The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-22
LITTLE NADIA BURNHAM.
Daughter of an Old Scout Immortal.
lied by Haggard.
From the Baltimore Herald.

From the Baltimore Herald.
San Francisco, Cal, Nov. ia ulv.
bedecked grave in the heart of darkest
Africa is the cradle of a little child whosa
name has been made famous by H. Rider
Haggard in the dedication of his naw
novel, 1.-THE Wizard" The lonely tomb
is that of NADIA Burnham, who. wbiIe
her father cut his way through bordes
of savages, persisted of tardships of war
in Buluwayo on May p, 1896
NADIA Burnham was the infant daughte-
of Frederick Burnham, Californian. who
received distinction as a scout during tba
recent wars with the Matabeles and other
savage tribes in South Africa, and who
was the slayer of the Matebele pronbet
Mlimo, which settled, in fact. the fata
of the Matebele rebellion. She was the
hrst white child born in Buluwayo. King
Lobengula's capital, after its Occupation
by the whites In 1894, and died there ~
hardships incident to the war of 1895. when
the town was besieged by natives
Mr.. Burnham and family, soon after thA
SAD event, returned to their old home In
Fasadena, CAL, the long journey being
undertaken partly with the hone that he
change or scene would benefit Mrs. Burn
ham, who is heartbroken over her 1ittIo
daughters tragic death. They exnect ~
return to South Africa in Januarv 90
viii take with them marble monument
wnlch VIII be set up over Nada's grave
Inc Burnhams were in Victoria. or tba
MaleDeleland' IN the South Africa coun-
Try described in Haggard's novel "NJedo
the Lily" when that work appeared. Mrs
Burnham, on reading the story. was 81
impressed with the beauty and appronri-
ateness or the name NADIA, which means
Lily IN the native tongue, that she named
her baby after the heroine.
Little NADIA became a great favorite IN
the settlement, and, being withal win
some baby, bound all to her" as Hag.
gard remarks In the book dedicated to ber
Mr.. and Mrs. Durham went to England
leaving NADIA in the care of friends. Dur.
ing their absence the second of the recent
Matabele outbreaks occurred. They hur-
ried back, to find Buluwayo besieged bv
thousands of blacks Mr. Burnham al
once took the saddle, and assisted the
BRUSH soldiers and white settlers in re.
pelling their attacks.
The women and children of Buluwavo.
1,1OO in all, were huddled into the market
house, a large frame structure in the cen.
ter OF the town, while the men defended
them, forming hollow square, with the
market-house as the center. The women
and children were compelled to sleep on
the bare floor, and pneumonia added ter
rors to their other hardships.
NADIA, then about years old, was one
of the many children who succumbed to
the disease. Mrs. Burnham succeeded
In reaching Buluwayo under an armed
escort five days before her babys death.
The little one was too far gone to recog-
nize her mother, and the death scene was
touching.
To make the death still more pathetic
the father of the child was at the hour
of her death engaged in a conflict with
the savage foe fifty miles distant. A few
days before Nada's death, reinforcements
having arrived, the garrison of Buluwayo
took the offensive, and an expedition, Of
which Burnham was the leader and scout,
carried the war into the enemy's country.
This accounts for his absence at the time
of her death and burial
After the savages were subdued Mr..
and Mrs. Burnham started for America.
In London they renewed their acquaint-
ance with Rider Haggard, and the novel;
list was deeply affected at hearing of their
little daughters death. The romantic
history of the child, coupled with the sor-
row for her death, caused him to dedi-
cate his new novel, 1.-The Wizard" to
this fair but short-lived flower OF darkest
Africa.