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On our return to England in the autumn of 1881 we went to stay at Bradenham for a while and rested after our African adventures。 I do not remember anything that we did there； except that we were at the Sandringham ball。 A note in my wife’s diary mentions that the Princess； afterwards Queen Alexandra； “looked lovely in pearl grey satin and was the prettiest woman in the room with the exception of Lady Lonsdale。”
Before Christmas we moved to a furnished house at Norwood。 Here； having all my way still to make in the world； I set to work in earnest。 First of all I entered myself at Lincoln’s Inn； but found to my disgust that before I could do so I was expected to pass an examination in Latin； English History and； I think； Arithmetic。 My Latin I had practically forgotten； and my English History dates were somewhat to seek。 I represented to the Benchers that； after having filled the office of Master of the High Court of the Transvaal； this entrance examination was perhaps superfluous； but they were obdurate on the matter。 So I set to work and； with the assistance of a crammer； in a month learned more Latin than I had done all the time I was at school； indeed； at the end of a few weeks I could read Caesar fluently and Virgil not so ill。 The end of it was that I passed the examination at the head of the batch who went up with me； or so I was given to understand。
Another thing that I did was to write my first book； “Cetewayo and his White Neighbours； or Remarks on Recent Events in Zululand； Natal and the Transvaal。” It contained about two hundred and fifty closely printed pages in the first of its editions； and represented a great amount of labour。 I was determined that it should be accurate； and to ensure this I purchased all the Blue…books dealing with the period of which I was treating； and made precis of them； some of which I still possess。
But it is one thing for an unknown person to write a book of this character； and quite another for him to persuade anyone to publish it。 I find among my papers a pencil draft of a letter which I sent to many publishers。 It runs：
I write to inquire if you are inclined to undertake the publication of a short work I am now finishing。 It is the result of some six years’ experience in South Africa in official and private capacities； and contains amongst other things a private history of the annexation of the Transvaal which； as I was on Sir T。 Shepstone’s staff at the time； I am qualified to write。
The parts of the book； however； which would； I think； ensure the sale at the present moment； both here and in the Colonies； are the chapters dealing with the proposed grant of responsible government to Natal and the question of the reinstatement of Cetewayo。 As you are no doubt aware； the ex…king will visit England very shortly； when I think an opportunely published work on the subject would find a ready sale。
The book is written in as interesting a style as I can mand and would be published under my own name。
Awaiting the favour of a reply；
I am； etc。
Needless to say the reply always came； but notwithstanding the tempting bait of “the interesting style；” its character may be guessed。 Nobody wished to have anything to do either with Cetewayo or his white neighbours。
At length I was faced with the alternative of putting the results of my labours into the fire or of paying for their production in book form。 A letter from Trubner and Co。； dated May 18； 1882； informs me that my MS。 will make a volume of three hundred and twenty pages “like enclosed specimen；” and “if you of 50 pounds sterling we will undertake to produce an edition of seven hundred and fifty copies。”
I sent the cheque； although at the time I could ill afford it； and in due course the work appeared。 On the whole it was extremely well received by such papers as chose to review it seriously。 Some of these notices I still possess； favourable and unfavourable。 One from the Daily News； which es under the latter category； dated August 23； 1882； is amusing to read today。 It is written in the “high sarcastic” strain。 Here is a sentence from it。
Mr。 Haggard distrusts Cetewayo and is shocked at the notion of reinstating him on any terms。 He is also shocked at the “retrocession of the Transvaal” and thinks we have not yet seen the end of the troubles in store for us； owing to our neglect to persevere in the work of exterminating the Boers； and so forth。 These views have already been pretty fully set forth — so fully； in fact； that the necessity for a further exposition of them at this time does not seem very obvious。 The freshest； and certainly the most amusing thing in Mr。 Haggard’s book is his solemn warning that our policy； which he is pleased to stigmatise as “sentimental；” may end in alienating the affections of “the Colonists；” etc。
Here we see the party politics of the day at their best； or rather at their worst。 The late Lord Carnarvon； who； it may be remembered； was Colonial Secretary during most of the years when I was intimately connected with South Africa； wrote to me：
“I am glad to find that my view as regards the Transvaal should be endorsed by one who had such good opportunities of judging as yourself”； and again：
Private。
Dear Mr。 Haggard； — I am very much obliged to you for your extremely interesting book on Cetewayo。 I have been so engaged with the accumulations of eight months’ business and with all the hundred and one questions which arise on our return to England that I have only been able to look at those parts which most closely interested me personally from their relation to events in which I was myself concerned； but I read these with great satisfaction。 The English public was so deceived by misrepresentations of the annexation of the Transvaal that the real history was never understood； and the humiliating surrender of it was accepted in partial ignorance at least of the facts。 A true statement of it is therefore very valuable； and I am grateful to anyone who has the courage to say what really did occur。 It was as needless as it was discreditable； and though the unexpected discovery of gold is solving many difficulties； the unworthy nature of the cession has done great mischief to all time。 I hope I may have the opportunity of talking about this to you。
Believe me；
Very faithfully yours；
Carnarvon。
I gladly quote an extract from a letter written by Sir Marshal Clarke from Basutoland； since it tempers my criticisms of Sir Hercules Robinson （Lord Rosmead）； a gentleman of whom I have the most kindly personal recollections。 He says； referring to this book：
I don’t think you have done quite justice to Sir Hercules Robinson。 He appears to me to have been the right man for the place and for the time。 He is not a very popular Governor； but his opinions carry great weight here as well as at home； he had a very difficult position at first — one of his principal difficulties arose from the impossibility of foreseeing how far his views would be supported at home — and while he appears to me to have acted with unswerving loyalty； his influence has done much to mitigate antipathies of races and to maintain our character for fair dealing with whites and blacks。
I also received letters from the late Lord Lytton； Lord Randolph Churchill； and others。
Except for any influence it may have had upon certain leading minds and organs of opinion； the book at this time proved a total failure。 At this date （1883） an eager public had absorbed one hundred and fifty…four copies of the work。 Say Messrs。 Trubner：
You will no doubt consider the account a most unsatisfactory one； as we do； seeing that we are out of pocket to the extent of 82 pounds 15s。； 5d。 Against this； of course； we hold the 50 pounds advanced by you； but we fear that we are never likely to recover the balance； 32 pounds 15s。 5d。
As it happens； however； Messrs。 Trubner did in the end recover their 32 pounds。 When I became known through other works of a different character the edition sold out。 Perhaps the public bought it thinking it was a novel； at any rate； I have e across a letter from a melancholy youth who made that mistake。
Since that time there have been other and cheaper editions； and in 1899； at the time of the Boer War； that part of the book that deals with the Transvaal was republished at one shilling and sold to the extent of some thirty thousand copies。
To this day there is a certain demand for the book。 That it has already been extensively used by writers dealing with this epoch of African affairs in works of reference and elsewhere I have reason to know； although these have not always acknowledged the source of their information and judgments。
So it es about that my only effort as an historian was not made in vain； although at first it seemed futile and fruitless enough。 I may add that certain prophecies set down in its pages in 1882 have since that time been remarkably fulfilled。
If they ＇i。e。 those who direct the destinies of the Empire＇ do not ＇take certain steps alluded to above＇ it is now quite within the bounds of possibility that they may one day have to face a fresh Transvaal rebellion； only on a ten times larger scale。
And again：
Unless they ＇i。e。 South African problems＇ are treated with more honest intelligence； and on