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th your letter one from the editor of Greater Britain； calling my attention to an article in the July number of that periodical entitled “Many Lands； One People” and asking my views upon it。 I shall write him a very short answer； for I am sorry to say I am as yet unable to see anything practical in the proposals of Imperial Federation。 I am afraid you will think me old…fashioned and heterodox； but I cannot as yet see anything stronger than the bond which ties the members of a family together。 Love to you both from yours always sincerely；
T。 Shepstone。
In due course the dedication was finished and sent。 Charles Longman always thought it one of the best things I had ever written； and； when I told him the other day that I was engaged upon this task； he especially asked me to insert it here。 Therefore I do so。
DEDICATION
Sompseu：
For I will call you by the name that for fifty years has been honoured by every tribe between the Zambesi and Cape Agulhas； — I greet you！
Sompseu； my father； I have written a book that tells of men and matters of which you know the most of any who still look upon the light； therefore； I set your name within that book and； such as it is； I offer it to you。
If you knew not Chaka； you and he have seen the same suns shine； you knew his brother Panda and his captains； and perhaps even that very Mopo who tells this tale； his servant； who slew him with the Princes。 You have seen the circle of the witch…doctors and the unconquerable Zulu impis rushing to war； you have crowned their kings and shared their counsels； and with your son’s blood you have expiated a statesman’s error and a general’s fault。
Sompseu； a song has been sung in my ears of how first you mastered this people of the Zulu。 Is it not true； my father； that for long hours you lay silent and alone； while three thousand warriors shouted for your life？ And when they grew weary； did you not stand and say； pointing towards the ocean： “Kill me if you wish； men of Cetywayo； but I tell you that for every drop of my blood a hundred avengers shall rise from yonder sea！”
Then； so it was told me； the regiments turned staring towards the Black Water； as though the day of Ulundi had already e and they saw the white slayers creeping across the plains。
Thus； Sompseu； your name became great among the people of the Zulu； as already it was great among many another tribe； and their nobles did you homage； and they gave you the Bayete； the royal salute； declaring by the mouth of their Council that in you dwelt the spirit of Chaka。
Many years have gone by since then； and now you are old； my father。 It is many years even since I was a boy； and followed you when you went up among the Boers and took their country for the Queen。
Why did you do this； my father？ I will answer； who know the truth。 You did it because； had it not been done； the Zulus would have stamped out the Boers。 Were not Cetywayo’s impis gathered against the land； and was it not because it became the Queen’s land that at your word he sent them murmuring to their kraals？ To save bloodshed you annexed the country beyond the Vaal。 Perhaps it had been better to leave it； since “Death chooses for himself；” and after all there was killing — of our own people； and with the killing； shame。 But in those days we did not guess what we should live to see； and of Majuba we thought only as a little hill。
Enemies have borne false witness against you on this matter； Sompseu； you who never erred except through over kindness。 Yet what does that avail？ When you have “gone beyond” it will be forgotten； since the sting of ingratitude passes and lies must wither like the winter veldt。 Only your name will not be forgotten； as it was heard in life so it shall be heard in story； and I pray that； however humbly； mine may pass down with it。 Chance has taken me by another path； and I must leave the ways of action that I love and bury myself in books； but the old days and friends are in my mind； nor while I have memory shall I forget them and you。
Therefore； though it be for the last time； from far across the seas I speak to you； and lifting my hand I give you your “Sibonga”18 and that royal salute； to which； now that its kings are gone and the “People of Heaven” are no more a nation； with Her Majesty you are alone entitled：
Bayete！ Baba； Nkosi ya makosi！
Ngonyama！ Indhlovu ai pendulwa！
Wen’ o wa vela wasi pata！
Wen’ o was hlul’ izizwe zonke za patwa nguive！
Wa geina nge la Mabun’ o wa ba hlul’ u yedwa！
Umsizi we zintandane e zihlupekayo！
Si ya kuleka Baba！
Bayete； T’Sompseu！19
and farewell！
H。 Rider Haggard。
To Sir Theophilus Shepstone； K。C。M。G。； Natal。
13th September 1891。
18 Titles of praise。
19 Bayete； Father； Chief of Chiefs！
Lion！ Elephant that is not turned！
You who nursed us from of old！
You who overshadowed all peoples and took charge of them；
And ended by mastering the Boers with your single strength！
Help of the fatherless when in trouble！
Salutation to you； Father！
Bayete； O Sompseu！
Here is the touching letter in which Sir Theophilus acknowledges it。 It is bound up with the manuscript of “Nada；” and is the last that I ever received from him； for he died during the following year。
Durban； Natal： July 13； 1892。
My dear Haggard； — Your gift reached me when I was very seedy and unable to do much in the writing way。 I have e down here for change from the cold of Maritzburg； and am much better。
