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LIFE IN AFRIKANDERLAND
LIFE IN AFRIKANDERLAND
AS VIEWED BY AN AFRIKANDER
A Story of Life in South Africa, based on Truth
BY
“CIOS”
[Illustration]
LONDON
DIGBY, LONG & CO., PUBLISHERS
18 BOUVERIE STREET, FLEET STREET, E.C.
1897
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
In all times of stress and struggle, it is not from our friends and
supporters, but from our enemies and opponents, that we receive the
best and most practical instruction. If an evil or a peril exist,
it is surely best to know it; and if serious treason be hatching in
dark places, publicity may easily rob it of its main strength and
neutralise its virulence. Further, in order to rightly understand
racial conflicts--of all the most bitter--we must put ourselves in
our adversary’s place in order to arrive at just conclusions. We are
quite aware that in issuing this uncompromising attack upon British
supremacy in South Africa the writer is viewing everything from an
entirely anti-English standpoint, but surely it is of great practical
importance that we should be accurately informed as to the way in which
our adversaries regard us. More practical instruction can be obtained
thus than in any other manner. The intense hostility of the writer to
England is manifest, and a perusal of these pages is calculated to be
of real service to those to whom, as to ourselves, the solidarity and
permanence of the British Empire is a primary consideration.
Dedication
TO MY MOTHER DO I DEDICATE THIS WORK, WHO, I AM SURE, HAD SHE LIVED TO
READ IT, WOULD HAVE APPROVED THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED HEREIN, AND WOULD
HAVE THOROUGHLY SYMPATHISED WITH THE EARNEST OBJECT FOR WHICH THIS WORK
HAS BEEN WRITTEN, VIZ., THE ULTIMATE TRIUMPH OF TRUTH.
CIOS.
PREFACE
TO THE READER,
Gentle Reader, I have written this story in the English language--a
language learned by me, as a foreign language, for the chief purpose of
placing before the English reading public a true and faithful version
of the character and life of an Afrikander. So many libels and false
stories have of late been spread in England and all over the world
about the Boers by enemies of the people inhabiting the Colonies and
States of South Africa, that I could not resist the temptation to write
something in which the truth and nothing but the truth would be told.
I have made the attempt; whether it is to be successful or not, the
reading public must decide.
In this story there is no plot (excepting the Great Complot). It is
simply a story of everyday life, with little or no embellishment. Yet I
trust the reader, in lands far away as well as those living here in my
own beloved native land, will find sufficient to interest him to lead
him on to the end of the book. At the least, there was subject-matter
enough to write about without going out of the paths of Truth. My only
difficulty was not to be led away by my subject and make this work too
large for a first attempt in literature.
The incidents and adventures related, as well as anecdotes by old
Burghers of the South African Republic, are all based upon truth,
and were learned by the writer from the parties themselves. The sad
death by lightning of poor Daniel is true, word for word, even to the
premonition he had of his death, and occurred only as late as the
beginning of this year (1896); and many will recognise the family as
described by the writer.
The writer has mostly made use of Christian names, as all the
characters used in this story are real and living; and it would serve
no purpose to publish real names, while substituted names would only be
misleading. Where politics have been drawn into the story, the reader
may rely upon the truth only having been told of events, as well as
prevailing opinions as expressed by representatives of the different
parties. The latter part of the book is largely devoted to the events
of the New Year (1896) which occurred near Krugersdorp, Johannesburg
and Pretoria, and its results as gathered by one who took note of
everything on the spot, and may be relied upon as being true in every
detail. If I have succeeded in convincing a portion of the public of
the truth, I shall rest well satisfied.
