Evening star., 1897-06-12

The exile departs under varied condi-
items He may possess ten-pound note
beyond his summer fare; he may possess a
few hundred pounds; he may be guaran-
teed a quarterly allowance on his promise
to remain away from his respectable broth
and sisters. With the exception of the
latter class. which is speedily wiped out
by drink, the fate OF the prodigals is al
most always the same. Nine times out of
from self-respectfulness. and never acquire
that will-o'-the-wisp they seek, a fortune.
But the object sought by the old folks at
home has at least been gained In bury1ng
themselves on the veldt they have buried
tie past, the shame. Therefore, South
Africa has been called 1.-The grave of lost
regulations"
The average prodigal thus banished is a
peculiarly useless creature in a new land
because he is generally Of respectable mid
die class, frequently of aristocratic par
entsge. He, or his friends at home, never
realize how helpless he is until a week or
two after his arrival. when he finds there
Is no work for him which he can do. He
is not a carpenter or bricklayer. or mason
or engineer. If he were-and how he wish
es he was-he would be worth "a or IS a
day in Johannesburg or Pretoria or Bar
berton. He is reduced, as a rule. to very
cad extremities, when he finds at last
career which is open to him. He has dis
covered that Cecil Rhodes has monoDo-
hzed the diamond industry, and works the
mines by convict labor-there he is not
wanted. On the gold reef in the Transvaal
he has no capital to invest. and there he
is not wanted. But there is an opening
for hin, If he is of sound body, and can
ride a bit and shoot bit. He enlist
anG the prodgal, in innumerable cases.
gives up all hope of making a fortune and
goes soldering. There is the real cemetery
of the past-the colonial forces of South
Africa.
Hnrd-Ridins Troopers.
G Snldtert0p. 10 alu
or rumor of war. There are several COM
mands TO choose from when one has de-
cided 10 join. and they are nearly all kept
businly moving. There are the Cape
mounted rifles, the Natal mounted police,
the British South African Companys po-
lice. the Bechuanaland border police and
others. II has been stated in recent dis
patches that England can bring the Trans
vaal to her bidding with 10000 men. These
forces are not inclusive of the African
commands. which hardly seem to be taken
int" consideration. AS a matter of fact, al
though they are EOt great In numbers each
member of these battalions ought to be
worth two regular redcoats. They are in
ured TO the climate. they know the coun-
try, they understand something of the ma
uves. and they have had frequent skir-
mlshes with the kaffir tribes. In the Zulu
war, of the best work was done by
irregulars of the country. Last year Ceci!
Rhodes pacificd Rhodesia and raised the
siege OI SuIu"dyO without calling
single impera! soldier. The 3. b. p. (Be-
chuaEaland border police are constantly
on the borders OF President Krugers coun-
try ard minglinG every day with Beers.
such quickly moving troops, knowing the
lay of the land and backed up by yoIun-
teers from the veldt of Mashonaland and
Matabeleland-evcry one of whom is ny
force OF circumstances. an expert shot ami
cayalryman-could do more damage in less
time to Boer and Kaffir than columns of
heavily equipped and slowly moving SOL
diers from England They would fight as
the insurgents do In Cuba, the Ameri-
cans did in the revolutionary war facing
the Boer with the Beers methods, not
forming UP to be shot down in platoons at
another Majuba Hill. 1t is doubtful If
there is any need for anything like 20 900
troops to MAINTAIN British supremacy in
Africa The object in sending out SO MANY
Is probably to menace Germany. but. as
matter OF fact, the Germans would be a
good deal lost campaigning in such a coun-
try. They have had absolutely no expert
ence of wars where all Won Moltke's plots
and deeply laid schemes would be useless
One does not fight by the code in Africa
one has not railroads to help mobilization.
Five hundred men. such as Rhodes led in
to Matabelelsnd could render Ineffective
the whole 5000 Germans who have lately
been sent out to the German colony while
the English army In Burmah. Afehanistan,
the Soudan. all over the shop, has been
constantly drilled In savage and guerrilla
warfare-the only kind of warfare that Is
likely 10 take place in the Transvaal and
at which the veteran of Sedan would be as
useless as a lumpish recruit.
Cut on From Home Ties.
Such an audacIous raid as that Of DR..
Jameson could not have been made rave
with the backing of number of desperate
adventures. such as swarm all over South
Africa-the English outcasts. They have
cut away from home ties and the past
forever. poor prodigals! Their only trust
Hes In desperate remedies. They ore ready
Tor anything. They have nothing to lose,