er prevent his being
elected President of the South African Republic. In 1860 the union took
place.

Notwithstanding his incursion and subsequent flight, Pretorius succeeded
in getting himself elected president of the Orange Free State also. But
the Transvaal burghers dreaded absorption by their neighbours, and
deposed him. A petty civil war between his partisans and opponents was
the consequence; several presidents were elected and deposed. Krueger,
whom we now see making his appearance, and Schoeman, in turn, chased
each other out of Potchefstroom. In 1864 Pretorius forsook the Free
State, and was re-elected President of the Transvaal, Krueger contenting
himself with the office of Commandant-General.

The Orange Free State was at war with the Basutos. The English
Government intervened, and finally annexed Basutoland (1868).

In the same year, the Transvaal Government, disregarding the Sand River
Convention, issued a proclamation extending their frontier in the east
to the seaboard; in the West to Lake Ngami, and in the North to
Mashonaland. The Portuguese and English Governments entered protests and
the matter dropped.

No minister of the Reformed Dutch Church had accompanied the Boers in
their Trek. They therefore formed themselves into a separate reformed
Church, whose members called themselves "doppers" (round-heads). They
allow no liberty of thought; they believe in literal inspiration. If
they had ever heard of Galileo, they would have looked upon him as an
impostor. They place the authority of the Old Testament above that of
the New. There are three contending sects in the Transvaal, whose
hostility is such that both before and after 1881 threats of Civil War
were indulged in.

3.--_The Boers saved by the English._

In 1871, the question of fixing the frontier between the Transvaal and
the Barolongs, a Bechuana tribe, was submitted to arbitration. The
decision was given by Mr. Keate, Governor of Natal. President Pretorius
having accepted it, the Boers deposed him, and continued to occupy the
territory to which they laid claim. They were at a loss whom next to
elect as President.

Overtures were made to Mr. Brand, President of the Orange Free State;
but he wisely refused. They next turned to a Cape Afrikander, a former
minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, Mr. F. Burgers, a capable,
intelligent man. It was his desire to correct abuses; to repress the
slavery that was being carried on under the name of