kaffir barely escape with his life from its attentions by going to earth in an ant…bear hole like a hunted jackal。 Of course the ostrich could not follow him into the hole； but it stood sentry at its mouth waiting for him to e out again。 When attacked by an ostrich the only thing to do is to lie down quite flat。 In this position it cannot strike you with its bludgeon…like foot； nor is its beak adapted to pecking； though it can and does dance and roll upon you and sit upon your head as though it were an egg which it wished to hatch。
These birds； so ferocious with human beings； are terribly afraid of dogs。 I think that we lost two of ours through the visitation of wandering hounds at night that set them running furiously till they broke their necks in the wire fences。 Its own voracity brought another to its end： for they will pick up pocket…knives or anything that attracts them。 This fowl managed to swallow a huge sharp…pointed bone which fixed itself across the gullet in such a position that it would go neither up nor down。 There was only one thing to be done — operate。 So we operated； with a razor and without an anaesthetic。 I only hope that such another job may never fall to my lot； for that ostrich was unmonly strong and resented our surgical aid。 However； we got the bone out and the creature recovered。 Imagine our horror when； a few weeks later； it appeared with another bone immovably planted in exactly the same place！ This time we left it to fate； by which it was speedily overtaken。
Besides the ostriches we had a number of draught oxen and some waggons。 Out of these we did very well； as we hired them to Government for transport purposes； though from these trips they returned dreadfully footsore and poor。 But cattle also had their risks。 Thus I remember our investing several hardly earned hundreds of pounds in a bunch of trek oxen； which we sent down to the bush…veld to recover。 A month or two later came a message from the man who had taken them in； to the effect that they were all dead of eating a poisonous herb called “tulip。” We often wondered if “tulip” really accounted for their disappearance from our ken。
Also we made hay； rather a new departure in that district in our time； where the cattle were left to get through the winter as best they could。 This hay…making was a profitable business； as the product was in eager demand at a high price。 I remember selling the result of about a month of my own work for 250 pounds； and never in all my life have I been prouder of anything than I was of earning that money； literally with my hands and by the sweat of my brow。
This was the process — one that would make my English steward and labourers stare。 Indeed； when I tell the former of it； he listens politely but； I am quite sure； in his heart believes that for his benefit I have wandered into the familiar fields of fiction。 We had imported a hay…cutting machine； I believe one of the first seen in those parts。 Having selected a patch of level veld on which to operate； and harnessed； I think； three horses to the machine； I would start out in the dewy morning； at sunrise； with a Kaffir leader。 Then we menced operations。 I sat on that dreadful apparatus and managed the levers and knives； the Kaffir led the horses。 The grass was thick and plentiful； so thick indeed that it was difficult to see stones and ant…bear holes。 The former must be avoided by sudden and Herculean efforts； or the knives would be shattered。 As for the latter； occasionally we went into them to the depth of two feet or so； and then the trouble was to prevent myself from being thrown on to the knives。
Altogether grass…cutting had its dangers； though； as it happened； I never came to any serious harm。 After the hay was once mown the rest was paratively simple。 We invented a gigantic rake； to which we attached two mules or horses； and by this means； after it had lain for a day or so in the sun to dry — for we never attempted to turn it — dragged the hay into enormous cocks； since the building of a regular stack was beyond our resources。 These cocks we covered with cloths； or anything we could get； and when they had settled and sweetened by the generated heat； we sold them to the purchas