He now, accordingly, requested President Steyn to let him know when and where the two Governments could meet.

He also intimated that he had written to Lord Kitchener, informing him that he wished--after consulting the Government of the Orange Free State--to make a Peace Proposal.
President Steyn told me that when the Free State Government received this letter from President Burger, they had not been able to see their way to refuse what the latter asked, as the promise of a Peace Proposal had already been sent.

They had regretted, however, that the Transvaal Government had made use of a safe conduct, and gone through the English lines--not that they had for one moment distrusted the Government--but simply because the proceeding had seemed to have been ill-advised.
Nevertheless the Free State, finding itself not only obliged to discuss the matters in question with the Transvaal, but also, conjointly with the Transvaal, to make a Proposal to Lord Kitchener, had appointed a place of meeting in accordance with the request which had been addressed to it.
This was what I learnt from President Steyn's letter.
On the 5th of April the President received another letter from President Burger, arranging that the meeting should take place at Klerksdorp.

A safe conduct for the President and Government of the Orange Free State was sent at the same time.
[Footnote 107: Shortly afterwards I heard that it was Colonel Rimington's column who were encamped there.

They discovered the cave, and removed the documents and wearing apparel, leaving me with only a suit of clothes--which I should have liked to preserve as a curiosity!] [Footnote 108: A salt lake.] [Footnote 109: Commandant Jacobsz was somewhere not very far from Kimberley; Commandant Bester, close to Brandfort; Commandant Jacobus Theron, near Smaldeel; Commandant Flemming, near Hoopstad; and Commandant Pieter Erasmus, near the Gannapan.].