第22部分(第1/7 页)

nt　you　to　be　good　enough　to　send　a　certificate　acknowledging　the　payment　of　each　of　these　items　and　stating　that　you　signed　a　receipt　for　each　when　it　was　paid。　They　are　under　the　impression　that　Colonel　Brooke；　who　kept　the　accounts；　never　took　care　to　get　receipts：　the　fact　being　that　he　was　most　careful　on　this　point；　but　that　the　vouchers　and　some　of　the　accounts　also　were；　most　of　them；　lost　during　the　siege　of　Pretoria。

The　officers　of　the　Treasury　have　reflected　upon　my　personal　honesty；　and　Mr。　Courtney　has　amused　himself　by　writing　some　facetious　paragraphs；　this　has　of　course　furnished　more　or　less　amusing　reading　for　the　society　journals。　The　Colonial　Office　defended　me　very　vigorously；　but　I　have　strongly　resented　such　treatment　and　shown　the　injustice　and　untruthfulness　of　it；　or　any　foundation　for　it；　in　a　memo。　to　the　Secretary　of　State。　Meanwhile　the　Treasury　withhold　my　pension。

This　letter　is　horribly　egotistical　so　far；　but　I　could　not　help　it；　as　I　explained　on　the　first　page。

As　things　have　turned　out；　it　was　a　fortunate　thing　that　you　left　this　country　when　you　did。　Our　condition　as　Englishmen；　or　rather　the　condition　of　our　Government　in　regard　to　this　country；　reminds　me　strongly　of　the　craven　soldiers　under　Baker　Pasha　when　they　were　beaten　by　the　Arabs　at　Teb：　they　are　described　as　meekly　kneeling　to　meet　their　fate。　That　is　exactly　what　the　British　Government　have　been　doing；　since　Majuba；　in　Africa。　The　Boers　have　now　taken　possession　of　Central　Zululand；　and　they　are　quite　right　to　do　so。　The　Government　allowed　anarchy　to　run　rampant　on　their　＇the　Boer’s＇　border；　and　then　publicly　declared　in　the　House　of　mons　that　they　intended　to　leave　the　Zulus　to　settle　their　affairs　in　their　own　way；　and　they　called　in　the　Boers