The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-23
IN THE LAND OF OPHIR.
Story Of an American Who Fought
Against LObtlguIa.

Aa-aD1-e " At ana AraNeAed the 6reat
White Road OF Which Rider Hagsard
Wrote in King Solomon's Mines"
Big Beer-Drinking Carousal Which
Ended in a Massacre.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
From King Solomon's mines to the Col
den gate, from the great white road, over
which Rider Haggard carried his readers
to the land of Ophir TO the streets of the
greatest city on the Pacific slope, is a
strange transition. yet Christopher r.
Hobson, who is at the Baldwin hotel, lives
TO tell the tale. He saw a bullock team
slowly making its way down the great
white road toward the station called The
Sisters, just as many similar team has
done in centuries past. 1t is over this road
that solomon is supposed to have shipped
the gold from the mines to the coast.
He was all through the Matebele war.
He was shot in the left leg. and received a
wound in the right shoulder from an asse-
gal. He was forced to kill his horse to
provide food for the men. At another
time he gratefully made a meal of rats.
His adventures have been thrilling indeed.
He had an interview with Lobengula in
with his induanas or counselors.
Hobson is a rover in every sense of the
word. His relatives are wealthy, but he
VIII not live at home and settle down.
Time and again good openings have been
made for him, but in every instance he has
thrown up the job and started out on his
own account. He arrived in Cape Town
when the Matebele war was in progress,
and at once Joined the troops of cavalry
organized by the Chartered company
Every man in the company was we'll ed
ucated and well connected. All dreamt of
glory and rapid promotion. Few gave
thought to the dangers and privatiOns that
were 10 come. They were placed under
the command of Col. Penefather of the
Sixth Royal dragons, and the trip into
Mashonaland began.
From Cape Town to Kimberly II was
plain sailing, but from there to Mafekng.
where the troops made its headquarters
during the war the men had a terrible
time. On foot, by wagon, through deserts
and swamps, they had to march, and it
was weary lot of soldiers that finally
went into camp at the heart of Mash
onaland.
Il had a good position in Cape Town, but
like many another caught the war fever
and Joined the chartered companys cav
airy troop" said Hobson yesterday. Il
had been to Kimberly on a visit and did
not like the place. If you were not
buyer or a washer il was dangerous to
be found with diamond in your possess
sion IN that country. If you could not
prove your ownership II meant five long
years on the breakwater, and five years
there is Wrose than Botany Bay used to
be. When left the place I hoped ! would
never see il again, but on our route TO
Mafeking we had to stop at the station
in the diamond fields and take to bullock
wagons.
ION the way to Kimberly we crossed
the Karoo desert and at sunset we stopped
at station called The Sisters" more
beautiful sight have never seen and
Travelled the world over. At our feet lay
the desert, dotted here and there with
scrubby growth of brush. Away in the
distance could be seen a range of noun
talns, made purple by the rays of the set
ting sun. In the foreground were Sheba's
breasts, and to the right of them could be
seen the great white road described in
Mines
This. then. thought I, is the land of
Ohpir, the land from which Solomon
brought the gold and jewels that went to
enrich the temple of Jerusalem. The
breasts stood out prominently and the
white quartzite formation shone like pol
ished marble. The nipples were we'll de-
fined, and the setting sun, throwing upon
them a pink glow, emphasized the peculiar
aptness of the name.
"Now,as to the. war. To tell you the
truth, L knew little about the cause
until we We're on the road. We all looked
for honor and glory, and few of us paid
any attention to the justice or otherwise
OF our cause. l learned afterward, how
over, that the Mashonas had for years
been slaves to the Matabeles. The latter
are the successors of the Zulus, and like
them, made trade of war The Mashouas
were peaceable people and lived by agri-
culture. They We're also proteges of the
chartered company Again and again
did the Matabeles invade MashOna, and
killing the old men, carry off the women
and children. The women would be
made slaves, but the male children would
be trained up to become soldiers in the
Matabele army.
THE tactics of the Matabeles are the
same as those of the Zulus, and ike
hETF vframaH 49,
knowledge of the word defeat. They form
in regiments, or impis, 1000 strong and
the entire army makes the attack in a
hat-moon shape. They will not make an
assault in the dark, but wait until dav is
just breaking. Then they come with a
rush, and woe betide the company which
Is caught mapping. More fearless fighters
l nave never seen. Death has no terrors
for them, and, indeed, a warrior will make
a stepping. stone of his brothers dead
body in order to get nearer an inevitabIe
death. But they could not stand the Cat
ling gun. 1t moved them down in regi
ments and still they pressed forward.
There would be discharge from the bat
terry, and then when the smoke lifted the
mpl would apparently still be on the adj
vance.
1T would be a new regiment how
ever the former having been almost an
initiated by the Calling guns. The strag-
glers would run up to our breastworks
and facing instant death would hlrl their
assegals: 1t was not religious frenzy; it
was training. From childhood thew had
held their lives in the hollow of their
hands, and when it came to the time to
do and die they had no fear
1t was not Lobengula and the elders of
the nation who wanted war. 1t was the
young induanas who forced the king into
an open rupture and who prevented him
making peace when honorable terms conc
have been obtained. It was after TIC
Matabeles had been subjected that III
wilson tragedy occurred-when fhe cal
liant little band surrounded by thousands
or MatabeleS, sang God Save the Onean5
and then died to man sooner than snr-
render sur
That massacre was the result of a big
beer-drinking uprising. The MatabaJes
made a drink out of what is known &c
Kaf1r corn: 1t is not like Indian corn b,,3
pounded and placed in an earthenVare
vessel Then it is covered with water snd
allowed to ferment. When ready for ~
1t resembles somewhat oatmeal and
water. 1t is drank out Of caIaba sbaI
which have glass sleeves attached n re-
tain the solids in the LIQUOR. II .talIeg
more than a white mans holdinS %
paclty to make the natives drunk but
when they once become intoxicata1 a.
earth is not big enough for them II ,,,aS
big drunk that was resnonsihie 80
son expedition. ''0 VII
Il had several narrow ESCAPES dur4ng
the war. The Portuguese had been aps
croachlng on the Hartley hills. part Of The