The herald., 1894-01-28
FROM PASADENA TO AFRICA,
Fred Burnham Now Fighting
in Matabeleland.
A Southern Californian's Letter
From the Seat of War.
A Description of His Dangerous Duty as
Scout with the British Oper-
ating Against King
Lobengueia.


tracts are from a letter from q resident
OF Pasadena, Fred Burnham, who went
to South Africa some time ago to engage
in gold mining, accompanied by his wife
and boy. He arrived there just as hos.
tilities were about to break out between
the British and Mstabele, and took
service with the former as scout. The
letter from which the extracts are taken
was written to Josiah Russell, Mr..
Burnham's uncle, by whose kindness it
lie placed at our disposal. 1t was writ
ten, as will be observed, November Sth,
and reached Pasadena January 10th,
coming by way of Victoria and Tati,
Newfoundland, November 23d and 25th;
Cape Town, December 9th; London.
January lat, and New York, January
10th:
TArI, Matabeleland, Nov. 8, 1893.
The last letter to you, l think, gave
you the news of war and that l would
take service with the B. S. A. aH scout
and get certain concessions OF land. min
eral rights, etc. The column left Victo-
ria with 400 men, several Maxim guns
and one seven FOUNDER. and one Hotch-
kiss. We crossed the Shashi river ON
the 18th of October, near the border OF
Matabeleland, and from natives learned
that an impri (regiment) of the enemy
were within five miles. The men stood
. to their guns until the scouts cleared
the country.
We advanced slowly through lovely,
well-wooded country, dotted with enor-
nous buttes of granite of most fantas-
tic shape, and the home of the Ma
shonas. or slave tribes to the Matabele.
They build their huts under and in the
enormous rocks, and till little patches
of corn, rice, beans,. etc.. in the sur
rounding valleys. We raided them for
food supplies-goa fowl, cattle, etc.
whom they had them, and as we were
fighting their lifelong enemies, the
Matabele,, they were told to charge the
account to profit and loss but 30 mild
was our raiding compared to the Mata-
bele's that they took it as q joke. and
followed our columns in hundreds to
live off the offal and get q chance to
loot the Matabele If we should con-
quer. They are a cowardly, bringing,
thankless lot of dirty beasts, to say the
most, lacking even that one redeeming
quality of savage races, courage.
Westward on the watershed between
the Yambesi and Crocodile rivers,
through as beautiful land as an Eng
lish army ever stole, we reached noun
tain of iron used by the natives for ages
to make their spears and hoes of. The
trails leading to 1t can be seen for 80
miles.
Here we were to meet 800 men with
Calling guns from Fort Salisbury, but
the columns missed each other and
heavy scouting was required. l was
successful in finding the column and
passing the camp of the Matabele, who
did not attack the single columns, as
they should have done. Five of US
then took the trail of an impri driving
large herd of cattle. We followed
them all night and at daybreak located
them in large valley not far from the
iron mountain. Looking into this val
ley was an interesting sight. About 100
men were half mile in advance of the
herd of cattle; we could see their
shields and guns. About the same
number were half a mile behind, while
in the middle was a cattle
guard of about 40, driving the cattle
into the mountains. knew they would
have them into the mountains before
aid came to va, and 80 made up my mind
to attack and check them at any rate.
Four of as rode down directly toward
the soldiers. They evidently did not
think it possible for four men to attack
them, for they are armed with the same
rifle we carry. We rode straight for
them until within 00yards, then turned
and went up the valley like flash, and
before the cattle guard realized what
was up we were upon them. We killed
IL in less than five minutes, and they
were 40 excited that their bullets flew
wild while we hardly missed shot. We
rushed the cattle out of the valley, but
were attacked by the advanced guard.
These we fought for some time, but they
recovered about 200 of the 800 head from
US, we getting clear with 800, which we
turned ovel to the column.
Being reinforced by ten scouts, we re-
turned to the attack and again fought
the advanced guard, but they suddenly
brought over the mountain 1000 men
who gave us volley after volley. The
situation was getting serious and we
were forced to retire. We lost that day
Captain Cambell and several horses.
This was the opening fight with the
Matabele. From that time on was in
or less fighting all the time. We are in
a wonderful mineral country. Gold
veins and ancient works abound and
many fine samples showing free gold
were brought into camp every day. We
raid and burn and destroy everything as
clean as Sherman's men did In Georgia.
On the river Shongane the Matabele
made their first stand. About 5000 of
them rushed upon the lager, about
O'Clock am, and assagsied about 800 of
our men, the black watch native oontin-
gent. and recovered about 400 head of
cattle which we had raided from them.
The scene inside the lager is hard to
describe. The steady whiz of the Max
inns, the ahrieks of the spesred men,
blowing OF xugles, shouts Of officers aud
perfect flame from our lager into a
corresponding blaze in the bush around
us, horses Burging on the picket lines
and shrieking from wounds or snorting
with fear, the boom of the seven pound
ers and the bursting of shells. We were
in the heart of the enemy's country
without hope of escape if whipped, the
bush thick, the night quite dark. Thank
full we were for daylight, when the
deadly skill OF our rifles and Maxims
soon sent the enemy into the rocks over
the hills with seven pound shell burst
ing at their heels to remember us by.
We killed about 200 men and lost about
20 horses, 400 head of cattle and 800