New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-06
THE RAIDERS RETURN.


HOW THEY LOOKED AND WHAT
THEY sAID-THEIR LOYALTY
TO THEIR LEADER.
Plymouth, February "a
Iamcson's troopers came into the historic
Thor Of the three towns sixteen hours in ad-
,ance Of their leader and his thirteen 1ellow-
nr,soners. The Harlech Castle anchored in
.,ds the breakwater at o'clock in the morn
ing and although the last night on board ship
ho5 heen what was rhetorcally described as
ga wei night" the gallant raiders. whose fame
,as been sung by Poet Laureate with the
laurel still green on his forehead. were up be-
times in anticipation of a hearty welcome But
Plymouth. Stonehouse and Davenport were stu
asleep after the usual Saturday carnival nigh''
ond there was no sign that the return OF the
natives had been looked for. Sabbath CAIN
enveloped the three towns The spacious esplan-
ade crowned with the sculptured memorial VI
the conquest Of the Arma la, was empty Ihere
WAS no signal man with spyglass and flag at
the pinnacle of the old Eddystone tower Inc
erav citadel with it's outer bastons frowned
eoomly upon the incoming warriors. Inc
heroic bronze figure Of Sir Francis Drake IN
Tho centre of the Hoe stared at them codly as
though they were new-fanged buccaneers anu
AIibusters whose acquaintance he did not care
TO make.
Still the troopers ere natives-loyal English
men and gallan; Irishmen who mad serVeo
under a Scotchman. Fighting Doctor Jlm' -
and they were returning after Famous rue
and thrty-six hours battle to couhUr!
where bravery had always been esteemed one
ne the greatest virtues: and they were comment
tha, they would be warmly welcomed on shore.
With light hearts they left the snip on "hich
they had been voyasing for thirty days a""
.u..rmAd unon the deck Of the tender. There
were GIG Of them. non-commissioneo oll'ceis anu
r,sn and they were II motley throng Of swarthy-
f,cos Enthusiastically dressed warriors. AS they
had started on the ride to johannesburg 30
wet Of them had returned. roughly dressed for
,r.rtures in the African bush, with loose
,,usss yellow riding brooches and SLOUGH hats
with white or blue "puggarees' wound AROUND
them But not a few were haoited IN corouro!
and nondescript uniforms of many co!ors; anu
some Of them had partly renewed their ac-
ouaintance with English costumes with the
assistance of secondhand clothiers or timely
gifts A strange assortment Of well-worn uni
forms and shabby old clothes 1t was; but they
had not been dress-parade soldiers ike the
snck-and-span redcoats Of Plymouth town!
They had ridden across country day after day
Of canter; they had fought unseen foes Tor
dav and half; they had been prisoners OF war
corraled in a racecourse; and at last they had
come across the seas to their own country
They were at home again.
CHILLY RECEPTION.
Rut how strange was the reception! The ten
dor nassed brakes Island, bristling with fortin-
cations. and rounding West Hoe Point. ap-
proached the Custom House pier NOT cheel
was raised from the wharf. which was occupied
mainly by policemen and reporters Inc
troopers searched in vain for sympathe'ic
. crowds of admirers. Outside the gates 'neie
were perhaps forty loungers and capneh' ou'
they looked on with stolid faces as thoueh IL
were an everyday occurrence 10 nave rousi
r,d,ns heroes from South Africa return TO
Plymouth. A train was drawn up withih Tue
,c,osure and preparations were in an ad-
vanced state for getting rid OF the natives WITH
the least possible delay. Inspector Froest VINO
hoa accompaniei them from Madeira. called
r,uster on the wharf. The troopers fell into iine
civ companies in all. and answered to their names
Each received a free railway ticket TO LONDON or
N his home There was busy hour curing
which the officials and policemen bustleo ABOUT
ana the men were ticketed for their train linen
they were off for London; and as me Train
started they raised cheer themselves. NOBODY
else had welcomed them, and so they were
forced TO hurrah for themselves; but further
there WIS a IeeDe cClio VI eheii
When they reached London, the crowd outside
Padd,ngton Station more sympathetic ana
noisy. but the first welcome of the returning
troopers cold indeed
II WAS not strange that Jameson's raiders
were chilled by the lack Of enthusiasm and ex-
element During the long voyage from Duroan
they had galoped daily from the border TO
johannesburg. and hundreds Of times at mess
and on deck they had fought their battle with
the Beers over again and by dint Of constant
association with one another and interchange OF
"reminiscences. they had magnifed their own
i,nnortance as historical characters, and ideal
lied first their leader and finally themselves
They knew that their dash across the Transvaal
had been a fatal mistake; but somebody had
also blundered at Balaklava, yet the charge OF
the Light Brigade was remembered as splen-
d,d exhibition OF English fortitude and dis
cinl,ne They too, had been entrapped into
tho Valley of Death It Krugersdorp; but they
had not ninched t,=7 had done their duty as
Fnxlishmen. In irsssS'- at!on they had pictured
the landing scene 5. that famous harpor. nal
lowed by the meaiores Of some OF the nobIest
heroes and bodies: sea-rovers Of English his
tory: and 1t had seemed to them only natural
and Just that they. too, the modern men OF
action should make their entry ana ENJOY
,,on,,,ar tr,umpb off the Hoe. where Sir Francis
Drake and his captains were pi"''"e ~" :"
when the coming Of the Armada was nsnai'ea'
and where Raleigh, Grenviile. Hawkihs |ooA'
Frobsher Gilbert, the Pilgrim Fathers ana
swarm of other brave Adventures had set out
ON their perfous voyages to unknown iands.
II had never entered their minds that they
would be received IL silence 5ostled by police
men and customs officials, and run out OF the
town with the least possible delay
JOLLY THRoNG OF ADVENTURES.
They were not prisoners although they had