The Congress eventually took place at Worcester, and the freedom of speech indulged in at the meeting was said to be responsible for the aggressions of the Boers which subsequently took place. Mr. Cronwright Schreiner declared that the British people had grossly failed in their duty toward the people of Cape Colony, their attitude since the Raid being one of dishonesty and cowardice. "British statesmen," he said, "had been the tools of Capitalists. Their attitude had been to force war on South Africa. Great Britain is now forcing British soldiers to wage war with an inhumanity and barbarism that is astonishing the civilised world." He dilated on the alleged wrong done to women and children (already disproved to the satisfaction of every one), and proceeded to harrow his audience by describing details. In conclusion he stormed, "We Africanders will never acquiesce in Britain taking away the independence of the Republics." In the end it was decided that an African mission to Great Britain should demand: First, the termination of the war raging with untold misery and sorrow--such as the burning of houses and the devastation of the country, the extermination of the white nationality, and the treatment to which women and children were subjected which would leave a lasting heritage of bitterness and hatred, while endangering further relations between civilisation and barbarism in South Africa. Second, the retention by the Republics of their independence, whereby the peace of South Africa can be maintained. Meanwhile, Great Britain was taking her own steps for the maintenance of lasting peace in South Africa. Parliament reassembled to vote a continuance of the current of men, horses, weapons, and supplies, without which the generals who were striving to bring guerilla-raiding to a summary conclusion, would remain paralysed and resourceless. The Boers achieved something of a success on the 3rd as they came across a convoy of 140 waggons three miles long, proceeding in two sections from Pretoria to Rustenburg, and succeeded in destroying the first section (escorted by two companies of West Yorks, and two squadrons of the Victoria Mounted Rifles, with two guns of the 75th Battery). Delarey, hiding in a donga with 700 of his gang, waited till the convoy and men got within effective range, and sent a shower of bullets into their midst. The troops made a grand defence, set the guns trail to trail, and blazed back at the approaching hordes who were now endeavouring to surround them, with the result that the marauders failing to capture the convoy satisfied themselves by setting fire to the waggons and retiring, thus leaving the second section (escorted by two companies of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) unharmed. Our loss was fifteen killed and twenty-three wounded, among the latter Lieutenant Baker, R.F.A.