CHAPTER 415: CHAPTER 92 COMPROMISE

"Shell loading complete!"

"Aim at the target point, ready, fire!"

Bang... with a loud explosion, billowing black smoke gushed out of the cannon barrel, and the immense recoil caused the cannon to directly lift off the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. The temporary target constructed with mud on the Fall River bank was instantly shattered.

But it wasn’t over yet; the Third Brigade was equipped with a total of eleven cannons, representing the entire assets of the 511th Division. Following the firing of the first cannon, the other cannons successively fired at the destroyed target, continuing the assault until the dust settled, turning the original mound into a deep pit.

"Third Cavalry Company, attack!"

Over two hundred warhorses galloped on the open plains, gradually accelerating. The cavalrymen brought out their Dreyse Rifles, quickly reloading on horseback, then drove the horses to a sudden stop, aimed, and fired in the direction of the Fall River in a seamless action.

Subsequently, each unit of the Third Brigade demonstrated a series of tactical maneuvers against the hypothetical enemy assigned by the headquarters, such as advancing, retreating, and counter-attacking. The units coordinated with each other and showcased their collaborative abilities for four hours until the noon sun was high, and with the sound of the meal call, the exercise finally ended.

The British observers, Boer people, and locals across the river watched the spectacle prepared by the East African Kingdom.

British mine owners watched from afar with telescopes, discussing the significance of the East African Kingdom’s exercise.

"Oh, my God! The Germans are demonstrating to us!"

"But you must admit, they appear to be a well-trained army. No wonder the Germans quickly completed their advances in several areas of South Africa and eventually achieved victory."

"Were it not for the yellow-skinned people in the German troops, I’d almost suspect these Germans are Prussian soldiers disguised as East African Kingdom troops to fight the Boers and Zulu Kingdom."

"Gentlemen, what should we do now? Is the East African Kingdom really intending to attack Kimberley?"

"We must not allow the Germans to cross the river, but who can stop them? Their military strength is formidable, and even if the Royal Navy from Cape Town comes inland, I’m afraid they have no solution for the Germans."

"If that’s the case, we’ll have to force Cape Town to negotiate with the Germans. Not to mention the possible consequences if war breaks out, my mines can’t afford a single day of stoppage. That means losing a lot of money, and in the worst-case scenario, we may lose everything. Once war breaks out, who knows whose hands Kimberley will ultimately end up in."

"If this were India, I’d believe the Empire wouldn’t fear any challenge, but the Cape Colony is incomparable not only to India but also to Canada and Australia; we have too few people."

"There’s also the terrain of Cape Town, which is unfavorable for our army’s defense. If it were the eastern part, it would be different; from there, troops could land via the port, but Kimberley is located deep within the South African plateau. By the time the army arrives from the east, everything will be too late."

The terrain of the Cape Colony indeed is very unfriendly, especially for the British. The edge of the South African plateau is a massive escarpment extending two thousand kilometers.

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This unique geological feature is somewhat similar to the Brazilian Shield, albeit a bit better because the South African plateau has a longer history. Over billions of years, areas along the coast have endured prolonged erosion from seawater, rivers, rainwater, and winds, slowly forming narrow plains. Cape Town (City) is built on such a plain.

The eastern Drakensberg range constitutes a part of this escarpment but has many gaps and numerous excellent ports, making transportation manageable.

The passage from Cape Town (City) to the interior is challenging, not just due to terrain, but the northern part adjoining the South African plateau is the very arid Great Karoo Basin. It belongs to a semi-desert climate zone with rainfall between 100 and 400 millimeters, extremely unstable, and in drier years, it’s even more arid than the Kalahari Desert. It has scarcely any population, only suitable for grazing goats and sheep. However, due to the presence of the South African escarpment, rivers here can receive the supplement of mountain water, allowing limited irrigation along their banks.

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In conclusion, the inland development of the Cape Colony is extremely difficult, whereas East Africa is the opposite. East Africa expands from inland to the coast, and the East African plateau nearly connects with the South African plateau, devoid of significant topographical barriers. Thus, Cape Town can only watch East Africa’s blatant inland expansion helplessly. However, the fundamental reason is still Cape Town’s low population, making it impossible to support more troops to explore the interior.

"The worst thing now is that the Germans are only separated from us by a river. Kimberley mining zone is the most valuable piece of cake in all South Africa; we cannot afford to lose Kimberley."

"We must unite and ensure an agreement between Cape Town and East Africa. Losing some worthless land is no big deal. Although Griqualand is large, it is ineffective land, sparsely populated with poor climatic conditions. Letting the East African Kingdom have it is fine as long as they commit to never consider Kimberley. For our mutual benefit, it’s understandable."

His words earned the approval of Kimberley’s mine owners. So far, there are more than thirty companies in the Kimberley mining district, developing diamonds worth approximately thirty-five thousand British Pounds and serving as the largest tax source for the Cape Colony.

But this is only the maximum for the mine owners, far from the potential of the Kimberley mining district. With increased investment, Kimberley’s diamond output multiplied. Buried underground are dazzling sums of money, and what the mine owners and diamond-founded enterprises lack most are manpower. Currently, there is less than ten thousand population in Kimberley, severely restricting its development.

Once the population increases, how much diamonds can be developed from Kimberley? Millions, even tens of millions of British Pounds.

As a contrast, in the early 19th century, Britain’s annual total income was 230 million British Pounds, with aristocratic income at 3.1 million British Pounds. Kimberley’s value is self-evident, hence Kimberley must not be lost. The business owners and mine owners in Kimberley, driven by self-interest, will not choose to go to war with the East African Kingdom.

Soon, Cape Town Governor Henry Barkley received letters from British noblemen and major capitalists behind the Kimberley mining district from the mainland, generally saying: "Ensure the safety of the diamond mining area. As for any Griqualand Republic, discard it if necessary. Otherwise, your tenure as Governor might end. Quickly negotiate with the East African Kingdom and prevent escalating conflict."

Henry Barkley found himself very distressed by this. He wrote in his diary: "For immediate interests, the politicians and capitalists in London have zero awareness of what giving up on dealing with the East African Kingdom means for Britain’s future! If the East African Kingdom gains a firm foothold in South Africa, Cape Town, even if not annexed, will only become its tributary, and it seems to me a matter of time; within fifty years, the seeds they sow will inevitably bear evil fruits..."

Subsequently, the Cape Colony signed a mutual non-aggression agreement with East Africa, stipulating that the East African Kingdom must halt all military actions in South Africa and ensure never to invade Cape Colony territory, using the Orange River as the boundary between the parties.

Upon signing the agreement, East African forces must withdraw from the border, allowing only a small force to remain as a reciprocal measure, the same for the Cape Colony.

Finally, regarding the Griqualand Republic issue, East Africa Kingdom funded its acquisition as compensation to Cape Colony. Purchasing Griqualand Republic was a matter of face, so East Africa symbolically paid 3000 British Pounds.

The residents of Griqualand Republic were then sent by East Africa to Cape Colony, conveniently providing labor for the Kimberley mining zone.