as buchanan saw himself as a fearless crusader for the truth, the paper's strong views often put it and its editor in opposition to the governing authorities of the nascent colony of natal and to sections of colonial opinion. in fact, a heated attack on the legal establishment in natal under john cloete led to buchanan's brief, but much-publicised, imprisonment for contempt of court. buchanan claims to have been imprisoned on two other occasions, but the records are silent on this contention.