The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-01-12


place. and that he was determined to
do so. He was, however, overruled by
numbers. and most reluctantly retired
with the police 10 the veldt. Major
Scott made one more desperate effort
He called for men who would fight to
the last. Six responded to his appeal
On this he went out, but with broken
heart. The men camped out on the
veldt for the night, but without any
camp equipments, and Major Scott lay
down to rest beside Sub-Inspector
Rush. In the course OF the night he
complained of the cold. and rose up
and left the Sub-Inspector's side. Two
minutes afterward Rush heard a shot,
and, thinking it was the Beers upon
them, he raised an alarm, only TO find
Major Scott shot through the head, and
quite dead. The police buried the Ma
jOr next day at Geluk, where the spot
is row fenced in.
Disturbed Religious Festival.
AT the time of the surrender many
farmers were gathered in town for
Nachtmaal. a periodical form of relig-
ious service, in which the farmers of
a Dutch district in South Africa travel
many miles TO town in order to take
part. Both farmers and townspeople
were seized with panic and fed in all
directions. General De Ia Rey, I'm a
short speech. declared the town to be
annexed TO the Transvaal, at the same
time hoisting the Vierkleur. The Civil
Commissioner and his officials, who
had remained at their posts. were then
summoned by the General, who ordered
them to leave the town. They were,
however, treated with every courtesy,
and passes to convey them through the
Boer lines were given them.
THE Transvaal Government is evil
IDENTIFY running short of funds. The
pay of the police is much overdue. The
normally busy mining center of Bar
berton is deserted; there are not over
fifty males there. Pretoria is unable
to obtain any news of the campaign.
official or otherwise. The Government
has taken over the mines in the
neighborhood of johannesburg. and a
careful examination of the workings is
being made. 1t is believed the authori-
ties are on the eve of sensational dis
coveriss.. While caTelessly tapping the
walls of HOsken's buildings the detect
i've department noticed that they gave
forth q hollow sound. The walls were
demolished. and what was believed to
be thick buttress crumbled into dust.
reveali < a cavity packed with a val
uabie assortment Of goods. Further
Investigations proved the floors 10 be
false. and IL is believed the cellars are
overlooking with merchandise. The
search is proceeding.
"Rumors arc being circulated by the
Dutch inhabitants in the neighborhood
Of Cape Town that the prisoners of
war at Smon's Bay are being badly
treated. The facts are that the pris-
Oners are victualed exactly the same
as the British troops when on board
ship. More can scarcely be expected
by prisoners captured as troops. They
are allowed to smoke at all hours upon
the upper deck-a privilege which the
British officers and seaIuen do not en-
Joy. Bedding is provided for them. but
not clothing. They are required to
perform such cleaning work as is alb
sOlutely necessary to keep the portion
OF the ship allotted 20 them clean;
this is always required of seamen and
troops. They are not, however. re-
quired to do any other work. Any lux
ulltSs tANtpl llAluOI. WHICH, lltg uld.
care to purchase. or which they may
receive from friends, are allowed
them. They are allowed to interview
friends from noon TO p. m. daily, and
are allowed to- correspond freely by
letter. except in regard to politics and
the disposition of troops. SO that their
letters are under censorship. They are
treated with every consideration. and
under the most liberal Interpretation
of the International duties toward pris-
oners Of war laid down by the accept
ed writers.
The majority of the prisoners are
very sanguine as to the result of the
war. and il is evident that they do not
for a moment entertain the idea of the
Beers being beaten. and consider il
quite impossible that the British flag
will ever again fly at Pretoria. Moth
ing will convince them that at Glands
laagte the British force was not greater
than their own, and the opinion is
common among them that, had there
been better generalship on their own
side, they would never have been pTis-
Oners of war at Simonstown. Many
members of the captured force point
out that leaders who become so excited
as to take places with their rifles in
the firing line, while neglecting the
actual direction of operations, cannot
possibly attend to their legitimate du-
ties"