The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1894-04-19
interesting Letter From a
Former Philipsburger.
JOHN JARVIS IN THE MASHQNALAND
HE Goes Out as u Trooper on a
Hunt for Rebellious Natives
some Peculiar Experiences In
That Far-off Land-stuck in
the -Game-Etc.

MI That Far-off Land-Stuck in
the SWamps-Game-E
II SALISBURY, Mashonaland, Jan. &c.
Sallsburg is very quiet; little or nothin4
4 doing. It is the same all over Mashona
4 land. When [ first arrived the compan,
| had stopped giving grants and I wa,
Hooking about with view to buyine
someone out, but without success.
l called on Mr.. Duncan, the acting
i. | administration, . and explained to him thai
|I had left the United States On The
strength. Of the circular they sent out
and had come up here expecting 70 get
grant but found I was too late. Mr.
duncan thereupon ordered clerk tc
make out grant Of 1,50O morgen (about
3ooo acres). 7 had to pay e4 fees. When
L nave selected 1 will have to pay about
t25 survey fees and the annual quit rent
OF 43 per year. AS. the rainy season had
set IN could not get out to look about
the country. The weather moderated
about Christmas time and I saw chance
to go out at the company's expense. ).
About that time a prospector named
Stamford got shot by Mashona. Stan
ford was short of food and wanted to
buy some from the Mashonas. They
refused to sell him any. Stanford and
his native servants seized the Mashonas,
cattle and then told them to bring him
food which he would pay for and then
release the cattle. II, tie sfcrimmage
that followed Stanford was shot and
mortally wounded. $3 ~ e#a
The sub-inspector of police called for
twenty-five volunteers to assist the
police in catching the murderers land
SIX more civilians went, starting On
Christmas day. We had a rough time of
It. The wagon carrying the stores, am
mun1tlon and maxim gun was continn-
ally getting stuck in the swamps and
almost every night had to sleep in q
swamp. The first time we got stuck Fl
was about four miles from town. but wa
were not allowed to return. to town and
come back in the morning. An Irish
man who started to go was threated with
being handcufed to the wagon wheel.
we got extra oxen that time to pull us
through, but after that when we cot
SUCK the wagon had to be unloaded and
carried through the bad
places. We sank three feet in some
places and it was all the oxen could do
to pull the empty wagon through.
About week after we started police ;. j: !,
nan brought dispatch saying that the
&lng, Lo Bengula, and lot ef Mata-
oeles were coming towards Lo Magundas.
'ur destination, and that the thirty.fye
nen who we're lost were il pursuit
Ibis OF course was untrue, but we did
Tot know it at the time. The next dav-
Sesblt, the sub-1nspector, took two
police, two Of the volunteers, a Kaffr
policeman and pack-horse and went on
eaylng the rest to follow with the
wagon. -Four days after we received
Message for two Of the men to 90 on
With the wagon, the rest to remain be-
ind and to leave the maxim and most
the ammunition with us, and gave us us
our days rations The two that we're
hosen were told they would have to
Din the police, which they did not want
DO as the company has changed the
erm of service from three months to :
ne year. They would have, beer, willing :
, JOIN for three months just enough to
AIRY them through the rainy season. 3,
. Two others went in their places ana !
third went in the hopes Of also beinef !
'ken on, but he was disappointed; POI they hey !
ould l. not M have him.as he was a drunkard. II
hose who were left behind we're We nv )
1T, Darling, the afore- mentioned IRISH
an, and man named Marshall, with y I
lashona we had with us to carry water !,
ID wood. We put up the tent and /
ade ourselves as comfortable as wa v
'uld' We were left on the edge Of
vamp in the U!mvooqua mountains and b
ere pestered with large blood sucking !,
es Qike horse fiies), mosquitoes and +,
idgets On the fifth day after being +
IT, and the wagon not returning, we 4
'cided ele to go to the nearest klr.aal and f
~ some food from the Mashonas. .
arling and 7, with the Mashona boy, !,
ent to kraal about five miles 1osiff and I I
alted at the foot Of the kopje, or hill, q
oon which the village was situated
nile the Mashona boy was sent to tell :.
EN- to bring down what they had to sell. :
'e boy returned IN about an hour, say : :
g that there was nobody there, so we