Volksrust--Vryburg--Wolmaranstad--The Union--South
African War of 1914.

[Illustration: 86 87]

TRANSVAAL. The stamps of the Transvaal illustrate the important
changes through which the country has passed during the past forty
years. _Fig._ 86 represents an early stamp of the Republic, while the
next figure (_Fig._ 87) is just one example of several denoting the
annexation of the country by the British in 1877. There are several
types of the "V.R. Transvaal" overprint, as in _Figs._ 88-90.

[Illustration: 88 89 90]

These were followed by stamps bearing the portrait of the British
Sovereign (_Fig._ 91). A great blow to British prestige was struck
in 1881, and the result of the disaster of Majuba Hill was the
establishment of a Second Republic which in its turn overprinted
the Queen Victoria stamps with a Dutch inscription "Een Penny"
(_Fig._ 92), subsequently returning to the original Arms design of
South African Republic stamps (_Fig._ 86).

[Illustration: 91 92 93]

Just before the outbreak of the last South African War in 1899 the
ascendancy of President Kruger had led to the ambition to see his
features depicted upon the postage stamps of his country, and a new
stamp design (_Fig._ 93) was prepared for this purpose, and a
special paper was manufactured watermarked Z.A.R. (Zuid Afrikaansche
Republiek) as illustrated in _Fig._ 94. But the stamp was never
issued, and the quantity of the "Z.A.R." paper was sold and used for
purposes very different from that for which it was prepared. In 1900,
after the late Lord Roberts' march to Pretoria, the contemporary South
African Transvaal stamps came under British control again, and were
issued at first with the overprinted initials of Queen Victoria,
V.R.I. (_Fig._ 95), and later of King Edward, E.R.I. (_Fig._ 96).
These were superseded in due course by the London printed issue of
Transvaal stamps bearing the portrait of King Edward (_Fig._ 97).

[Illustration: 94 95 96 97]

ORANGE RIVER COLONY. On March 17, 1900, Field Marshal Lord Roberts
issued the following

PROCLAMATION.

"Whereas it is deemed expedient and necessary for the welfare
of the Orange Free State that the Postal Service shall be
resumed in the aforesaid Republic as far as circumstances
permit.

"Now therefore,

"I, Frederick Sleigh, Baron Roberts of Khandahar, K.G.,
G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E., V.C., Field Marshal and
Commander-in-Chief of the British Fo