came into operation before the outbreak of the war. What else does it
reveal but a thinly veiled recruiting device for auxiliaries against
England?


Education

What has been said about the ignorance and illiteracy of the Boers may
be admitted to apply to the great majority of the grown-up and of the
more maturely aged population; those of youthful age have of late years
had the benefit of a better education than had before been possible to
provide. But the great drawback consists in the still very imperfect
knowledge of High Dutch, and it will take many years yet before a more
general proficiency in that language will qualify the youth for more
than purely elementary studies. There are numerous exceptions, however,
of very creditably educated Boers, whose parents have been able to get
them taught at Colonial schools, such as the Stellenbosch seminary, and
even in Holland. Besides this, there are the children and grandchildren
of the many educated Hollanders who have continued to stream into the
Republics since 1854, and who had the advantage of learning High Dutch
from their parents. Those, as a rule, bestowed great attention to their
children's education, and in many cases sent them to Holland to complete
their studies. The greatest factor of the educated Dutch element in
South Africa consists of the mass of Hollanders itself, who have made
their way to the Republics, and especially to the Transvaal, during the
past eighteen years, among whom are many of highest European
attainments, so that altogether a big muster is made up of
well-instructed people, comparing well enough with other nations, and
ample to meet all the exigencies of the two rapidly developing
Republics. This educated contingent is being continuously supplemented