owned, very technical, and has hardly kept pace even with English tardy improvements.

Although the neighbourhood appears to be more pastural than agricultural, its soil has great capabilities. Potatoes flourish admirably and grow most rapidly, and pumpkins attain an enormous size. I saw one of more than 80 lbs. weight grown in this neighbourhood.

There is also a pith which is taken from the underground skin of the thorn. It is a quarter the weight of cork, and is one of the lightest solid substances known; a shoe sole had been made of it for a little boy, one of whose legs was shorter than the other, and helmets that have been made from it have worn well.

Cradock appears to be one of the most rising towns in the Cape Colony. There is a fine church there, which must have cost a considerable sum. The streets are broad, and the situation of the town is very good. The position of Cradock, as regards South Africa generally, is central, and it is by no means impossible that it should become the political capital of the future Confederated Colonies. Railroads, one of which is already approaching it, will place it in direct communication with Port Elizabeth, and ere many years it will be in communication by rail with both east and west.

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CHAPTER XXII.

THE LOVEDALE INSTITUTE.

WE next came to Alice, near which the Lovedale Institution is situated. I visited this with very great satisfaction.

Cart and waggon building, and carpentering were progressing satisfactorily, while the more experienced men were employed in type-setting and printing, and telegraphy.

It is very much to be desired that mission stations should be more generally established on these principles, and that reading and singing the Psalms should not be the beginning and end of education of black men,

The account of a visit to Lovedale, which I read in one of the daily papers, is so interesting that I trust I shall be pardoned for inserting it here:

After kindly welcoming me to Lovedale, he invited me to have a look over the place, and here it was that all the arguments that I had prepared vanished, as chaff before the wind. For one of the first observations that the Doctor made was this: "Our object, Mr., is to teach the native to work; work he must, a certain portion of the day, or go. We cannot afford to keep idlers here; lazy fellows soon must leave us. We endeavour to civilise, and teach them to fear God at the same time, and hope that some at least may turn out useful men and women." I could scarcely avoid applauding the Doctor's sentiments with a hearty "hear, hear," having all the ground knocked from under me. I proceeded to examine the workings of the institution with

less prejudice. The Doctor leading the way, first we entered the printing compartment. Here was one white man and several black boys hard at work at the press, running off the 'Christian Express.' They appear to be well up to their work, the type being clear, and equal to any I have seen. The next was the telegraph office; this is worked by two black boys. The Doctor remarking," Of course you understand the working of the telegraph, Mr. —?" The "Oh yes" came out without thinking, and I felt foolish while the Doctor was explaining. He, however, was generous enough not to notice my blushes.

Then we examined the carpenters' shop, where the Doctor told me there were twenty-four natives learning the trade. Then came the waggon-makers', where eleven boys were at work. Blacksmiths and farriers came next, where an equal number of boys were being instructed. While thus employed, the strains of music reached our ears, and in answer to my inquiry as to its meaning, I was told that the brass band was practising, having been asked to head a procession the next day. The Good Templars were about to celebrate a something or another, and intended marching through the town, headed by the band. The band consists of native lads, with the exception of four white boys. As far as I could judge, they performed correctly. While they were blowing like fury a Good Templars' march, the Doctor caught me by the sleeve, and took me rather hurriedly outside, just in time to witness about a hundred native boys passing with their picks and hoes returning from work, the Doctor remarking, “It's not all band-playing, you see, sir." I was astonished as well as delighted, and could not help wondering at the mistaken ideas many have of the Lovedale Seminary. We next examined the dormitories. Here my entertainer remarked, Every article of bedding is found by the boys, only the bedsteads do we provide." I expected to have to bolt out with

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my handkerchief to my nose, but what was my surprise to find everything as clean and sweet as one could desire! Now we entered into the dining-room, where supper was preparing. Long tables were laid for three hundred boys. Each boy was provided with a tin mug, ditto plate, and spoon. The supper consisted of maize, or mealies, and churn-milk, with bread. These boys are not stuffed with meat; having to work moderately hard, they are blessed with a good appetite, and Dr. Stewart considers mealies and milk good wholesome food, and less expensive than meat. The bread-cutter amused me. It is on the same principle as a lever tobacco-cutter, but on a larger scale, and works with a spring; a loaf is nipped up in slices of equal thickness in less than no time. The last peep was at the kitchen. Here were five to seven large soap pots, boiling as for dear life, and I was about to exclaim, "Why, Doctor, do you go in for soap-boiling?" but I was stopped by that gentleman remarking, "Three and a half muids of maize are used daily, so large pots are necessary." It was now time to retire. Thanking the Doctor heartily for his kindness and trouble in showing me over the establishment and pointing out all the minute details of the working, I left convinced that the institution ought to have every support and encouragement, and I trust that some-ah! many-will, after perusing this short and imperfect, yet true description of the workings of the establishment, forward Dr. Stewart subscriptions in 57. notes and upwards, to enable him to carry on this praiseworthy institution. I may mention here that all the boys pay a fee of from 57. per annum and upwards, as their circumstances will allow. Still the establishment is not quite self-supporting, and a little help from outsiders would be thankfully received. The buildings also require enlarging, for which purpose funds are required.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE ANNEXATION OF THE TRANSVAAL.

I HAVE shown how requisite it was that South Africa should become one united dominion.

In 1876 circumstances occurred in the Transvaal Republic which caused a deep agitation throughout the whole colony. Mr. Burgers, the President of that Republic, had visited England, and other European countries. He had gone there with a desire to make the Transvaal Republic better known, and to obtain funds to make a railway from its nearest port, Delagoa Bay.

He was full of confidence that he had gained the good wishes of Holland and of Portugal, and appeared quite independent of the help of England or of her good opinion; indeed, he seemed rather to pride himself upon this independence, and returned to the seat of his Presidency full of hope for the future.

There is one peculiarity in the institutions of the Transvaal which has deeply affected the progress of that country—the custom, which had become law, of granting to the son of every settler a farm on attaining the age of sixteen years, or thereabouts. Certainly the country was wild and extended, and the people few, but the lands which the Boers could at all lay claim to, or protect, were not large enough to allow the Republic to give every male in the State a plot of land nominally 6000 acres, but averaging from 6000 to 12,000. Consequently, the only resource open to the authorities was to