IN THE VELD,
_March 28, 1902_.

YOUR HONOUR,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Honour's despatch
of the 24th inst., enclosing correspondence between Your Honour and
His Excellency Lord Kitchener.

As I have been suffering from my eyes for six or seven weeks, and
since, as you know, almost all our doctors have been captured or have
left us, I was obliged to proceed to General de la Rey in order to
place myself here under the medical treatment of Dr. von Rennenkampff.

I am still under that treatment and am therefore obliged to meet Your
Honour in the South African Republic.

I am prepared to meet Your Honour in the neighbourhood of Klerksdorp
or Potchefstroom, on any farm in that neighbourhood which His
Excellency Lord Kitchener may consider most suitable, or even in one
of those towns, if desirable. When fixing the place of meeting, I wish
to leave it to Your Honour to obtain a guarantee from His Excellency
Lord Kitchener for me and my Government, with the necessary
attendants, that we shall be allowed quietly and unhindered to
continue our work there for a definite time, as well as a safe-conduct
to proceed unhindered to the place of meeting and to return thence
unhindered.

I have the honour to be,
Your Honour's obedient servant,
M. T. STEYN,
_State President, O.F.S._

On receipt of the above letter the Government addressed the following
communication to Lord Kitchener:--

_To His Excellency_ LORD KITCHENER, _Commander-in-Chief of the
British Troops, Pretoria_.

KROONSTAD,
_March 31, 1902_.

YOUR EXCELLENCY,

Herewith I have the honour to send you copy of the letter this day
received by me from President Steyn.

With reference thereto I request your Excellency to be so good as to
furnish President Steyn with the safe-conduct desired by him, and
further to inform us as well as His Honour where, in your opinion, the
intended meeting can take place. Possibly Potchefstroom would be the
most suitable place therefor.

As His Honour the Commandant-General and General de la Rey are both
members of the Executive Council, I request Your Excellency kindly to
send them the enclosed message, and als