The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-08
FROM A BoER VIEWPOINT.
Inside" and Unconventional versiol

of Events Differently Narratea py | Others"
 | To watch from our own side the pr6-
 gress of the war is of necessity only to
 see one-half of the truth and nothlng
 Is more interesting than to gleam now
 and again from prisoner or refugee
 some insight into the personal attitude
 of the Boers toward the war, some de- l tail of their commssariat and trans
 port, some suggestion of their discipline,
 loyalty, and other qualifications as
 fighting men, But prisoner who has
 been taken undounded on the field is
 rarely inclined to be communicative,
 and, indeed. when he seems most ready
 to speak he is least to be trusted, while
 wounded man naturally suffers from
 such a disgust and weariness of the I whole war that his almost invariable
 assertion that the Dutch are tired of the
 struggle and willing to obtain peace at
 any price is only a reflection of his own
 feelings, and, as events have proved by
 no means generally true.
 l But diary of military movements kept by a Boer taken prisoner at Ens- | lin is open to no suspicion of being ir- tentionally or unintentionally false. and
 a few extracts I have been allowed to
 make from one which has fallen into the hands of the Intelligence depart
 ment are worth careful attention. The
 writer, a man of, some position, had
 been communicated in the latter days of October, and immediately sent his wife to Cape Town for safety. Per- haps nothing in this extraordinary war is more striking than the confidence Of the Boers that their women and chill
 dren will be safest and best cared for
 in the very capital of the enemy. Cape
 Town is full of Boer non-combatants,
 and the occurrence is so frequent that
 it is hardly thought worthy of comment.
 Leaving Johannesburg on the 2d of
 November, the writer made his way to
 Bloemfontein, being welcomed and of-
 fered refreshments at every stopping
 place along the route by women and children. He remarks. almost as
 though surprised, the enthusiasm felt
 by the Free State. After an interview with President Steyn he made his way to the Boer laager at Donkerhoek,
 (? Donkerpoort,) near Norval's Point, where he found the Boers daily engaged in athletic sports and nightly In meet ings of their. debating society, singing and prayer. With a religious service thsy seem also to begin the day, at 4:30, when in fixed camp, followed by coffee at five. Of drill or military exercise there seems little or none beyond what is necessary for the construction of in- trenchments, and the sentries and ann munition guards at night. A curious note occurs under the heading of the 10th of November "* and others went to a farm to drag ham for tortois- es and returned with bag full, provi- ding us with delicious dish" Shortly after the commando moved westward to Belmont and the rapidity with which the work of striking camp was done caused the writer to make note. "It is [ simply marvellous how quickly Boers do everything"
 The Belmont skirmish of the tenth was the only incident of the war of which he says anything before reaching Fauresnith. At Jagersfontein he was shown the sword belonging to Lieuten- ant Victor Brooke, to whose gallantry he pays a frank tribute, hoping that The will recover from his wounds" Commandant Van der Nerve sent the sword to his wife, telling her to give it up to any relations of Lieutenant Brooke that should claim 1t.
 T am more impressed than ever by the wonderfully fair and manly spirit shown by the Free State Boer--the ut | ter absence of all brag or bounce, the quiet, resigned way he speaks of Brit tI,otr oil obo of victory, is really astonishing to one who has till now seen the worst side of Boer nature. 1t is the conviction of the justice of their cause and their strong belief in the help of the Almighty that make them such dangerous foes. Eve " Boer fights for what he, rightly or wrongly, considers his liberty and country, and if he perseveres he will be most difficult to beat, but it has yet to be proved if he possesses the required stamina for prolonged war"
 This criticism Is by no means shallow, | and is obviously genuine, but it should | not be forgotten that it refers exclusive | ly to the Free State Boers into contact | with the Transvaal commanders the | writer never came.
 fUOlOTS III the BOeT camp SeeIll lo De | as frequent and as baseless as in our | own. Sir Redvers Butler is about this | time reported to be at De Aar with | twenty-five thousand men. A note that | the day being Sunday prevented any | more" is interesting. especially as there must have been great anxiety at the time as to the advance of the British troops.
 The deception that is practised upon the rank and file and even the lesser of- icers of the Boers is exemplified In the writer's note that twelve men held the Sopje at the Belmont skirmish against one hundred and fifty of the British 'orces; immediately after, quoting from the evidence of some of the twelve" he says that the English off, ,ers were plucky and cool but that the soldiers are turned very easily.
 Rain fell in torrents on the night of November 20 and in this connection he. writes "I thank God that the rain is 'alling; many of them take this as an- other sign of the Almighty's favor of our cause, The pasturage will be ex- ,ellent in a few weeks and the empty Jams renlenished. on the other hand it will also enable the enemy to move jig body across the desert country be- .ween this and Kimberley"
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