The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-09-08
A BOer Marksnlan.

had long conversation to-day with
very intelligent specimen of a Beer, who
forms in Newcastle one of the guard that
accompanies the Boer leaders attending
on the commission. He spent the after
noon in my camp, and gave me q rehear-
sal of the different modes of fighting
among the Beers. First of all he began
by trying his hand ut shooting ut bottles,
distance 100 yards, with q fifteen Win
chester repeater which l lent him for
the purpose. With this weapon, how
ever, he failed to accomplish any decided
success, the bullets falling close all
round, but the bottles remained un-
touched.
II cannot shoot with your rifle, he
observed, but give me Martini-Henry
and will pick off two bottles at 200
yards" l sent up to the camp for q
Martini Henry carbine. which the Boer
laid hold of with great deal more APP
parent confidence, and in the first two
shots verified his boast, for the bottles
were Immediately shivered to atoms. He
next proceeded to show me the Boer
mode of shooting from behind rocks and
stones '"rhe great mistakes your sol
OlClo uteC, hC OOoCA VSNts "esS W. $500
over the stone ut the enemy, but we al
ways fire round the corner" Throwing
himself flat on the ground, he proceeded
to put this remark into practice, and
dragging himself lithely along, peered
cautiously round the right hands corner
of low stone that only just concealed
his form from sight OF the supposed
enemy. Removing his hat, he
raised it slowly aloft on the top
of his ramrod and man9uvered
it so as to cause it to have the appear
ance of mans head cautiously taking
note of the enemy. At this hat an Eng
lish soldier is supposed to have taken q
pot shot, when the Boer suddenly let it
fall, and bringing his body round the
corner took steady aim and fired ut a
BLACK bottle some $50 yards distant,
which in another moment was smashed
to atoms.
Another method of shooting on horse
back he showed me ina brilliant and eff
tive manner. Mounting his horse and
uttering loud cry he sent it galloping
up the hill as hard as it could go. Sud-
denly without word OF warning, the
left foot was pressed to the stirrup, the
right leg thrown backwards over the sad
die, the man was on his feet aud the
horse stopped instantaneously as if spell
bound. Standing erect. the Boer aimed
coolly at distant bottle and knocked it
over, then springing into the saddle, he
executed the same maneuver i'll two OPP
posite directions with signal and unerr-
ing aim and effect. This man was one of
1870 who first stormed and took the Ma
juba nights He says that Joubert's only
words were: Fellows, take the hill,
and they FASTENED to obey. The reason
why so few men advanced to the attack
was because Joubert had made sure
that the English would endeavor stimuli
taneously to take the Mex, as we'll as sur.
prise them on their left, and he retained
men to defend the positions mentioned.
Finding, however, his fears were ground
less, he dispatched fresh men to the as
sistance of their comrades, but by the
time they arrived the Majuba Hill had
been taken. The Ninety-second, he in
formed me, were the first they encounter
ed and this regiment fought stoutly, but
were driven back to the plateau toward
the Fifty eighth Both bravely defended
the position until Colley fell, when
panic, he affrms, seized the men. The
whole scene, was, however, so envelOped
in smoke that he could make no accurate
note of anything. and confusion pre-
vailed everywhere. Sir George Coliey
he declares to have been shot while in
the act of tying white handkerchief to
a ramrod. The Beers did not know at
the time that this parsonage was Sir
George This is one of the few Boer
versions of the Majuba fight that have
heard from men who actually took part
in the first advance to storm the plateau.
Each tale tallies similarly with the
other and l am inclined to think it is
truthfully told London Post.