Product Description
Hardcover without jacket in the original dark mustard-coloured cloth, lettered in black on upper cover, and in gilt on spine; pp. viii + (ii) + 180 + 32 page catalogue at rear; 2 maps, incl. 1 folding.
Moderate to heavy foxing; archival tape repair to margin of folding map, outside of image area. The main flaw is an area of loss to the front cover boards - broken off in upper corner, however, , structurally sound apart from this.
'Arriving at Cape Town on Oct. 10, 1899, Mr. Steevens lost little time in proceeding up country. One of his most interesting letters was sent from Burghersdorp, where he interviewed the Dopper parson editor of the Dutch newspaper, who, it is stated, "sluices out weekly vials of wrath upon Hofmeyr and Schreiner for 'machinating' to keep patriot Afrikanders off the oppressing Briton's throat." The author says the minister was "a very charming, courteous old gentleman, well informed, and his political bias . mellowed with an irresistible sense of humour," who remarked, "They call me rebel. But I ask you, my friend, is it natural that I - I, Hollander born, Dutch Afrikander since '60 - should be as loyal to the British Government as a Britisher should be. . I am a law-abiding subject of the Queen, and that is all they can ask of me. . I look on this war as the sequel of 1881. I have told them all these years, it is not finished; war must come." Mr. Steevens was present at the battle of Elandslaagte and observed that the Boer prisoners "were manly and courteous, and through their untrimmed beards and rough corduroys a voice said very plainly, 'Ruling race.' These Boers might be brutal, might be treacherous; but they held their heads like gentlemen." The author was besieged in Ladysmith and gives a vivid account of the investment. The last chapter of the volume was contributed by Mr. Vernon Blackburn, and contains some account of the death and funeral of Mr. Steevens, with some appreciative notes on his character, abilities and work.'