berley,
basing their case on old pacts and treaties with the Boers and the
British. For a time the British were reluctant to get involved in these
controversies; they sent some officials up to the Vaal to keep order
and to look after the interests of the British diggers, but they made
no claim to any of the disputed territory, though some of the diggers
were under the impression that they had. It was no easy matter to keep
order, as an early letter to the News indicates:
Hebron, October 8,1870 Sir,
The
landdrost [magistrate] of the Transvaal came to me this morning and
asked me to pay him the license, which I refused to do. Whereupon he
threatened to send me to Potchefstroom [the capital of the Transvaal]
as a spy, for what I do not know; or otherwise sell your cart, so he
said, to pay. He also threatened to throw me into the river. He said,
"You [the British] throw people into the river at Klip Drift, and I
will throw you in here." I replied, "Clothes and all?" which made him
very angry. He also said he would not allow me to go on working. Now, I
want to ask you to do me a favor, and let me know what I had best do,
as the British Government has proclaimed this country, and as a British
subject I suppose I am entitled to protection. Will you, if there is a
Civil Commissioner arrived, lodge this complaint before him. Mr. De
Vittiers says this proclamation is all "bosh" or something of the kind.
Send me an answer, and oblige yours truly,
W. Gillman
No one knows whether or not the landdrost ever threw Mr.
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