Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-01-25
HOW BOERS FIGHT.
Extraordinary Marksmen and Ca
pable Of Great Endurance.
They Are AEricuIturists and Hunters
and Familiar with secret Re-
cesses of Their Country's
Mountains.

Mountains.
The South African Boer much resem-
bles our American Apache in his ability
TO live on the shadow Of things when
In the field The Apache has so studied
the scant resources of New Mexico and
Arizona that when on the warpath or
pursued he is able to sustain iae on
what would seem to others as mere
nothing. Hence his ability to make ex-
traordinary marches; to be here to-day
and 200 miles away tomorrow. A
writer of South Africa in contrIbu-
tion to a London paper calls attention
to the ability Of the Beers TO live on ra-
tons which an ordinary trooper would
not endure and his capacity to travel
great distances with horse in incred-
IDLY short time. If he is to fight the
Englishman these qualities will stand
him in good need. 1t is by no means
certain that England in the end will be
unwilling to make another treaty OF
1851.
| The Roer knows every road and trail
of the Transyaal; as a hunter he knows
the devious ways of the wastes beyond.
He is an agriculturist and hunter. BY
the law of self-preservation he has
learned the willy ways of the black men
whom he has displaced in the Trans
wal. The secret recesses of the noun
tains are at his command. As horse
man he much resembles our American
cowboy. He can ride on top of the
/ saddle, or over the horses neck, or Cos
sack fashion, with one foot in the stir
rup, one leg on the saddle and his head
and shoulders on the ground. His horse
is part of his family life. The beasts
are very hardy, sure-footed and atfec-
tionate Then, too, this Boer is a rifle
shot of wonderful skill. When he was
but a boy in short breeches the rife
was placed in his hands and he was
made eager to be the crack shot of his
community. He is Injured TO the hard
ships of the mountains, to long horse
back Journeys, scant allowances of
food, tricks on which the water supply
is scarce.
In the campaign of 1881 against the
English the Boer took good care that
his forces never faced the enemy IN the
open field. He never offered open en-
Cagement. He chose his eyrie in the
mountain gorges, and from that van
tage point be picked off the foe at his
will. Even when he assaulted MaJuba
hill he came up rock by rock, squirming
like snake, twisting in and out and
not firing until he had a mark to hit.
What success English troops, unac-
quainted with his country, are to have
with him is a question to be settled in
the future. There appears to be much
reason in the assertion that If England
declares war the blacks of South Africa
will rise with the Boer and precipitate
conflict that may be decade in end
ing.
, England has 119, 139 square miles OF
2 territory to conquer in the Transvaal
, The white population is 100000 and the
native population tthe blacks) 625,oOO
The area of the Orange Free State
which is expected to favor the Beers
of the Transvaal, is $4,000 square miles
The white population of this Is $4,000
andthere are 100000 natives In the
state. The white and native population
combined of the two republics is near
ly 100000 people, of whom more thar
one-half are men.
At the present time the Boer has con
troll of the water supply and food de
pots of the Transvaal. He has also con
troll of the bridges and the west end o
the railroad tunnel through the noun
tains at Maiuba hill. If the Englisl
. troops get west of the Drakenberl
mountains and into the Transvaal tn
Boer has thousands of miles of terri
tory beyond into which he can retreat
He is in position, If he does not risI
all on single open engagement, =
keep England in pursuit of him through
Central Africa for great many year
TO come. So President Kruger thinks
Conditions of warfare have change
since 1881, but the Transvaal territor
| has not changed. with the exception o
the construction of the mentioned raj
| road tunnel through the Majuba hi
/ range.
! An English correspondent who wen
through the 1854 campaign wrote
that time of the fighting qualities of tn
Beers:
1--WE never are able to see the enemy
Except before the fight at Majuha hill
never saw but a handful Of them
any time. And when they thought W
noticed them they and their horses dis
( appeared as II swallowed up by n
! earth. think we all feel that they ca
1 shoot. Our losses at Hatley and LANG
/! Mex showed that. We were very niue
1 In the open, but not blessed Boer vi
! 10 be seen. But every once ID awhil
1 there was the crack Of rife, and the
! one of our boys would 60 over, II
line would close up and we would hegi
J chasing again for the enemy we eoul
4 never find. / was taken prisoner jui
! after Gen. Colley was killed, and | ca
say that / could not have been treatt
4 IL