The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30

listing alien residents to fight in their
foreign wars that made him shake the
dust of the Transvaal eff his feet for ever.
They may say what they like about
South Africa be said yesterday. "but
would rather be buried than live there.
The country is all rocks, rich sand, lava
beds and ant hills, ana it makes Ameri-
cans sick. 10 see the way Beers and Eng
lish alike abuse the Kaffirs. Beat them
Why | haye seen strips of flesh torn from
the Kaffirs' arms and back with great
whip ten yards long, that they use Tor
driving spans of oxen. In the cities 1T IS
forbidden to pass through the streets with
an OK team without Kaffir at the AMI
| nails heads. 1t is no uncommon sight TO
see the owner of the team sit in his cart
and whirling one of those great whips
round, hit the Kafiir and make him jun
four feet in the air. The whip generally
carries way a strip OF flesh with it.
In financial way we did we'll in the
Transvaal, for the Beers are very fond OF
music, from the President downward but
music does not soften the savage breast
wi b them, as my adventures show. One
day / was sitting in my room, a little bit
of an adobe place with no windows and
only an opening in the wall for door,
when six mounted police rode up and
PRESENTED a scroll to me, which they COM
manded me to sign, at the same time de-
manding 10 shillings-they ask 10 shil-
lings for everything in the Transvaal. If
you have a sore throat they fine you 10
shiliipgs. Thinking it was only fine |
signed the scroll and paid the 10 shillings.
Afterward l found to my sorrow that |
had signed articles of enlistment to fight
against Magetto. Kaffir chief, who was
rebeling about $50 miles from Pretoria.
There was no American Consul in
johannesburg, but | went to G. L. Will
liams, the assistant Consul. Il don't
want to fight, / said, i am here to sing
and have absolutely no cravings for the
joys OF warriors life.
81 cannot do anything to help you,'
said Mr.. Williams. It's case of fight or
get out, and if you take my advice you
will go, for they will surely compel you to
fight if you remain Well, it happened
that two days before five Engllshmen had
been made TO go to the front. | was
frightened out of my life at the knowledge
that any moment [ might have to do the
same thing, so | made short tracks back
to Cape Town, where / was safe under
British rule.
when the fighting had blown over I
went back to the Transvaal, to Pretoria,
for q short engagement, and there [ saw
the five Englishmen coming back from
the front. At first they had refused to
fire on the Kaffirs, and the Beers had pun
1shed them by shutting them up in a cage
made of BAN boo and feeding them on
bread and water. The cage was put over
a cart and looked something like the con-
veyances we call prairie schooners. After
while they gave in and consented to fire
on the Kaffirs, but they were brought back
to Pretoria in the cage.
Il saw them arrive in Pretoria. One
had his arm shot off, another had a mutt
lated hand. and SO on all through the lot.
President Kruger rewarded them for their
bravery by conferring citizenship upon
them, which means good deal in the
Transvaal, where you cannot take out
papers unless you have been a resident
fifteen years, and even then citizenship is
hedged about with great difficulties. |
should have been sorry to get citizenship
at the price of fighting the Kaffirs, though,
and was not long in clearing out of the
country for good"