Evening star., 1900-02-05
TO GO TO AFRICA.
A Famous Scout Now on His Way to
the Transvaal.
From the New York Tribune

From the New York Tribune.
Henry Chetworth of San Francisco was
speaking yesterday of the Boer war at the
Waldorf-Astoria, and in the course of his
remarks he said: Il noted the other day
in the newspapers that Frederick r. Burn
ham, in response to a request on the part
of the English government, is now on his
way TO South Africa to act as scout for
Lord Roberts on whose staff he will be.
For iron nerve, GOODNESS in the face OF
imminent danger, and fertility of resource
in extricating himself from dlff1cult and
werl-nigh impossible positions, Burnham's
name stands at the head of the list of men
who have fought the different savage races
in the course of the settlement of South
Africa. Originally from southern Califor-
mia. Burnham early drifted to Nevada, and
later to New Mexico. where he engaged In
Indian scouting, an experience that was
of infinite value to him when pitted against
the South African savages. When DIR.
Jameson went into Matabeleland and
conquered the Matabeles, about 1894.
1t was Burnham who saved the little COM
mand of a thousand men from extermi-
nation. and made that conquest possible.
Jameson had made his laager for the night
"a laager consists of all the wagons ar
ranged in a circle, in the center of which
the cattle are grouped, and the defenders
shoot at the enemy from underneath the
vagons), when Burnham and another
scout named Ingham came in and reported
under the command of Lobengula, were
surrounding them, and that in the attack
which would follow Jameson's laager would
be overcome and wiped out of existence
from sheer force of numbers. The situa-
ton was desperate, the laager could not
then be changed, and nothing seemed left
but to put up the best fight they could,
albeit hopeless one. Burnham however.
went to Jameson and, saying that there
might still be a chance IL Lobengula's force
could be divided. asked him for all the blue
fire. skyrockets and explosives for signal
ing purposes that could be spared. A
wagon was then drawn back, and through
this opening Burnham and Ingham rode
out. So astounded were the savageS that
they did not open fire, and the two men
were able to set of their fireworks before
had the Kaffirs seen fireworks and they
broke and ran for 1t in every direction
Before Lobengula could again gather an
attacking force the laager was removed
to an impregnable position and the COM
| mand saved. How Matabeleland was later
conquered is now a matter of history"
1T seems funny" said Allen Colby, who
was present, that an Outlander of so
many years standing as Chetworth should
| in telling you story illustrative of Burn
ham miss the most famous act of his life
and one that has for this last year been
| daily re-enacted at the great Kaffir show
| in London. When Lobengula again be-
came troublesome the English placed a
price on his head. and in an effort to Sc
| cure him Major Wilson. with a little band
of thirty, went into Matabeleland. Just
| after crossing the Zambesi river they fell
/ into a trap and found themselves sur
| rounded by at least 1900 Kafiirs With
out immediate assistance the end was at
| hand. as every man there knew. Across