Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1873 to 1884, Volume 1 (1919).djvu/42

18 Parliament should, if it be desired by the Imperial Government, give it their counsel and assistance in settling the difficulties which have arisen out of the extension of British jurisdiction to the Territory known as Griqualand West."

On the 25th of November Mr. Froude left the Cape to return to England, where he sent in a long and interesting report of his transactions in South Africa, which shows that he failed to grasp the real causes of the failure of the scheme he had advocated so brilliantly. He had not been sufficiently long in the country to understand the feelings of its people.

In response to Lord Carnarvon's invitation to the governments of the several colonies and states of South Africa to send delegates to a conference in London, only Natal complied fully. Messrs. Shepstone, Ackerman, and Robinson were deputed to represent that colony. On the 9th of June 1876 the Cape house of assembly resolved not to appoint delegates to the conference, but to send Mr. J. C. Molteno to give advice and assistance in the settlement of the Griqualand West dispute. Mr. Molteno left on the 7th of July for this purpose, but found on his arrival in England that Lord Carnarvon and President Brand had already concluded an amicable arrangement regarding the disputed boundary. He therefore took no part in the conference. President Brand had gone to England to endeavour to obtain redress from Lord Carnarvon for the seizure of territory belonging to his state, the imperial authorities having consented to deal directly with him instead of through the medium of the high commissioner.

He arrived in London on the 6th of May 1876, and was courteously received by Lord Carnarvon. He asked for the restitution of the territory east of the Vaal river and north of the Vetberg line, that had been seized under the supposition that it belonged to the Griqua captain Nicholas Waterboer, and which had since been