On this day, 125 years ago, on January 21, 1900 (December 21, 1899 in the lunar calendar), Canadian troops set off for South Africa to participate in the Boer War. The Boer War was a war between the British and the Boers over the South African colonies. Dutch colonists came to South Africa in the 17th century. Their descendants and the Portugal and French colonists were called Boers. In the late 19th century, the Transvaal Republic and the Free State of Orange discovered the world's largest diamond and gold mines. The British colonists covet these treasures and broke out at war with the Boers in August 1899. In the autumn of that year, Britain declared victory in the war, but the Boers continued to attack the British army. The British army forcibly imprisoned the Boers in concentration camps, killing 20,000 women and children. Kitchener, commander in chief of the British army during the Boer War, became a national hero of Britain. The first Boer War took place from 1880 to 1881, and the second Boer War took place from 1899 to 1902. Canada became a French and British colony in the 16th century, and was later ceded by France to Britain. A Autonomous Federation was established in 1867. It has just been born without full autonomy, and its sovereign state, the United Kingdom, still has a high influence on its internal affairs. Participated in the Second Boer War in England with help from Canada.