The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-24
MY COMMAND IN SOUTH AFRICA.

The New York branch of the firm Of Macmillan &
CO. have imported few copies Of Sir Arthur
Cunynghame's my Command in South Africa
which they recently published in London with 20
much eciat In five weeks the book, good
sized volume of 376 pages, was printed and pub
lished and passed through several editions. The
present interest in England in anything giving in
formation the subject Of the Zuus sufficiently
accounts for the sale of the book It's intrinsic value
is not very great, and although it will probably at
tain very large circulation within few months it
will not be heard of after that time. Sir Arthur
Cunynghame is, let us hope, better general than
writer. His book is hastily thrown together and
the paste pot and shears have aided largely in
its composition. Those who were inclined to blame
General Cunynghame's line of conduct in carrying
the Kafhr will judge him more leniently
after reading this volume. in which he shows how he
was prevented by inadequate forces and harassng
colonial government from doing himself his
cause Justice In that part OF his book which deals
with the sixth Kaiir there is matter of sufficient
Importance to excuse the evident padding of the
former chapters
The book is divided into five parts Chapters / to
IL contain account of journey from Cape Town
to the eastern frontier, the free States and the Ba
suto land; chapters IL to IS describe General Cum
ynghames visit to Pondo land and Natal chapters 10
to ~ give account Of the threatened rebellion in
the diamond fields aud the expedition sent to check
il; chapters % to 30 deal with the annexation
of the Transvaal, and chapters 81 to Al de-
voted to description of the the eastern
frontier of Cape Colony. In elaborate preface the
colonies are severally sketched. and General Cum
ynghame ia very severe in his remarks upon the
Dutch settlers, whom no denounccs cruel and
barbarous. Speaking of the bloodthrsty and brutal
practices of the zuus he has the bad taste to call them
81, Ii
very inviting picture of South Africa for although
he pronounces it a rising colony he hardly thinks
it offers to the emgrant the chances which he could
obtain in Australia or New Zealand. The chief po-
ltica questions affecting the colonies he says,
federation, the disarmament of the natives, the
formation of q force for colonial defence and the
reformation of the law.
General Cunyngname in writing Of the KafIir war
pays a well merited compliment to his successor Sir
Barle Frerc. He describes several of the battles Of
this war. which made doubly horrible by the
crueltes of the Zulus. Even in the wilds of Africa
the telegraph played an important part in the war.
and the troops were enabled to hold communication
with almost every position where they located.
Singulary enough the Kafirs did not destroy the
telegraph poles. They looked upon them as English
witchcraft. They dreaded them. and. it is said.
oven prayed to them, although pronouncing strange
incantations around the tall posts and beneath the
mysterious wires. They felt that the wires were
hurtful to them in some mysterious way. but dared
not destroy them General Cunynghame does not
spare Mr.. Merriam, the Commissioner of the Colonial
War Department. but condemns him as being totally
unfit for that position "when the question Of the
cost Of this comes to be considered by Parlia-
ment." says General Cunynghame. II must say that
hope that the British taxpayer. burdened he must
naturally be by the important enterprises he has
in hand. will refuse to any considerable extent to
defray the expenses Of q war which the late Cape
government brought upon the colony am sorry
tho colony, and especially for the most unjustly
abused settlers the frontier and the east; but II
seems only fair that they should suffer for the mis-
deeds Of their Cabinet"
General Cunynghame closes his book with few
self-complimcntary passages which may. we sup
pose, be excused under the circumstances.