lterations in the Transkeian provinces, its cost might
be diminished and most conveniently discharged. Although I do not
quote these two documents, I cannot help saying that Gordon, in the
whole course of his life, never wrote anything more convincing than
the advice he gave the Cape Government, which, owing to local
jealousies and the invincible bulwark of vested interests, was never
carried into effect, although the Basuto question was subsequently
composed on Gordon's lines by the Imperial Government, and there has
been peace there during all the other South African troubles.

The closing passages between Gordon and the Cape Ministers need only
be briefly referred to. Gordon resigned because he saw he could do no
good in Basutoland; the Cape Premier accepted his resignation because
Gordon "would not fight the Basutos." The intercommunications were
much more numerous, but that is their pith. Gordon came down to Cape
Town and sailed for England on 14th October, after having been five
and a half months in South Africa. He had been treated by the Cape
authorities without any regard for justice, and little for courtesy.
The leading paper even admitted this much when it observed that "at
least General Gordon was entitled to the treatment of a gentleman."
But the plain truth was that Gordon was summoned to South Africa and
employed by the Government, not as was ostentatiously proclaimed, and
as he himself believed, for the attainment of a just solution of the
Basuto difficulty, and for the execution of much-needed military
reforms, but in order that his military experience and genius might be
invoked for the purpose of overthrowing Masupha and of annexing
Basutoland, which two years of war and five millions of money had
failed to conquer. Hence their disappointment and resentment when
Gordon proclaimed that justice was on the side of Masupha; that under
no circumstances would he wage war with him; and that the whole origin
of the trouble lay in the bad policy, the incompetent magistrates, and
the insubordinate military officers of the Cape Government. The
indictment was a terrible one; it was also true in every line and
every particular.

Having thus vindicated his own character, as well as the highest
principles of Government, Gordon left the Cape a poorer and a wiser
man than he was on his arrival. I have explained the personal loss he
incurred through the inadequacy of his pay and the cutting-off of his
army allowance.