rday at latest.

During our formal negotiations certain informal conversations took
place in reference to the British subjects (in Cape Colony and
Natal) who have been fighting on our side. As a result of these
informal conversations a communication from the British Government
was imparted to us (annexed under B).[116]

We have the honour to remain, etc.,

LOUIS BOTHA.
J.H. DE LA REY.
C.R. DE WET.
J.B.M. HERTZOG.
J.D. SMUTS.

Vice-President Burger said that the delegates must proceed to discuss
this document, and that they would then be asked to decide--firstly,
whether the struggle should be continued; secondly, whether the proposal
of the British Government should be accepted; and, thirdly, whether they
were prepared to surrender unconditionally.

It was decided that minutes of the meeting should be kept, and the
delegates then proceeded to discuss the different articles of the
British Government's proposal. The whole of the morning and a part of
the afternoon sitting were devoted to questions dealing with the meaning
of the several clauses, the members of the Commission answering to the
best of their ability.

After these questions had been disposed of, Mr. De Clercq rose to speak.
He said that he had already given his own opinion, but that now it was
for the whole meeting to decide whether they would give up the war, and,
if they resolved to do so, whether they would accept the proposal
unconditionally. As to the proposal, it could not be denied that it did
not give all that they themselves desired, but _that_ could not have
been expected. Should they now return to their commandos and be asked by
their burghers what they had effected, they would have to reply,
"Nothing." How would they be able to meet their burghers with such an
answer as that? It would therefore be better to get terms from the
British Government; and by doing so they would also gratify the British
nation. As for himself, he was for accepting the proposal, unless it
could be proved to him that unconditional surrender would be a still
better course to take.

General Nieuwouwdt then proposed that the meeting should, without
further delay, proceed to vote whether the war should be terminated, and
whether the terms offered to them should be accepted.

General Froneman seconded this proposal.

Mr. Birkenstock (Vrijheid) felt that this was too important a matter to
be treated with such h