he sake of law and order, and in the general
helplessness of the State many of the country Boers acquiesced, and to
many it seemed the only way to save the country from the Zulu. But it
was expected and promised that some form of self-government would be
left to the Dutch community. As time went on, the discontent grew, and
it was fomented by the speeches of party leaders in England, where the
Liberal party were violently attacking the colonial policy of Lord
Beaconsfield; and Mr Gladstone, referring to the Boers' country,
actually said, that if the acquisition was as valuable as it was
valueless, nevertheless he would repudiate it. When Mr Gladstone came
into office, the Boers, who did not understand the ethics of election
campaigns, expected him to reverse an act which he repudiated; and when
they found that though he disapproved the act he did not intend to
revoke it, they saw that they must take up arms, thinking that their
cause would have many supporters among the English, who would put
pressure upon the Government to give way,--a view which subsequent
events proved to be correct.

The burghers have always objected to paying taxes even to their own
republic, and naturally the opposition to our rule presented itself, in
the first place, by a resistance to the payment of taxes. Meetings
assembled, at which rebellious speeches were uttered; and the rising
commenced by an attack upon the English at Potchefstroom, the investment
of the garrisons of Pretoria, Leydenburg, Standerton, and other
positions, and by an attack upon a column of the 94th on their way from
Leydenburg to Pretoria, ending with the slaughter or captivity of the
whole force. The instant the news arrived at Pietermaritzburg, the
capital, Sir George Colley, the governor, commenced preparations for
marching to the frontier, and the ships in harbour were called upon to
furnish a naval contingent. A hundred and fifty bluejackets and marines
were landed and marched rapidly to Newcastle, an English town within a
few miles of the frontier of Natal.

At the attack upon the Dutch lines at Laing's Nek, the Naval Brigade
were in reserve, and took no active part in the engagement. But on the
26th of February a portion of them accompanied General Colley on his
night march to Majuba Hill. This mountain was situate on the flank of
the Boer position. The Dutch were in the habit of occupying it during
the daytime with their videttes, but these at night fell