Theremightalmostseemtobesomesubtleconnectionbetweenthebarrennessandworthlessnessofasurfaceandthevalueofthemineralswhichliebeneathit.ThecraggymountainsofWesternAmerica,thearidplainsofWestAustralia,theice-boundgorgesoftheKlondyke,andthebareslopesoftheWitwatersrandveld—thesearethelidswhichcoverthegreattreasurechestsoftheworld.
GoldhadbeenknowntoexistintheTransvaalbefore,butitwasonlyin1886thatitwasrealisedthatthedepositswhichliesomethirtymilessouthofthecapitalareofaveryextraordinaryandvaluablenature.Theproportionofgoldinthequartzisnotparticularlyhigh,noraretheveinsofaremarkablethickness,butthepeculiarityoftheRandminesliesinthefactthatthroughoutthis'banket'formationthemetalissouniformlydistributedthattheenterprisecanclaimacertaintywhichisnotusuallyassociatedwiththeindustry.Itisquarryingratherthanmining.Addtothisthatthereefswhichwereoriginallyworkedasoutcropshavenowbeentracedtoenormousdepths,andpresentthesamefeaturesasthoseatthesurface.Aconservativeestimateofthevalueofthegoldhasplaceditatsevenhundredmillionsofpounds.
Suchadiscoveryproducedtheinevitableeffect.Agreatnumberofadventurersflockedintothecountry,somedesirableandsomeverymuchthereverse.Therewerecircumstances,however,whichkeptawaytherowdyanddesperadoelementwhousuallymakeforanewlyopenedgoldfield.Itwasnotaclassofminingwhichencouragedtheindividualadventurer.TherewerenoneofthosenuggetswhichgleamedthroughthemudofthedolliesatBallarat,orrecompensedtheforty-ninersinCaliforniaforalltheirtravelsandtheirtoils.Itwasafieldforelaboratemachinery,whichcouldonlybeprovidedbycapital.Managers,engineers,miners,technicalexperts,andthetradesmenandmiddlemenwholiveuponthem,theseweretheUitlanders,drawnfromalltheracesunderthesun,butwiththeAnglo-Celticvastlypredominant.ThebestengineerswereAmerican,thebestminerswereCornish,thebestmanagerswereEnglish,themoneytorunthemineswaslargelysubscribedinEngland.Astimewenton,however,theGermanandFrenchinterestsbecamemoreextensive,untiltheirjointholdingsarenowprobablyasheavyasthoseoftheBritish.SoonthepopulationoftheminingcentresbecamegreaterthanthatofthewholeBoercommunity,andconsistedmainlyofmenintheprimeoflife—men,too,ofexceptionalintelligenceandenergy.
Thesituationwasanextraordinaryone.IhavealreadyattemptedtobringtheproblemhometoanAmericanbysuggestingthattheDutchofNewYorkhadtrekkedwestandfoundedananti-AmericanandhighlyunprogressiveState.TocarryouttheanalogywewillnowsupposethatthatStatewasCalifornia,thatthegoldofthatStateattractedalargeinrushofAmericancitizens,whocametooutnumbertheoriginalinhabitants,thatthesecitizenswereheavilytaxedandbadlyused,andthattheydeafenedWashingtonwiththeiroutcryabouttheirinjuries.Thatwouldbeafairparalleltotherelationsbetwe