The suburban citizen., 1900-02-10
B0ER TACTICS CLEVER.
eURcHERS MAY REVoLUTIoNlZe
EUROPEAN WAR METHODS.

A Remarkable Example of what the
Boers Can DO in the Way of Holding
Position by Dint OF Courage and Marks
mRnship-The British Mistake.
J. B. Robinson, millionaire mine
ewner, who was brought up in South
Africa, gun in band, and who fought
side by side with the Beers in the Ba-
suto war, and was for long the init
mate associate of the Boer leaders,
has teen commenting on the war as
conducted up to date. He praises
warmly the bravery displayed by the
British troops in their charges against
entrenched Boer positions, a bravery
which, he says, can best be realized
by those who know what kind of man
the Boer is.
'rhe war;" he says, ''has demon
strated that the man with the gun,
provided be knows how to properly
handle it, is the force that rules the
world. No bravery, however great,
can overcome him. England has not
yet realized, and your generals refuse
to understand, what a man armed as
the Boer is armed and trained as the
Boer is trained can do against the
bravest men who try to storm his po-
sition. Remember that the Boer is
taught from boyhood to hit his living
mark and to nit it in the right spot.
When 1 was q small boy a shotgun
was put in my hands, and L was en-
couraged to fire at birds. When / got
a little older ] had my double.bar-
relied hunting piece, and as parties of
us went ont the elders would show me
Just where TO fire so as to pierce the
game behind the shoulders when run
ming at full speed. This is the train
ing the Beers have had, and one man,
taught in this way, can successfully
resist 100 men who try to rout
him from an intrenched pos tion. On
the other hand, 20 men who are poor
shots can be driven from the posi-
ito by 25 determined opponents"
As an example of what Beers can
do in the way OF holding a strong po-
sition by dint of courage and marks
manship, Nh. Robinson gives an ex-
perience of his own in the Basuto war
Potgieter was out with a scouting
party of 80 men and found himself
between two large parties OF hatiirs.
Four OF the little commando tried to
get away, trusting to their well-bred
horses, but only one got through, and
he could not ma his way to the
laager to give warning. Potgieter
and the remaining rs men galloped
for a small ridge, and, getting there
in me, al once started throwing mp
stones in a semi-circle to form ram
part of defence" Mr.. Robinson goes
on:
''They had only raised the rampant
two feet high when the KaIfirs were
on them. Potgleter quickly issued
his orders. The men had dismounted
and two held the horses behind the
ridge. no one is to fire until after
me, the leader said. l will bring
down the chiefs, so many of you are
so fire at the horses and the re-
lnainder are TO shoot down the dis
mounted men when they get on their
feet. All the Kadirs were mounted
and they rode up to the little band in
apparently irresistible numbers, the
chiefs, CAV with their war plu nes and
heavy with Kallir eer, at their head.
The first body that had been sighted
consisted Of etweeu 400 and 500
men, and second strong force was
afterward discovered in the rear.
Potgieter let them approach to within
IS yards and then fred. Down fell
chief after chief. The rifles of his
men rang out, and all the horses Of
the Leading men stumbled, shot
through the breasts. The fire was so
resistes' that the charging party
edged off to the right and to the left,
and made circle in retreat. Again
the Ka1irs came on. They we're armed
with rifles, and number of them
kept up rifle fire at the sides, VIII lie
the mounted forces again charged for
ward. But the result was only the
same as before. They would draw
of, their chiefs exhorting them by the
yalor of all their forefathers, by the
great deeds of Mosheshe, not to allow
so puny II band to defy them. AS the
hours passed there came a rampant Of
dead Kafirs and Kafiir horses all
around the Beers. Once the charging
party got so close that when the horses
were shot two OF them plunged right
over the kraal into the Boer horses
beh nd before they fell dead, nearly
causing a stampede among the horses
of the scouting party.
''Ihe fight started at O. clock in
the morning. BY 2 o'clock five or six
of the Beers were so exhausted they
declared they could do no more.
Their mouths were parched, their
tongues were swollen with iutOlerable
thirst. Their arms ached so that
they could hardly move them, and
they we're stiff in every limb. They
said; We cannot fight any longer
but he laughed at them. Put two
pebbles in your mouths, he said.
that will lessen your thirst. If you
cannot fire any more let me have your
guns. You keep them loaded and I
will do the shooting. You must fight
~, 1ia. fboro is onaooa,,o Aud al ha