s ", ▁soon ▁dropped ▁to ▁less ▁than ▁half ▁their ▁nom inal ▁value . ▁Com merce ▁was ▁largely ▁carried ▁on ▁by ▁bar ter , ▁and ▁many ▁cases ▁of ▁bank rupt cy ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁The ▁infl ux ▁of ▁British ▁and ▁other ▁imm igr ants ▁to ▁the ▁diam ond ▁fields , ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁restored ▁public ▁credit ▁and ▁individual ▁prosper ity ▁to ▁the ▁Bo ers ▁of ▁the ▁Free ▁State . ▁The ▁diam ond ▁fields ▁offered ▁a ▁ready ▁market ▁for ▁stock ▁and ▁other ▁agricult ural ▁produce . ▁M oney ▁flow ed ▁into ▁the ▁po ckets ▁of ▁the ▁far mers . ▁Public ▁credit ▁was ▁restored . ▁" Blue back s " ▁recovered ▁par ▁value , ▁and ▁were ▁called ▁in ▁and ▁re de emed ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁Val u able ▁diam ond ▁mines ▁were ▁also ▁discovered ▁within ▁the ▁Free ▁State , ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁one ▁at ▁J agers f onte in ▁was ▁the ▁rich est . ▁Capital ▁from ▁Kim ber ley ▁and ▁London ▁was ▁soon ▁provided ▁with ▁which ▁to ▁work ▁them . ▁ ▁Peace ful ▁relations ▁with ▁neighb ours ▁The ▁relations ▁between ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁the ▁Free ▁State , ▁after ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁the ▁boundary ▁was ▁settled , ▁remained ▁perfectly ▁am ic able ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Bo er ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 . ▁From ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁on ward ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁quiet , ▁steady ▁progress . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁first