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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