Sept. 12th.—Leaving the troops to follow by ordinary marches, the Governor and Staff left Winburg in mule-waggons.
13th.—Reached Bloemfontein at noon.
15th.—Troops arrived from Winburg. Three guns R.A., two companies 45th, and a company C.M.R. detailed to garrison the “Queen’s Fort” [now to be built]; the remainder to march back to their respective localities under Col. Buller.
18th.—Arrived at Smithfield on the Caledon River. Great gathering of Dutch and English farmers. Sir H. Smith laid the foundation-stone of a Dutch church [which was never built, the village being afterwards removed—E. A. H.].
26th.—Crossed the Orange River. Arrived at Ruffles Vlet, a beautiful site for a town.[195]
On the 28th Sir Harry received an ovation at Graaf Reinet, and on 6th Oct. reached King William’s Town. It had now grown into a pretty town, and it gratified him to see between 200 and 300 Kafirs hard at work in building houses and aiding in the cultivation of the gardens. Next day he held a meeting of chiefs, including Sandilli, Macomo, Umhala, and Pato. The superior chief, Kreili (the son of Hintza), overtook Sir Harry after he had left King William’s Town, and showed every sign of affection, calling him “father” and “Inkosi Inkulu” (“Great Chief”). The whole meeting was considered of very good omen for the success of the system established in British Kaffraria.
After visiting Grahamstown, the Governor proceeded to Port Elizabeth. In reply to an address praying for the formation of the Eastern Province of the Cape Colony into a separate government, he asked “What is Germany with her 33,000,000 struggling after but union? These German states have sunk through their disunion, while Great Britain is acknowledged to owe her strength and her greatness to the union of her people. Nor at the present time must we have separation here. When I was asked whether I would have a Lieutenant-Governor, I replied, ‘Certainly not.’ The office fulfilled no other part than that of giving rise to very unprofitable correspondence.”[196] On the 21st October the Governor returned to Cape Town, and, as elsewhere, was received with enthusiasm and an address of congratulation. It stated that the vigour and rapidity with which the rebellion had been repressed, and the moderation shown afterwards, were characteristic of Sir Harry’s genius as a soldier and of the generous sympathies of his nature, and concluded with a prayer that he might long preside over the Colony, and exercise that “justice and mercy” which had marked his career.