d by the Bond. In justice to Mr Hofmeyr,
however, it is only fair to say that after the Warren expedition in
1885, which was at least evidence that Great Britain did not intend to
renounce her supremacy in South Africa altogether, he adopted a less
hostile or anti-British attitude. The views and attitude of Mr Hofmeyr
between 1881 and 1884--when even loyal British colonists, looking to the
events which followed Majuba, had almost come to believe that Great
Britain had little desire to maintain her supremacy--can scarcely be
wondered at.

_Rhodes and Dutch Sentiment._--Recognizing the difficulties of the
position, Cecil Rhodes from the outset of his political career showed
his desire to conciliate Dutch sentiment by considerate treatment and
regard for Dutch prejudices. Rhodes was first returned as member of the
House of Assembly for Barkly West in 1880, and in spite of all
vicissitudes this constituency remained loyal to him. He supported the
bill permitting Dutch to be used in the House of Assembly in 1882, and
early in 1884 he first took office, as treasurer-general, under Sir
Thomas Scanlen. Rhodes had only held this position for six weeks when
Sir Thomas Scanlen resigned, and in August of the same year he was sent
by Sir Hercules Robinson to British Bechuanaland as deputy-commissioner
in succession to the Rev. John Mackenzie, the London Missionary
Society's representative at Kuruman, who in the previous May had
proclaimed the queen's authority over the district. Rhodes's efforts to
conciliate the Boers failed--hence the necessity for the Warren mission.
In 1885 the territories of Cape Colony were farther extended, and
Tembuland, Bomvanaland and Galekaland were formally added to the colony.
In 1886 Sir Gordon Sprigg succeeded Sir Thomas Upington as prime
minister.

_South Affican Customs Union._--The period from 1878 to 1885 in Cape
Colony had been one of considerable unrest. In this short time, in
addition to the chronic troubles with the Basutos--which led the Cape to
hand them over to the imperial authorities--there occurred a series of
native disturbances which were followed by the Boer War of 1881, and the
Bechuanaland disturbances of 1884. In spite, however, of these
drawbacks, the development of the country proceeded. The diamond
industry was flourishing. In 1887 a conference was held in London for
"promoting a closer union between the various parts of the British
empire by means of an imperial tariff of cus