The Cadet system, one of the principal institutions of the Colony, and one that at once attracts the attention of a visitor, be he soldier or civilian, has been in existence for many years. The first corps was formed at a private school in Hermannsburg in the year 1869. Hilton College and other schools were not long in following the example. The principles governing the system in its later developments and in vogue in 1906 will be found in the Militia Act, 1903. The Cadets were under the general supervision of the Commandant of Militia and the special control of an officer of the permanent Militia staff, under the style of "Commandant of Cadets." For many years, the latter officer was Lieut.-Col. W.H.A. Molyneux, V.D., owing to whose energy and devotion, assisted to the utmost by the Superintendent of Education (C.J. Mudie, Esq.), the efficiency of the various corps rose to a standard previously unapproached. No opportunity was lost of promoting the interests of his charges and rendering their course of training so popular and successful as to become the envy of other states, not excluding the Mother Country. The Cadets began their training at the age of ten; they were not enrolled for military service, although steps were taken to induce lads of eighteen, in the senior corps, to join the Active Militia. They were taught to march, go through the physical, manual, and firing exercises, as well as simple parade and field movements, as laid down in the manual of drill for the mounted forces. Boys between ten and fourteen were drilled without arms and instructed in musketry, for both of which an efficiency standard was laid down. In 1896 the total number of Cadets on the muster roll was 1,931 (25 corps). In 1906 they had increased to about 3,500, with nearly 50 separate corps, 3 being those of senior Cadets. The senior corps, on account of lads being required by their parents to enter business at early ages, were much more difficult to control, and therefore did not prove nearly as successful as the junior ones. With the system so long in vogue, it followed that the majority of the Natal troops (including Reserves) which took part in the Rebellion had, at one time or another, been trained as Cadets in the rudiments of soldiery. It was largely due to having had such experience that the men were as generally efficient as they were. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 47: It is, moreover, not unreasonable to suppose that the Union Government found the example of Natal of considerable assistance when passing its already well-known Defence Act of 1911.] [Footnote 48: Commandant of Militia (Brig. Gen. Leader), _Annual Report_. See note, p. 45, where it is shown that a much larger number _volunteered_ for service.] [Footnote 49: Regulations, No. 110.] [Footnote 50: The Act did not, however, come into force until March, 1904.] [Footnote 51: Act No. 30, 1905, sec. 1 substituted "Colonel" for "Major-General."]