I need not say how gratifying to me that gift was； nor how deeply touching to me the kind words of the Dedication were。 Indeed you give far more credit than I am entitled to。 Your kindly expressions； however； vividly brought to mind a whole chapter of the pleasant past between us； the exact counterpart of which will； I suppose； never occur to any other two。 I feel extremely grateful to you for your affectionate remembrances； and for your plucky avowal of them； for I do not think that at present it is fashionable to look either upon myself or my work with much approval。
I cannot； however； help thinking that if some of my views and advice had been acted on we should have avoided both the national disaster and disgrace that took place after the “pleasant past” that you and I spent together in the Transvaal。
The Boers did not really want to fight； and we are always pusillanimous enough before we make up our minds to begin； so we did not want to fight either； but it appears that the Home Government did want to undo the annexation。 Nothing could have been done more easily； or have looked more gracious to those concerned。 Why not have plainly told me their wish and authorised me to carry it out？ We should have parted with embraces and the best of mutual good feeling； as it is we have earned the contempt as well as the hatred of the Boers； and very much puzzled the native races； who from considering us their staunchest and most powerful protectors have e to look upon us as the most unreliable of friends。 And very good cause they have for their change of view： look at the last twelve or fourteen years’ history of Zululand。 But I did not want to go into polemics。 As the Zulus would say； it is only my way of thinking。
I hope the good little wife and all the children are well； my love to her； please。 I was much interested the other day by an account of you all that appeared in the Strand Magazine； which someone sent me from England。 The pictures were； I thought； very good indeed； and reminded me strongly of my visit to Ditchingham； when I had the pleasure of spending a few days with you。
Please remember me kindly to all the members of your family。 They were all so extremely kind to me。
Yours affectionately；
T。 Shepstone。
These were his last words to me — words which； I think； will be read with interest in the future； seeing that they sum up his views of his Transvaal policy as he held them just before his death。 But I will not attempt to reopen that matter； upon which I have already said my say。
Vale； Sompseu； Vale！
I used to know a good many interesting people during those years when I lived in London。
Lord Goschen； then Mr。 Goschen； dined with me at a dinner I gave at the Savile Club； and we always remained friendly till his death。 He was a most able and agreeable man； also there was something rather attractive about the low； husky voice in which he addressed one； his head held slightly forward as though he wished to be very confidential。 Besides a number of literary men； Mr。 Balfour was my guest at that dinner； and I think Lord Lytton also。 I remember that it was a most pleasant feast； at which seventeen or eighteen people were present； and one that； to my great relief； went off without a hitch。
It was Lang who introduced me to Mr。 Balfour。 Of this circumstance I was reminded the other day when I met Sir Ian Hamilton； mander…inChief of the British forces in the Mediterranean stations； on the Orient liner Otway when I was returning from Egypt （April 1912）。 He asked me if I remembered a little dinner that Lang gave at the Oxford and Cambridge Club somewhere about 1886 or 1887； at which Balfour； he； and I were the only guests。 Then it all came back to me。 Lang asked me to meet Mr。 Balfour because he knew that already I wished to escape from novel…writing and re…enter the public service； a matter in which he thought Mr。 Balfour might be of assistance。 Ian Hamilton； his cousin； he asked because he had escaped from Majuba； and I also knew a great deal about Majuba。
By the way； General Hamilton； whom I had not met from that day to this； gave me； while we were on the ship together； a long and full account of his experiences and sufferings in that dreadful rout； but as these tally very closely with what I have written in this book and elsewhere； I will not repeat them in all their painful detail。 He was shot through the wrist and struck on the head with splinters of stone。 The Boers dismissed him； telling him that he would “probably die。” He passed a night in the cold； and； had it not been for a kindly Boer who found him and bound up his wrist — I think he said with a piece of tin for a splint — he would probably have perished。 That Boer； Sir Ian Hamilton — who； by the way； is now the only officer in the British Army who was present at Majuba — met at Bloemfontein the other day。 Naturally they were the best of friends； and Sir Ian has sent him a souvenir of the event。 Finally； as he lay unable to move； he was found by a British search…party and taken back to camp； where in due course he recovered。
I see that in “Cetywayo and his White Neighbours” I stated that Majuba was attacked by two or three hundred Boers； adding that I did not believe the story which the Boers told me； that they rushed the mountain with not more than a hundred men — a version which subsequently I adopted in “Jess。” Sir Ian told me； however； that the smaller figure was quite correct。 He even put it somewhat lower。 A dreadful story； in truth！
Talking of the Boer War reminds me of Sir Redvers Buller。 I knew him and his wife； Lady Audrey； very well。 We used to dine at their house； where we met a number of distinguished people； among whom I remember Lord Coleridge； the Chief Justice。 He was a brilliant conversationalist with a marvellous memory。 I have heard him tell story after story without stopping； till at lengt