St. Landry democrat., 1881-09-17
4 Boer Mark sinan.

I had a long conversation to-day with
a very intelligent specimen of Boer,
who forms in Newcastle one of the
guard that accompanies the Boer lead
ers attending on the Commission. He
spent the afternoon in my camp, and
gave me Il rehearsal of the different
modes of fighting among the Beers.
First of all he began by trying his hand
at shooting at bottles, distant 100 yards,
with a fifteen Winchester repeater which
I lent him for the purpose. With this
weapon, however, he failed to accom-
plish any decided success, the bullets
falling close all round, but the bottles
remained untouched.
81 can not shoot with your rifle" he
observed, "but give me a Martini-Hen-
~ and | will pick off two bottles at 200
yards | sent up to the camp for
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 botuz1.
were Immediately shivered to atoms.
He next proceeded to show me the E>-A-
mode of shooting from behind rocks
and stones. "The great mistake your
soldiers made he observed, ''was to
aim over the stone at the enemy, but we
always fire round the corner" Throw
ing himself fiat on the ground, he pro-
ceeded to put this remark into practice,
and dragging himself lithely along,
peered cautiously round the right-hand
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 Unanswered it so as to cause
it to have the appearance OF a mans
head cautiousl y taking note of the enemy.
At this hat an English soldier is sup
posed to have taken a pot shot, when
the Boer suddenly let it fall, and bring
ing his body round the corner, took
steady aim and fired at q black bottle
some 100 yards distant, which in another
moment was smashed to atoms.
Another method of shooting on horse
back he showed me in brilliant and eff
fective manner. Mounting his horse
and uttering loud cry he sent it gal
Looping up a hill Just as hard as it could
20. Suddenly, without a word of warm
ing, the left foot was pressed to the STIR
rup, the right leg thrown backwards
over the saddle, the man was on his
feet and the horse stopped instantane-
ously, and as if spellbound. Standing
erect, the Boer aimed coolly at a dis
tant bottle and knocked it over, then
springing into the saddle, he executed
the same maneuver in two opposite di-
rections with signal and unerring aim
and effect. This man was one OF $50
who first stormed and took the Majuba
Heights. He says that .Joubert's only
words were: "FellowS, take that HILL"
and they fastened to obey. The reason
why so few men advanced to the at
tack was because Joubert anticipated
and made sure that the English would
endeavor simultaneously to take the
Mex, as well as surprise them on their
left, and he retained men to defend the
positions mentioned. Finding. however,
his fears were groundless, he dispatched
fresh men to the assistance of their COM
rades, but by the time they arrived the
Majuba Hill had been taken. The
Ninety second, he informed me, We're
the first they encountered, and this reg
iment fought stoutly, but were driven
back on to the plateau towards the Fiji
ty-eighth Both bravely defended the
position until Colley fell, when panic, he
at1irms, seized our men. The whole
scene was, however, so enveloped in
smoke that he could make no accurate
note of anything and confusion prevailed
everywhere. Sir George Colley he de-
clares to have been shot while in the act
of tying white handkerchief to RAM
of ho
time that this parsonage was Sir George.
This is one of the few Boer versions of
the Majuba fight that l have heard from
men who actually took part in the first
advance to storm the plateau. Each
tale tallies similarlarly with the other,
and | am inclined to think it is truthful
ly told.-Buta1o River Cor. London
Morning Post.