Reception of the annexation--Major Clarke and the Volunteers--Effect of the annexation on credit and commerce--Hoisting of the Union Jack--Ratification of the annexation by Parliament--Messrs. Kruger and Jorissen's mission to England--Agitation against the annexation in the Cape Colony--Sir T. Shepstone's tour--Causes of the growth of discontent among the Boers--Return of Messrs. Jorissen and Kruger --The Government dispenses with their services--Despatch of a second deputation to England--Outbreak of war with Secocoeni--Major Clarke, R.A.--The Gunn of Gunn plot--Mission of Captain Paterson and Mr. Sergeaunt to Matabeleland--Its melancholy termination--The Isandhlwana disaster--Departure of Sir T. Shepstone for England--Another Boer meeting--The Pretoria Horse--Advance of the Boers on Pretoria-- Arrival of Sir B. Frere at Pretoria and dispersion of the Boers-- Arrival of Sir Garnet Wolseley--His proclamation--The Secocoeni expedition--Proceedings of the Boers--Mr. Pretorius--Mr. Gladstone's Mid-Lothian speeches, their effect--Sir G. Wolseley's speech at Pretoria, its good results--Influx of Englishmen and cessation of agitation--Financial position of the country after three years of British rule--Letter of the Boer leaders to Mr. Courtney 87-119 CHAPTER V. THE BOER REBELLION. Accession of Mr. Gladstone to power--His letters to the Boer leader and the loyals--His refusal to rescind the annexation--The Boers encouraged by prominent members of the Radical party--The Bezeidenhout incident--Despatch of troops to Potchefstroom--Mass meeting of the 8th December 1880--Appointment of the Triumvirate and declaration of the republic--Despatch of Boer proclamation to Sir O. Lanyon--His reply--Outbreak of hostilities at Potchefstroom --Defence of the court-house by Major Clarke--The massacre of the detachment of the 94th under Colonel Anstruther--Dr. Ward--The Boer rejoicings--The Transvaal placed under martial law--Abandonment of their homes by the people of Pretoria--Sir Owen Lanyon's admirable defence organisation--Second proclamation issued by the Boers--Its complete falsehood--Life at Pretoria during the siege--Murders of natives by the Boers--Loyal conduct of the native chiefs--Difficulty of preventing them from attacking the Boers--Occupation of Lang's Nek by the Boers--Sir George Colley's departure to Newcastle--The condition of that town--The attack on Lang's Nek--Its desperate nature--Effect of victory on the Boers--The battle at the Ingogo-- Our defeat--Sufferings of the wounded--Major Essex--Advance of the Boers into Natal--Constant alarms--Expected attack on Newcastle-- Its unorganised and indefensible condition--Arrival of the reinforcements and retreat of the Boers to the Nek--Despatch of General Wood to bring up more reinforcements--Majuba Hill--Our disaster, and death of Sir George Colley--Cause of our defeat--A Boer version of the disaster--Sir George Colley's tactics 120-155 CHAPTER VI.