f Elandslaagte. This and other
matters so preyed upon his mind that eventually he became subject to
delusions, and is at present confined in the lunatic asylum at
Pretoria.

CHAPTER III

THE SURRENDER OF THE GOLDEN CITY

In attempting to chronicle the events which surround the surrender of
Johannesburg, the mind involuntarily pauses, and a picture, which
reminds one of the fairy-tales of one's childhood, is called up in
imagination.

In 1886 Johannesburg could only boast of a few tin shanties--the
beginnings of a mining camp; fourteen years later the British troops
marched through the streets of a modern city. And what has been the
history of these fourteen years?

In the history of the older European nations development and progress
are slow, and social and economic cause and effect can be traced with
almost scientific accuracy. In Johannesburg, however, ordinary human
agencies do not seem to have been at work. The man who has the leisure
at his disposal to ascertain the true facts of that period before the
war, would present to the world a history so interesting and
fascinating that he would be accused of having indulged in fiction in
his narrative of events. It would be out of place in this book,
however, to enter into these historical events, and we must confine
ourselves to the details of the period with which this story deals.

Ever since the beginning of the war it was the intention of the
Republican Government to defend both Pretoria and Johannesburg, and
had the outbreak of the war not been precipitated, and the necessary
cannon ordered from France arrived in time, this would have been done.
Even after the fall of Bloemfontein the idea was not entirely
abandoned, and Commandant Krause was instructed to provision the
Johannesburg Fort and make other necessary preparations. A promise was
made that several cannon would be left at Johannesburg by the Boers
during their retreat. It was hoped that such defence would retard the
British advance and enable the Boers to recover from the panic which
had seized them ever since the surrender of Cronje at Paardeberg.

When, however, General Botha on Tuesday, May 29th, 1900, passed
through Johannesburg, Commandant Krause was ordered to abandon the
defence of the town, to distribute all provisions collected amongst
the families of the men on commando, and to get rid of all men capable
of fighting. These orders were promptly carried out.

On the following day