1899.] Australasia. [403
General Hernandez who had led a revolutionary enterprise some months before, without much success, attempted another in October, but he was defeated in battle and with heavy loss. President Andrade retired to San Juan, Porto Kico, and the Castro Government held the situation for the time being.
The arbitrators under the treaty between Great Britain and Venezuela of February, 1897, delivered their award on October 3. It practically confirmed the Schomburgk line, but gave Venezuela Barima Point at the mouth of the Orinoco, and also a tract of territory to the west of the Wenamu Biver and west of a line drawn from Mount Venamo to Mount Bovaima marked by Schomburgk as British.
CHAPTER Vm.
AUSTRALASIA.
Two events of supreme import and of far-reaching consequence to Australasia distinguish the year 1899. The colonies, at least five out of six, finally agreed in a practical scheme of confedera- tion, of which there is now at last a fair hope of accomplishment. A federal act was passed by five colonies, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, and was transmitted at the close of the year to the Imperial Government to be embodied in an act of Parliament. The sixth colony, Western Australia, after much dallying and negotiation upon minor points, declined to submit the question to a popular vote, but there can be no doubt that a large majority in the colony, including nearly the whole of the mining community, are in favour of confederation, and it is certain that their wishes will ultimately prevail.
The second great event is of scarcely less importance for its influence upon the future destinies of Australasia in her relations with the mother country. The outbreak of war in South Africa through the invasion of British territory by the Boers called forth an extraordinary amount of sympathy from all classes of the colonists. The movement in defence of the imperial interests was all the more gratifying as it could not be suspected of being influenced by any but the purest and highest motives of patriotism and of loyalty. From the first the quarrel between the Boer republics and the British Government was interpreted as a deliberate and long-matured conspiracy against the British power in South Africa, the object of which was to degrade the colonists of British blood and language to a position inferior to the Dutch, to usurp the dominion of South Africa, and thus to break one principal and necessary link in the chain of British Empire. The ardour and enthusiasm with which the call to arms in defence of the mother country was responded to throughout Australasia surprised even those best
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