Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-03


and sword, Ronald drew up his horse at a
short distance from the two ofhcers and
saluted.
"There's no doubt about his horse" the
Major said, ''that is if he is sound. What
good-looking beast-"
F'That he is, Major; by Jove, believe
it's the very animal that young Boer asked
us e12O for yesterday; pom my word, be-
lieve it's the same.
"What a soldieriy-looking young fellow he
is; thought he was the right stamp yester-
dav. but / hardly expected to see him turn
out SO we'll at first"
The two officers walked up to Ronald, ex-
amined his horse, saddle and uniform.
''That's not regulation rifle you have
got there" the Major said.
''No. sir; it is one brought from England
with me. have been accustomed to its
use, and as 1t is the regulation bore, L
thought perhaps might carry it.
Its trife long, isn't it?" the Adjutant
asked.
Eyes, sir; it's just two inches too long,
but L can have that cut off by gunsmith. I"
every we'll, if you do that you can carry
it." the Major said. ''Of course it's much
better finished than the regulation one, but
not much different in appearance. Very
we'll, we pass the horse" Ronald saluted
and rode OH to the stables.
''He hasn't come out penniless anyhow, |"
the Major laughed.
''No, that's quite evident" the Adiutant
agreed. 81 daresay his friends gave him a
hundred or two to start on a farm, and when
he decided to join US he thought he might
as we'll spend it, and have a final piece of
extravaganza.
''I daresay that's it." the Major agreed;
"anyhow think We have got hold of a
good recruit this time"
'1 wish they,were all like him." the Ad-
jutant sighed, thinking of the trouble he
often had with newly Joined recruits.
"By the way" the Major said, 81 have
got word this morning that the draft is to be
embarked tomorrow instead of next week.
They took up ship for them yesterday; it
seems our men there are worked off their
legs, for the Kaffirs are stealing cattle and
horses in all directions and the colonists
have sent in such strong letter of COM
plant to the Governor that even he thinks
the police force on the frontier ought to be
strengthened. Not of course, that he ad-
mits in the slightest that there is any
ground for alarm, or believes for a moment
that the Kafirs. have any evil intentions
whatever; still, to reassure the minds of the
settlers, he thinks the troops may as well 60
forward at once"
81 wish to goodness" the Adjutant sa id
bitterly, "that Sir Harry Smith would take
a cottage for two or three months close to
the frontier; it would not be long before his
ewes were opened little as to the character
and intentions of the Kaffirs -
ut would be good thing the Major
agreed, but L doubt if even that would do
it till he heard the Kafirs breaking in his
doors; then the enlightenment would come
too late to be of any service to the colony.
By-the-by, the Colonel told me yesterday he
should send me forward next week to see
alter things. He says that of course if there
is any serious trouble he shall go forward
himself"
The following morning the draft of
Cape Mounted Rifles embarked on board
steamer and were taken down to Algoa Bay,
and landed at Port Elizabeth, drenched to
the skin by the passage through the tre-
mendous surf that beats upon the coast, and
were marched to some huts which had been
erected for them on a bare sandhill behind
the town.
Ronald Mervyn was amused at the variety
of the crowd in the struggling streets of Port
Elizabeth. Boer farmers, Hottentots,
Malays and Fingoes, with compilations
varying through every shade of yellow and
brown up 20 black; some gaily dressed in
light cottons, some wrapped in a simple
cOwhide or dirty blanket, many with but
little clothing beyond their brass and cop
per ornaments
The country round was most monotonous.
As far as the eye could see it was nothing
but a succession of bare, sandy fats, and
beyond these hills sprinkled with bush and
occasional clumps of aloes and elephant
trees. Upon the following morning the
troop marched, followed by a wagon con-
tanning their baggage and provisions, drawn
by ten oxen. A little naked boy marched
bo of ha nd
they were driven by a Hottentot, armed with
a tremendous whip of immense length, made
of plated hide fastened to the top of bam-
boo pole. Alter IA miles march
the troop reached the Zwart Kop river, and
crossing the lord, encamped among the scat
tered mimosas, and numerous wait-a-bit
thorns. The horses were then haltered, and
they and the oxen were turned out to feed
till night. The next days march was a very
long one, and for the most part across
sandy desert, to the Sunday river a sluggish
stream in which, as soon as the tents were
pitched, the whole party enjoyed bath.
Tomorrow we shall reach the Addoo
Bush, Blunt one of his comrades who
knew the country well, remarked. 'This is
near the boundary of what you may call the
Kaffir country, although don't think they
have their kraals as far south as this, though
there was fighting here in the last war, and
may be again.
''But L thought our territory extended as
far as the Kei river?"
80 it does nominally," the other said.
"All the country as far as that was declared
to be forfeited; but in point of fact the Kafflrs
remained in possession of the country, on
condition that they declared their allegiance
to the Crown, and that each chief was made
responsible for any cattle or other robberies,
the spoOr OF which could be traced to his
krsal. OF course they agreed to this, as in
fact they would agree to anything, resolv-
ing, naturally, to break the conditions as
soon as it suiled them. Local magistrates
and commissioners are scattered about among
them. and there have been a lot OF schools
and missionary stations started. They say
that they are having great success. Well, we
shall see about that. In the last war the So
called Christian natives were among the
first to turn against u.s. and expect it will
be the same here, for it's just the LATEST and
worst of the natives who pretend to become
Christians They get patches of land given
them, and help in building their huts ana
all sorts of privileges. In about half a DAVIS
work each week they can raise enough food
to live upon, and all that is really required
of them is to attend services on a
Sunday. The business exactly suits them,
but as a rule there are great many more
Hottentots than Kaffirs among the converts.
1 can give you a specimen of the sort of men
they are. Not long since a gentleman was
coming down with wagon and iot of
bullocks from King Williamstown. The
drivers all took it into their head to desert
one day-it's a way these fellows have, one
of them thinks he will go, and then the
whole Lot go, and settler wakes up in the
morning and finds that there isn't single
hand left on his place, and he has perhaps