In December 1884, Major-General Charles Warren was sent as HM Special Commissioner to command a military expedition to Bechuanaland, to assert British sovereignty in the face of encroachments from Germany and the Transvaal, and to suppress the Boer states of Stellaland and Goshen, which were backed by the Transvaal.

Warren did not abandon his march, however, and on reaching the area he dissolved up the republics of Stellaland and Goshen without bloodshed and in July proclaimed a British protectorate.

In September he halved the size of the protectorate by proclaiming the Crown colony of British Bechuanaland, its northern border following the Molopo and Nossob rivers.

An interesting sidelight on the expedition is related by Jose Burman, who writes that when Warren’s force reached Orange River station (at that stage the terminus of the railway line to Kimberley, as the bridge over the river had not yet been built) the general had a transport problem.

“At this stage Warren’s difficulties were solved by a number of farmers who arrived at the river and offered their services as transport riders.