The Colenso Affair.—Meantime the colony had weathered a severe commercial crisis brought on in 1865 through over-specula tion and the neglect of agriculture, save along the coast belt. But the trade over berg largely developed on the discovery of the Kimberley diamond mines, and the progress of the country was greatly promoted by the substitution of the railway for the ox wagon as a means of transport. On Jan. 1, 1876, Sir Henry Bul wer, who had succeeded Wolseley as governor, turned the first sod of a new State-owned railway which was completed as far as Maritzburg in 1880. At this date the white inhabitants num bered about 20,000. But besides a commercial crisis the colony had been the scene of an ecclesiastical dispute which attracted widespread attention. Bishop Colenso (q.v.), condemned in 1863 on a charge of heresy, ignored the authority of the court of South African bishops and was maintained in his position by decision of the privy council in England. This led to a division among the Anglican community in the colony and the consecration in 1869 of a rival bishop, who took the title of bishop of Maritzburg. (Reunion of the Anglican body in Natal was effected in 191o.) Colenso's bold advocacy of the cause of the natives—which he maintained with vigour until his death (in 1883)—attracted almost equal attention. His native name was Usobantu (father of the people).
For some years Natal, in common with the other countries of South Africa, had suffered from the absence of anything resem bling a strong government among the Boers of the Transvaal, neighbours of Natal on the north. The annexation of the Trans vaal to Great Britain, effected by Sir Theophilus Shepstone in April 1877, would, it was hoped, put a period to the disorders in that country. But the new administration at Pretoria inherited many disputes with the Zulus, disputes which were in large measure the cause of the war of 1879. For years the Zulus had lived in amity with the Natalians, from whom they received sub stantial favours, and in 1872 Cetywayo (q.v.), on succeeding his father Panda, had given assurances of good behaviour. These promises were not kept for long, and by 1878 his attitude had become so hostile towards both the Natal and Transvaal govern ments that Sir Bartle Frere, then High Commissioner for South Africa, determined on his reduction. During the war (see ZULU LAND) Natal was used as the British base, and the Natal volun teers rendered valuable service in the campaign, which, after open ing with disasters to the British forces, ended in the breaking of the Zulu power.
Majuba.—Scarcely had the colony recovered from the shock of the Zulu War than it was involved in the uprising of the Transvaal Boers (188o-81). The Natalians were intensely Brit ish in sentiment, and resented deeply the policy adopted by the Gladstone administration. At Ingogo, Majuba and Laing's Nek, all of them situated within the colony, British forces had been defeated by the Boers ; and the treaty of retrocession was re garded in Natal as an unworthy surrender of British rights. The Natalians nevertheless made up their minds to shape their policy in conformity with that settlement. It was not long before their patience was once more severely taxed. Transvaal Boers, taking
advantage of the disputes among the petty Zulu chiefs set up by Sir Garnet Wolseley after the war of 1878-79, intervened (in 1883) and as a reward for the assistance they had rendered to one of the combatants, demanded and annexed 8,000 sq.m.• of country, which they styled the "New Republic." This interfer ence by the Transvaal in Zululand affairs gave great offence in Natal. The "New Republic," reduced in area, however, to fewer than 2,000 sq.m., was nevertheless recognized by the British Gov ernment in 1886, and in 1888 its consent was given to the terri tory (the Vryheid district) being incorporated with the Transvaal. Meanwhile in 1887, the remainder of Zululand had been annexed to Great Britain (see ZULULAND).
The demand which the growing trade made upon the one port of Natal, Durban, encouraged the colonists to redouble their efforts to improve their harbour.
Harbour works had been begun in 1857, but it was chiefly due to the energy of one of Natal's most distinguished sons, Harry Escombe, that Durban was transformed into a modern port. From 1881 to 1893 Escombe was chairman of the Harbour Board.
For many years there had been an agitation among the colo nists for self-government. In 1882 the colony was offered self government coupled with the obligations of self-defence. The offer was declined, but in 1883 the legislative council was re modelled so as to consist of 23 elected and 7 nominated members. In 1890 the elections to the council led to the return of a majority in favour of accepting self-government, and in 1893 a bill in favour of the proposed change was passed and received the sanc tion of the imperial Government. At the time the white inhabit ants numbered about 50,000. The electoral law was framed to prevent more than a very few Indians and natives obtaining the franchise. Sir John Robinson (1839-1903) who had gone to Natal in 1850, was a leading journalist in the colony and had been a member of the legislative council since 1863, became the first premier and colonial secretary, with Harry Escombe as attorney general. The year that witnessed this change in the constitution was also notable for the death of Sir Theophilus Shepstone, Natal's most prominent citizen. Sir John Robinson remained premier until 1897, a year marked by the annexation of Zulu land to Natal. In the following year Natal entered the Customs Union already existing between Cape Colony and the Orange Free State.