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Page 13
The debates are held in a very large, somewhat low-pitched apartment.
About fifty members were present. The President of the Volksraad sat at
a table on a platform, covered with green cloth. On one side of him, at
the same table, sat Paul Kruger, the President of the Transvaal
Republic. General Joubert--who defeated the English at Majuba Hill--sat
at a separate table on the left of the chairman.
I was also present, more than once, at the sittings of the High Court of
Justice. The proceedings are conducted both in English and Dutch.
By the courtesy of the Chief Justice, I was introduced by him at a
special interview, which lasted half-an-hour, to Paul Kruger. During our
conversation, which was carried on by my speaking in English, translated
into Dutch by the Chief Justice, I referred to the fact of my having
been introduced to him in England some years ago. I went on to speak of
my having come from England to South Africa to learn. That I had already
learned much, and that I was much pleased with all I had seen,
especially in the Transvaal, which seemed to me a country teeming with
riches and great natural resources. That I was a great friend to
railroads, and that I was never in a country which I thought required
railroads so much as the Transvaal. I expressed a hope, therefore, to
see the day when the country would be penetrated by them in every
direction--east, and south, and west. The President smiled at my
strongly expressed aspiration, but did not give me any other reply.
Like every other town in the Transvaal, Pretoria shows signs of
rapidly-growing prosperity. Public buildings and private dwelling-houses
are springing up in every direction. The Post Office, recently finished,
is capacious and commodious; and the new Government buildings for the
accommodation of the Volksraad and the Courts of Justice, already
commenced, but, as yet, only a few feet from the ground, and which cover
a very large space, promise to be very fine and imposing. While at
Pretoria I had ample opportunity for observing many of the prevalent
features of both political and social life, and especially of the
condition of the large native population of the town.
The Pretoria winter races took place during my stay there. The races
were very good and well-conducted. There was a large and orderly crowd
who appeared thoroughly to enjoy themselves, and their outing in that
fine and sunny climate. The Racecourse seemed a good one, though rather
hard owing to the dry weather. It is in a very pretty spot with
picturesque surroundings.
The Kafirs, who are employed in great numbers, and who are earning high
wages at their various occupations, are always to be seen, either
working hard, or, after the hours of labour are over, amusing
themselves cheerfully, chatting at street corners, walking, gossiping,
and talking, and gratifying themselves by giving vent to their very
voluble tongues. Here also, as at Johannesburg, at Potchefstroom, and at
Klerksdorp, I was forcibly struck with the large amount of English
spoken, as well as of the number of English names over the various shops
in the Transvaal towns. This is an interesting and important fact, which
marks the tendency of the direction of future development. The country
must certainly become more and more anglicised, in spite of the
political efforts made to oppose it.
[Illustration: Decorative]
[Illustration: Decorative]
WATERBURG.
I left Pretoria on July the 17th in a wagon with eight horses,
accompanied by two friends, for an excursion into the Waterburg district
of the Transvaal. On this occasion we travelled about one hundred and
fifty miles north of Pretoria in the course of a fortnight, returning
about the same distance back again. We had a half-breed servant named
Sole with us, who made himself generally useful during our journey. All
this time we camped out day and night, sleeping always in the open
veldt, in true gipsy fashion.
We went by the Van der Vroom Poort, having the Maalieburg range of
mountains on our left.
Our first night was spent at a farm called "Polonia," belonging to a
Russian Missionary who has been for many years in the Transvaal. He
unites the pursuits of spiritual instruction according to the tenets of
the Greek Church, with farming on a large scale. On leaving "Polonia" we
passed the large and picturesque German Mission Station of "Hebron,"
which is situated in the midst of a rich and fertile valley. One night
we outspanned at a spot called the "Salt Pans." While breakfast was
being prepared the next morning, I walked to see those wonderful "Salt
Pans," which were close to our camping ground. I descended by a steep
path some six hundred or seven hundred feet to the bottom. It is an
immense amphitheatre at the base of thickly wooded hills. It is larger
in extent than the vast open excavation formed by the "Kimberley" Mine
at Kimberley. The salt and soda brine is perpetually oosing from the
bottom, and is continually being scraped up with a sort of wooden
scraper into heaps, where, after a time, by the action of the
atmosphere, it becomes crystallised. I picked up and brought away with
me several crystals of pure salt. This is another of the marvels of the
Transvaal, a country which abounds in natural wealth of all kinds,
fitted for the service of man. These Salt Pans are the property of the
Transvaal Government, which derives a considerable income from the tax
imposed for taking away the salt, and soda, from them.
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