Much of the loyalty, about which such a fuss was made at the Cape, was loyalty to the sovereign in the pocket, and not loyalty to the Sovereign on the throne.

This concern for wealth was seen in many aspects of life in South Africa, and occasionally invaded drastically the realm of social well-being.

A case in point was the opposition by the financial interests to a tax on brandy.

In South Africa drunkenness was one of the worst evils, especially among the coloured race, yet the restrictive influence of a tax was withheld.

The underlying motive was nothing but the desire to avoid the tax on diamonds, which every reasonable person claimed and considered to be a source of revenue of which the Government had no right to deprive itself.