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS
BOOK I
CHAP. PAGE
I. A DEATH-BED SCENE 1
II. BOYHOOD 3
III. A CONTROVERSY 4
IV. INDEPENDENCE GAINED ONCE MORE--YOUTHFUL PATRIOTISM 5
V. YOUTHFUL PRANKS 11
VI. A CHARACTER SKETCH OF OUR HERO 15
VII. THOUGHTS AND FLOWERS 17
VIII. STEP-CHILDREN 18
IX. FAVOURITE HEROES 21
X. OUT OF SCHOOL 22
XI. HOPES 23
XII. THE TRANSVAAL IN PROSPECTIVE 24
XIII. THE NESTLING PREPARING FOR FLIGHT 26
XIV. COUSINS 28
XV. THE RISING GENERATION 29
XVI. THE APRON STRINGS CUT 30
XVII. FIRST VIEW OF JOHANNESBURG 32
XVIII. PRETORIA AND ITS LIFE 38
XIX. A DEBATE 42
XX. A HUNTING WE GO 46
XXI. A BOER AND HIS FAMILY 48
XXII. A TALK ON BEES 51
XXIII. GOOD SHOTS 54
XXIV. ANOTHER TRY 58
XXV. A TERRIBLE THUNDER STORM 61
XXVI. ’TIS THE WILL OF GOD 65
XXVII. A DANGEROUS FORD 66
XXVIII. A CHANGE OF ROUTE 73
XXIX. THE BUSH VELD 76
XXX. ANECDOTES 78
XXXI. LION STORIES 84
XXXII. DANGERS OF THE CHASE 86
XXXIII. SCHRIKRIGHIED 93
XXXIV. STUCK IN THE MUD 98
BOOK II
I. POLITICAL SUICIDE--HERESY 106
II. A GREENHORN 112
III. GOLD BEYOND THE DREAM OF AVARICE--DESPISED 115
IV. THE JEW 119
V. THE JEW AGAIN--DISCOURAGED 122
VI. HISTORY _A LA_ RHODES 128
VII. THE REPTILE PRESS OF SOUTH AFRICA 133
VIII. THE TRANSVAAL’S PRESIDENT AND FLAG INSULTED BY
THE UITLANDERS 135
IX. THE NATIONAL UNION MANIFESTO 140
X. A FISHING PARTY ON THE VAAL RIVER 144
XI. NEWS OF AN UNEXPECTED INVASION AND BREAK UP OF
THE FISHING PARTY 149
XII. OFF TO THE WAR--A NIGHT’S RIDE--TERRIBLE NEWS 155
XIII. THE BATTLE OF DOORNKOP 164
XIV. PROBABLE DANGERS AVERTED BY DOORNKOP’S FIGHT 173
XV. THE FIGHTING PREVIOUS TO DOORNKOP’S BATTLE 178
XVI. JOHANNESBURG DURING THE CRISIS 185
XVII. THE FOLLY OF C. LEONARD AND HIS CLIQUE 191
XVIII. PRETORIA DURING THE CRISIS 194
XIX. POSSIBILITIES AND PROBABILITIES 199
XX. JOHANNESBURG SURRENDERS UNCONDITIONALLY--HOME
RULE FOR THE RAND 210
XXI. THE CHARTERED PRESS AGAIN--JONAH! 213
XXII. OUT OF EVIL CAME GREAT GOOD TO THE TRANSVAAL 218
XXIII. MIJNHEER MEYER CLAIMS HIS HORSE, ONLY TO GIVE
IT UP AGAIN--THE SONG OF THE BOER 226
XXIV. IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH 230
XXV. THERE IS MERCY, EVEN AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR, IF YE
REPENT 236
XXVI. STEVE MEETS A SYMPATHETIC BRITISHER--A
RETROSPECT 242
XXVII. A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE 250
XXVIII. LOVE AT LAST 269
LIFE IN AFRIKANDERLAND
BOOK I
CHAPTER I
A DEATH-BED SCENE
A death-bed is always a sad scene, but doubly so when it is that of
a parent surrounded by his or her children, and trebly so when those
children are young and helpless.
Let me introduce the reader to such a scene for a moment, for ’tis good
now and again to be drawn near to death, if only for a moment, for it
brings us face to face with the fleeting and uncertain nature of life,
and admonishes us to be prepared.
Behold, then, a pale weak figure, in a white draped, old-fashioned,
four-post bed; that figure is the figure of a dying man, that man the
father of three children, a boy and two girls, who are standing around
the bed clinging to their mother.
‘But if father is going away, where is he going to, mother?’ said
the boy, the eldest of the three. Alas! he did not realise what was
taking place. He had been told that his father was going away; but he
could not realise that he would see him no more on earth, and that he
would be left alone to fight the battle of life, with only a poor,
poverty-stricken mother to stand between him and starvation.
‘Dear Stephen, he is going to heaven. God has called him and he must
go.’
‘But may we not go with him, mother?’
‘No, my child, we may not go till God calls us.’
‘But when will He call us, mother?’
‘I do not know, dear; we must be prepared to go whenever He calls; it
may be to-morrow, or it may not be for years.’
‘But when shall we see father again, mother?’
‘When God calls us to heaven, too, dear.’
‘Come near, Stephen,’ his father called to him in weak and trembling
tones. ‘Steve, my son, I want to say a few words to you before I leave
you. First I want you to take care of your mother and sisters as much
as you can. Your mother will be weak and unprotected, and when you are
grown up, you must work and support her and your sisters as best you
can. Then I want you to promise to always fear God and look to Him
for aid in time of need, and serve Him to the best of your ability
in time of prosperity. And lastly, I want you always to be faithful
to your country and your people. Remember that here we are a vassal
race as yet. But thank God there are two bright spots in South Africa
where our people are free, and acknowledge only one King--God--the
King of kings. And if ever the time should come that you may be
able to aid in bringing our people nearer to being a one and united
people--free--under God’s guidance, do your best. Do you promise?’
‘Yes, father, I will do my best.’
‘I know, child, you can hardly understand these things yet, but when
you are older you will understand what I mean. Your mother will write
my request down for you, and when you are grown up and are a man, you
will understand. Now kiss me all of you. May God bless you and be a
father to you all. Amen.’