New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-16
AN ENGLISHMAN'S ANECDOTES
BOER CARTRIDGES AND ZULU COCRTEsf'
CAMPAIGNING IN SOUTH AFRICA AND
Pp VIII 2S7 Macmillan & Co.

CAMPAIGNING, IN SOUTH l., A A. Z Vo,v1 AMp
EGYPT BY MaJor.General W. [. +. MoiyheuA'
PIP. viii. &7. Macmillan co.
There are some interesting paragraphs In TINS
book aside from the direct narrative of the little
wars with the Zulus and with the Egyptians under
Arab Pacha For example. there Is an anecdote
which casts its light on the independent a''i-
tude OF the Beers In South Africa In the MIDST OF
the campaign that followed the massacre OF
Isandhlwana, when there happened TO be little 40
ing General Moyneux, then stan officer, was
invited by a friendly Boer to days shooting In
a region known as Eandsberg. not far from the
town of Utrecht, in the Transvaal lie set out LOT
the place with his soldier servant two horses, his
rife and a bag Of cartridges. This bag was viewed
by the Dutchman with feigned surprise. "What
have YOU got In that bag; your dinner he asked
cartridges" answered the Engshman. This
amused the Boer Immensely. He fairly roared with
laughter You Englishmen must be very rlch!
ha exclaimed They cost sxpence apiece here
Tho author confesses that he saw no joke In the
matter Rather mystified, he asked. 'Where are
yonrs?' and the Boer tapping his double-barreled
rifle answered I'm this" When twitted with the
fact that he was not likely to do much shooting no
said that two spring buck were as much as ne
could carry Suppose you miss" persisted his
guest Nobody misses when cartridge costs SIX
pence" General Molyneux remarks that ne diu
some thinking on the subject and he intimaes tnat
the disasters to the English in the Boer war Of 1881
were directly duo the cost OF rifle ammunition IN
South Africa. The sequel Of the conversation was
that the Boer got his two bucks. one Tor each
cartridge while the author fired five shots and got
one buck In general he found the Beers perfect
shots They judge distances infalliby. something
which those not natives rarely able 10 do.
They never shoot for sport and they begin the use
OF a rife in boyhood almost soon as they are
able TO carry one
General Molyneux found the feeling OF the Dutch
for South Africa very different from that OF the
English. The Beers have no thought or any other
home while vast numbers OF Englishmen hope only
70 make a fortune in some way and return 10 Eng
land OF course he is not thinking of the real Eng
lish coonists and he would possibly say that
since the time Of his experiences in the country
the proportion OF Englishmen who have formed
permanent attachment for South Africa mas largely
Increased. one OF the finest characters ne mas 10
describe Is that OF Commandant Won Lnsingen
one OF the German coonists an old soldier OK
the Cromwell pattern who read prayers every
night at his quarters, but took fierce delight IN
battle. After the Zulu war this old nero was dec-
Grated with the order OF ST. Michael ana 81
George and was killed some months later III pat
tie with the blacks "A fine old fighting man. Is
General Molyneux's comment, "of the Hanoverian
race died in him; the stamp of man that loves
battle q leader OF the pioneers that lay the founda
tions of empires valuing nothing but good name
and when the fighting is over returning to their
farms without desire for other reward.
General Molyneux admires the Zulus, at least as
warriors. The way they moved on interior lines IN
their last great campaign against the English i'm
pressed him with their skill in strategy. lie ex-
presses the belief that It would have gone much
harder with Lord Chelmsford's command II the
Zuus had been wi,hout guns, and had been forced
TO trust 70 their own weapons their dreaded charge
in mass and to their wicked fighting at close quar-
ters which frightened even seasoned British troops
not to mention militia and native conungen's'
They never confessed themselves fairly beaten until
the battle OF Ulundi was fought In the open field
The courtesies of war were not unknown to them
On one occasion some Zulu messengers were TO be
sent back TO their own camp and they asked for
a guard. Tho escort 10 follow them until they
gave a signal that they were safe. This was done
The sergeant In command of the escort after
ward said that when IN a place between two
patches OF bush the messengers gave the signal
agreed upon, a Zulu regiment rose suddenly and
would have surrounded him and his men, but the
messengers called out, the regiment opened, and
the white soldiers returned in safety. VIII any one
call Zulus savages after that?" asks General Molly
neux: they were foemen worthy of our steel"
Such an incident helps 10 explain the strength OF
the opposition in the colony on the part Of men
like Bishop ColensO the war against the Iulus
The famous Biblical critic was not popular In Dur
han in war mes, and that was why he became
the hero of a little incident which General Molly
neux enjoys now more than he did at the moment
of Tlundi and they wished TO haul the coach con-
tanning the victorious general into the town. But
they seized another. in which among other passen-
gers were the Bishop and General Molyneux. The
horses were sent gaoping down the road, and the
crowd was fairly running away with the coach
when the Bishop cried out, Il am not the general
General Molyneux tried TO paclhy him, seeing that
otherwise the chances Of walking to Durham
amounted 10 a certainty. But he would not be silent
He kept shouting. II not the general" until one
OF the crowd exclaimed by lingo, it Is that old
hloke OF a Bishop" and away the multitude went,
leaving the coach motionless in the road.
The author points out that tho battle Of Tel-e-
Kebr might have been less easy victory had II
not been for the curious accident that the British
line instead Of going directly west, moved slightly
north of west, and missed an advanced redoubt
which would have aroused the whole Egyptian army
II II had opened fire lie reviews the circumstances
attending the death OF the young Prince Imperial in
the Zulu war, but adds little TO the evidence al
ready known. His narrative Is illustrated with
maps.