Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-23

man and wildly excited Latin. On the
veldt he will loaf around in the sun and
only move to reload his pipe. In the raad
chambers the sergeant-at-arms oftent1mes
is unable to maintain order. The members
leap around. throwing their arms. shout
and carry like session of anarchists.
1t is the rifles of these old country
Beers that Kruger mostly depends. On the
night that news reached him OF the jane
raid in December, 1885, there was con-
sternation at Pretoria. The first dispatch
said that 5000 British troops had crossed
the border, AMI then second, sent by the
English as a decoy. stated that the troops
were only the Chartered Company's police
making short cut. Joubert wanted to
take the few cannon that were In pretoria
and go out to ~eet the invaders.
"Oh, no, Pie, - said Dom Paul. Don't
you suppose De- of our old farmers with
their rifles can stop 1000 ruineksT
The result proved that Kruger was right.
The whole force that fought Jameson con-
sisted of 400 men. in two divisions, sum
n oned in few hours from the open veldt.
Jameson began the attack with artillery.
The old plainsmen laughed at this.
Every man take to rock" ordered
CommandaEt Cronje. and the farmers
lodged behind rocks and trees.
How the Boers Fight.
At the proper moment they advanced in
Indian skirnish in two divisions, opening
a deadly fire at 800 yards. The reformers
then cut loose with Maxims, but for once
the machine guns which have been used to
NOW down the african natives, were of no
avail. The Beers were so scattered that
they evaded the bullets. Jameson finally
opened with a twelve-pounder, but CronJe
told off twenty Beers to kill the gunners,
which they did with precision and accuracy.
That practically ended the fight.
The strength of the Beers as a military
nation lies in the fact that nearly every
man possesses innate wariness and is him
self a general This man COME, who cap
tured the raiders. was not a celebrated war
rIor. yet he took hold of campaign On a
moments notice, mapped out his plans,
quickly led on jameson until he had him
surrounded and then went al him,
Until the last four years Kruger had TAX
en- no precautions against a siege, relying
entirely on open warfare. After the Jane
son raid, however he began to follow the
example of more advanced nations. The
first step was to erect forts at Johannes
burg and Pretoria. The former now re-
poses under the brow of strong fortifca-
lions. There are six forts altogether, and
they command a broad expanse Of country.
In these he has placed long-range rifle guns
of French and German patterns and nu-
merous quick firing guns. He has filled
four warehouses with arms and made secret
preparations, which include long tunnels
underneath the gold fields, so that the town
of Johannesburg can De destroyed by one
train of powder, for the motto of the Beers
is the same that of William of Prague:
Rather a ruined country than no country
Pretoria's Four Forts.
Pretoria Is guarded by four forts, one at
each of the four corners of the town.
Heavy guns of the Krupp make are in
stalled here under the direction of German.
Holland and French officers. Men have
been drilled to train these guns effectively
and the town is supplied with provisions to
withstand long siege.
No LOT bod h, t1a fa,,n
one spoken of by the English to conquer
the Beers. The Transvaal is such a poor
country that wild animals cannot exist in
some parts of it, and the British experts
have always said that to starve the burgh-
ers would be the easiest way of subduing
them. Kruger has provided against this Ia
st me measure by building Il great granary
where meats and canned food are stored in
large quantities. He has little fear of such
a pass. however, and to the writer recently
said that the English might build wall
around them high as Jericho and then he
and his people could live comfortably for
twenty years.
The old Beers do not worry much about
being starved out for a Boer can do more
work less food than any other human
beng if he wants to. He IS &C customei to
living on the veldt for weeks with no nour-
ishment but long strip of dried meat,
called biltong, coffee ana mealies What
he most breads is to be deprived of coffee,
which fluid the Boer drinks black and so
hot that, as he says, if he spits ii on his
Il
species Of corn. very noUrishing, which is
raised in large quantities in South Africa.
1t is cooked like oatmeal until the kernels
soft and then eaten with salt or milk
and sugar.
On "a campaign the Beers observe very
strict rules. If man fires after the order
Is given to cease the commandment fines
him. Every night the lights are put out
early and the men turn in behind the
lGager. This is a circular impromptu forti-
fication made by flashing all the wagons to-
Sether and affords "a good protection
against bullets. Their method when at
tackled is to send cut line at double
quick, drop to the knees, take steady aim
and fire, rushing back to the lager, them
to give way to a second party. They have
always been successful in native warfare
this way, but against trained English SOL
diers with machine guns they would have
small chance.
Don't Fear n Long Campaign.
A long campaign is no hardship to the
Boer. When the alarm comes the women
Of the house. and nearly every Boer has a
family of ten, twelve or eighteen, Of whom
two-thirds are girls, get him half dozen
pieces of biitong and a supply of coffee
and tobacco, while the boys saddle and
equip the best horse in the stable. OF
course, every lad who can stand a march
also goes to the front, for the Boer children
are taught to use rifle at an early age,
and 1t is a common sight to meet on the
open veldt two or three strapping girls