The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-20
THE BOER As A FIGHTING MAN.
He Practised craftsmanship on Lions
and English Soldiers.

Correspondence of the London Times
Among all the white men now thronging
johannesburg and other parts of the Trans
vaal in search Of gold how many can say
with truth that they know anything Of the
Dutch farmer? Not one man in a hun
dred. They Will sheer "a him, laugh at his
cultural tongue and his heavy uncouth
ways, rail al his government; but as for
taking the trouble to acquire his language
and md out something OF the inner heart
OF the man, they will not do it-in their
feyerish search for fortune they have not
the time.
And yet this farmer OF the wilderness,
rough and uncouth. and often surly and
suspicious as he is, has great and stirring
history behind him in South Africa, OF
which he is and has a right 70 be proud
He and his have struggled, and trekked
and warred, and been massacred, and
have suffered in blood and purse and pas
toral wealth these 80 years past. l doubt
whether even an equal number Of English
peasants, farmers, soldiers. and settlers
II they. had been planted at the Cape in
1852, as the early Dutch were. would have
emerged from the long struggle 50 little
spoiled, and having lost so little OF their
national characteristics.
The Dutch Afrikanders are still OF pure
European blood. they still cling with the
simplest and subiimest faith TO the literal
with
deep affection their wives and families
sim go about their herding and hunting
and trekking in the old slow, unconquera-
bic. begged spirit Of their ancestors. SIN
turn their faces north. and as their pas
lures grow small and crowded trek for
new lands with undimmed hope and yigor
For my part. whenever I shake hands with
one OF these great. sl0w-movine heavy
listed Beers. I forget his uncouth ways
q ha u "a -
modern culture. and think 20 myself-this
man, despite his unc0mpromising exterior
is one OF band OF heroes who have made
4 great and interesting history, who have
endured manifold sufferings. whose bones
litter the silent veldt in every distant nook
and corner of South Africa, and who are
upon the whole. as fine q race of pioneers
Is the world has seen. They have their
faults and weaknesses. these people. but
what nationality has note
It should always he remembered that the
South African Boer became subject n
Great Britain by no fault or wish % his
own. he was never conquered In the true
sense Of the word. We held the Cape il
1925 for a few years by arrangement with
the stakeholder. the Prince OF Orange. then
"a fugitive In England from the armies Of
the French republic. Cape Town was final
~ captured by force in lS0s. but the back
country farmers knew little or nothing Of
the affair. 4 gross act ~ injustice tine abb
clifton ~ slavery in Cape Colony in lS35
without adequate compensation 10 the far
mers who owned slaves. ruined large num-
hers ~ them. and drove them in the bitter
est spirit Of ind Rnation - seek new homes
beyond the reach % a British government
and British laws In the Great Trek a"
as it IS called. hundreds OF farmers quilted
Cape Colony selling their farms for any
thing they would fetch in a forced market
and with their families bestowed in their
WAGONS ana their 6ocks and herds around
them. crossed the Orange river ard sought
new homes and pastures. The present re-
plhii-s az TIRE Transvaal and Orange Free
state owe their origin 20 this movement
The history ~ The Great Trek IL il ever
comes 20 he written. viii furnish one Of the
most inspiring - epirs. These 4espse and
slow moving nutch farmers armed With
ONLY aiutApck guns. after suffering cruel re-
verses aui the bioc3isst tvea cherry. met avf
conquered the whole Zuiu army. then ar the
height ~ fts strength aat military 4.s-f-
p}sue Fewer than 49, E1esrs success fi3.iV re-
sisted Iee.o % the fercest Zulu warriors
A. the close 90 that sunday morning battle
fought upon December IT, l>sS, 8dpu Zuius
lay dead around the Dutch lager. the
stream Rowing hy. ever snce called the
Rfooa river ran crimson. and the power y
usrrnan and his nation was for years
broken To this hour the Transvaal u.t.a
Annually meet 70 celebrate "u.1casr's
sav." ana FetuTa humble thanks for their
crownlug mercy. -aat won5erf4. victory
over tire Zuiu host
in their warfare Wan the Zulus. 81 the
-eart-y called Natal the uutth farmers
used that plan u battle-laaEer tho.-
Wagons lr square farma lfoa-which has
hsen found ever since an Invaluable ala
a. lnst thu overnoNeEtrS numbers % saw
re tribes ONLY 50 lately a. Ia the Sfataaela
var this old BOeF method was adopted aI1
ls rs use-alded. % course. immensely ~
Maxim -uns-fhe eoiorlsts e MashoGa.a11
Won their brilliant y-etor.es ana destroyed
ne ianx AMI cruel AIataoeIe tyranny.
sHr thts same PERIOD s2s-5,--a0e A5T