The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-29
LILY OF BULUWAYO.
TRAGIC DEATH OF MAZDA BURxHAM
IN A LAGER.
A LITTLE south African Girl Who viii
BECOME Famous After Death
Through Rider Haggard's Latest
yeyel-Pafhetic Story Arising Out
of the Recent War In Matabeie-
land.

A lsIy-hesecked grave In the heart OF
darkest Africa 10 the cradle OF = little eniia
whose name has been made famous ~
Rider Haxgard, the novelist The lonely
tomb is that Of Nada tArnaa'n ' ~ho
hound all 70 her. and while her father
cut his way through the hcrdes OF the In
rato resf7nent. persisted OF the har6ships
OF war az Bulugayo. May 2. 1885,
The Language quoted is from the dedica-
ton Of Eagxzrd's latest story. The WIZ
ard
Naaa Purnham Was the infant daugh-
ter of Fred Durham. the Californian who
achieved so great distinction as a scout
during the recent wars with the Matshele
ans other savage tribes in South Africa,
and as the SLAYER OF the Matabele prophet
Miino. which settled, IN fact the fate OF
the Mafabele rebellion. She was the first
white child born at Buluwayo, kins Lo-
bengusa's capital. after Its occupation oy
the whites In 1884. and died there Of hard
shtps incident 10 the war OF 1886. when the
town was besieged by the natives.
AIr. Burnham and family. soon after this
SAD event. returned 10 their old home az
Pasadena. Los Angeles county. the long
tourney being undertaken partly with the
bopa that the change of scene would ben
eft Mrs. Burnhanl. who IS heart-hroken
over the little daughters tragic death
The family expect to return 10 South Al
rica next January. and viii take vita
them n marble monument appropriately
inscribed and now being fashioned IN EnS-
land, which viii be set up over little Ma
da's grave.
The Burnhanls were IN Victoria, or Mat
abeleiand, South Africa, the country de-
scrfl,ed IN Haggard's novel "Nada. the
Liz" when that interesting work appear
ed Mrs. Burnham, on reading the story,
was so impressed with the beauty ana ap-
prry,rEztenegs Of the name NADIA, which
means lily in the native tongue, that she
named her baby. the first white child
horn IN Buluwayo, after the Heroine In
Haggard's novel
Little NADIA, having this romantic dis
tinction. naturally became n great favor
tie IN the settlement. and being withal
a winsorne baby, 'sbound all to her" as
Mr.. Hazard so feelingiy remarks in the
book dedicated 10 her.
The natives having been vanauished and
peace restored. Buluwayo rapidly niled
up with white people. but there were as
vet few comforts aud no schools. Having
business In ENGLAND. Mr.. Burnham re-
solved 10 take his eldest child. now a boy
Of 10. to that country TO place him In
school. Mrs. Burnham also made the trip.
| BUT II was thought the long Journey by
| land and sea would not be best for the
| baby. go little NADIA was left In care OF
kind friends at Buluwayo.
While the parents were I'm England the
| second native outbreak occurred I'm Mata-
heieiand They hurried back. but when
| they arrived they found Buluwayo be-
sesged BY thousands OF wel-srmed blacks.
Mr.. Purnham at once took 20 the saddle
and assisted the British soldiery and white
| settlers IN repeiling the attack The
women and children OF Buluwayo. 100 in
number were huddled into the market
house. a large frame structure In the
renter OF the town. while the men defended
h NV4A
hays etc forming hollow square with
the market house IN the center.
Practically all supplies were cut of. the
population having nothing 10 subsist on
| during the siege except beef. meal and
| very inferior canned goods. The adults
/ could stand this diet. bat ~ was hard on
| the children. and they suffered accord
| inglv. Exposed TO the cold winds and
| draughts which swept through the airy
| building where the half-famished women
| snd children were huddIei. most OF them
| baing compelled TO sleep on the bare floor.
| pneumonia added itS terrors 20 the other
| haraships. Baby NADIA, then about =
| years old and the idol of the camp. WAS
/ one Of the many children who suceumbed
| 90 the disease.
| Mrs. Burnham succeeded in reaching
/ Buiuwaye under armed escort. through
| country teeming with savages on the war
| path. five DAYS before her baby's death.
! The little one was already too far gone
| 70 recognize its mother. Strong men wepS
| at the parting hour, and tho death scene
was most pathetic
The tears and prayers Of the people ana
| an Of a mothers tender care and love
| could not revive Nsds, the fading lily, and
| so the faErest flower IN the dark continent
| perizEef The black zoe stan lurled IN
/ the vicinity, and II was only BY the AID
/ 81 A heavy escort Of soldiers that the lit
| tie white q.osfy could he taken outside OF
| the lager 70 Ne consigned % earth.
/ To make the affair syiB more pathetic
/ the father 81 the ch3d was, 81 the hour
/ OF hsr death, engaged 81 deadly conflict
! with the savage foe Some fry miles -
! tsnf 4 few days before Ns6s's death,
/ achievements having arrived. the xarri-
/ son of Puluwavo took the offensive. and
! an exne.Titior. OF which Afr. Rurnhsra was
/ leader ard scout. carried the war into
me ensravss country. Tbs accounts for
/ hls sasance az the time o. her death and
/ burial
/ Af.ar IN. hsstliss were s4adueS Mr.
I and Mr. Tsu-nharn started on thei- return
90 Arnertss. viz England In Isondon they
/ renewed their scqua ntance with Rider
Nazea-a forced n Africs some years be-
/ fore e-ne novelist was dees.v affected Al
f hearing The news OF their little daughters
seafh toward wtoru he felt as a gfsf-
/ faraeY The romantic history Of tha chsaa
( counted With htz sorrow for her s9eafh
( ear1se8 aim 20 dedicate h.s new novel.
I s~ThN Wfaaras whsch h vas 3ttst corn
+ netting q, thls fair hslt saovt- fra.8 g1aser
s 81 darkest -AfrIea.--kSan Francisco Chr0n-
5 scle