Sand River Convention — Growth of the territory of the republic — The native tribes surrounding it —  Capabilities of the country — Its climate — Its inhabitants — The Boers  — Their peculiarities and mode of life — Their abhorrence of settled government and payment of taxes — The Dutch patriotic party — Form of government previous to the annexation — Courts of law — The commando system — Revenue arrangements — Native races in the Transvaal

1-22 CHAPTER II.
Events Preceding the Annexation. Mr. Burgers elected president — His character and aspirations — His pension from the English Government — His visit to England — The railway loan — Relations of the republic with native tribes — The pass laws — Its quarrel with Cetywayo — Confiscation of native territory in the Keate Award — Treaty with the Swazi king — The Secocœni war — Capture of Johannes' stronghold by the Swazi allies — Attack on Secocœni's mountain — Defeat and dispersion of the Boers — Elation of the natives — Von Schlickmann's volunteers —  Cruelties perpetrated — Abel Erasmus — Treatment of natives by Boers  — Public meeting at Potchefstroom in 1868 — The slavery question —  Some evidence on the subject — Pecuniary position of the Transvaal prior to the annexation — Internal troubles — Divisions amongst the Boers — Hopeless condition of the country 23-49 CHAPTER III.
The Annexation. Anxiety of Lord Carnarvon — Despatch of Sir T. Shepstone as Special Commissioner to the Transvaal — Sir T. Shepstone, his great experience and ability — His progress to Pretoria, and reception there — Feelings excited by the arrival of the mission — The annexation not a foregone conclusion — Charge brought against Sir T. Shepstone of having called up the Zulu army to sweep the Transvaal — Its complete falsehood — Cetywayo's message to Sir T. Shepstone — Evidence on the matter summed up — General desire of the natives for English rule — Habitual disregard of their interests — Assembly of the Volksraad — Rejection of Lord Carnarvon's Confederation Bill and of President Burgers' new constitution — President Burgers' speeches to the Raad — His posthumous statement — Communication to the Raad of Sir T. Shepstone's intention to annex the country — Despatch of Commission to inquire into the alleged peace with Secocœni — Its fraudulent character discovered — Progress of affairs in the Transvaal — Paul Kruger and his party — Restlessness of natives — Arrangements for the annexation — The annexation proclamation 50-86 CHAPTER IV.
The Transvaal under British Rule. Reception of the annexation — Major Clarke and the Volunteers — Effect of the annexation on credit and commerce — Hoisting of the Union Jack — Ratification of the annexation by Parliament — Messrs. Kruger and Jorissen's mission to England — Agitation against the annexation in the Cape Colony — Sir T. Shepstone's tour — Causes of the growth of discontent among the Boers — Return of Messrs. Jorissen and Kruger  — The Government dispenses with their services — Despatch of a second deputation to England — Outbreak of war with Secocœni — Major Clarke, R.A. — The Gunn of Gunn plot — Mission of Captain Paterson and Mr. Sergeaunt to Matabeleland — Its melancholy termination — The Isandhlwana disaster — Departure of Sir T. Shepstone for England — Another Boer meeting — The Pretoria Horse — Advance of the Boers on Pretoria —  Arrival of Sir B. Frere at Pretoria and dispersion of the Boers —  Arrival of Sir Garnet Wolseley — His proclamation — The Secocœni expedition — Proceedings of the Boers — Mr. Pretorius — Mr. Gladstone's Mid-Lothian speeches, their effect — Sir G. Wolseley's speech at Pretoria, its good results — Influx of Englishmen and cessation of agitation — Financial position of the country after three years of British rule — Letter of the Boer leaders to Mr. Courtney 87-119 CHAPTER V.
The Boer Rebellion. Accession of Mr. Gladstone to power — His letters to the Boer leader and the loyals — His refusal to rescind the annexation — The Boers encouraged by prominent members of the Radical party — The Bezeidenhout incident — Despatch of troops to Potchefstroom — Mass meeting of the 8th December 1880 — Appointment of the Triumvirate and declaration of the republic — Despatch of Boer proclamation to Sir O. Lanyon — His reply — Outbreak of hostilities at Potchefstroom  — Defence of the court-house by Major Clarke — The massacre of the detachment of the 94th under Colonel Anstruther — Dr. Ward — The Boer rejoicings — The Transvaal placed under martial law — Abandonment of their homes by the people of Pretoria — Sir Owen Lanyon's admirable defence organisation — Second proclamation issued by the Boers — Its complete falsehood — Life at Pretoria during the siege — Murders of natives by the Boers — Loyal conduct of the native chiefs — Difficulty of preventing them from attacking the Boers — Occupation of Lang's Nek by the Boers — Sir George Colley's departure to Newcastle — The condition of that town — The attack on Lang's Nek — Its desperate nature — Effect of victory on the Boers — The battle at the Ingogo —  Our defeat — Sufferings of the wounded — Major Essex — Advance of the Boers into Natal — Constant alarms — Expected attack on Newcastle —  Its unorganised and indefensible condition — Arrival of the reinforcements and retreat of the Boers to the Nek — Despatch of General Wood to bring up more reinforcements — Majuba Hill — Our disaster, and death of Sir George Colley — Cause of our defeat — A Boer version of the disaster — Sir George Colley's tactics 120-155 CHAPTER VI.
The Retrocession of the Transvaal. The Queen's Speech — President Brand and Lord Kimberley — Sir Henry de Villiers — Sir George Colley's plan — Paul Kruger's offer — Sir George Colley's remonstrance — Complimentary telegrams — Effect of Majuba on the Boers and English Government — Collapse of the Government — Reasons of the