We conjecture that the course of the negotiations will be
some- what as follows. The Boers will begin by very high demands, including virtual independence, and will haggle obstinately day by day, making only nominal concessions.—Those who wish for an example may look in Bunyan's " Holy War," and see how the enemy fought inch by inch in the peace negotia- tions to keep some independent interest, if it were only the merest fragment in the City of MansouL—The Boers will try to follow that precedent. When at last they find we are deter- mined, as, of course, we shall be, to make no sort of conces- sion on this point, they will have to decide whether to accept the rest of our terms—which, we feel sure, will err, if at all, though rightly, on the side of generosity—or to "save their face" with the commandos by returning and recommending a few weeks' more fighting.
