 After the Boer government of Transvaal Republic turned back two Sotho expeditions, Coillard was asked to lead a third attempt.The new party consisted of Christina Coillard, four Basuto evangelists, and Elise Coillard (a niece to Coillard).When they arrived in Pretoria in May 1877, they found that the British crown had annexed the Transvaal Republic, which was now ruled under the governorship of Theophilus Shepstone.