The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-06
THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Graphic Pen Pictures of the struggle
between Boer and Britop - Clever
Work of the Burgher Ridemen.

definition Of war. This city. in particular.
is a focus for wondrous scenes OF activity,
life and sadness. Every day sees the ar
rival OF wounded and dying. the crowding
in of refugees from the Rand who sea.sh
in vain for a nights lodging. and the land
ing OF innumerable troops
Ammunition trains thunder up the troll
ley tracks, then echo reverberating in the
dark recesses OF Table Mountain: the
streets are not wide enough for the motley
crowd of gorgeously uniformed Hussars,
Grenadiers, and Highlanders who swagger
along fashionable Government Avenue and
own the cafes. A dozen bands at one time
are playing "Oh, the Soldiers of the
Queen Reveille calls al $50 every morn
ing startle the old Dutch burghers. The
parade ground. the bicycle track, and Sea
Point. where the waters OF the Atlantic
and Indian Oceans meet, have been con
verted into Aldershots. Infantry, artillery,
and cavalry practice there continually, and
no one can keep track OF the movements OF
troops. A brigade of Black Watch or Flu
siliers arrives In the evening, and by day
light next morning has vanished like
magic.
Special trains are run out of Simon's
Bay, the anchorage Of II. VI. S. Penelope,
and on which are detained Boer prisoners
of war. From noon to o'clock, the visit
ing hours. hundreds OF Cape Towners
! Chamber over the decks and gaze with
drawn faces at the "bloodthirsty animals"
| from the Transvaal. The prisoners present
a grotesque mixture. German officers in
| smart uniforms with white cork helmets
knock elbows with the widest OF BUSH
rangers from the Zoutpansberg district.
/ These chaps are great. shabby looking men,
who walk about, hand in hand, in constant
wonderment. Many Of them have never be-
| fore seen a town. Their homes are in the
widest part of South Africa the running
ground of elephants lions, and leopards.
They are the very best shots in the world
and can execute an order Immediately for
any sort OF game.
They spend their time smoking fishing
! and looking at the warships of the South
/ African squadron. Sometimes one is al
lowed shot at a seaguii by way Of recrea-
| ton and for the entertainment of visitors.
I A bullet is never wasted.
] The prisoners include some Englishmen
( who were Communicated. and the other day
| occurred a rather amusing Incident when
/ fashionably dressed man and woman were
| gazing at the creatures commenting on
I their peculiarities. Now there" said the
I lady. indicating with her dainty foot mas
/ sive bewhiskered man wEo lay cuIled up
and apparently asleep. IS the typical raw
Boer. If / had my pencil here | would
sketch him"
movement of the object showed life.
and soft voice spoke up in excellent Eng
lish. Excuse me. madam; my name Is
Smith My father is member Of Parliament
from -. I've been commandee-ed.
Please don't chatter so loud
The sympathy OF all visitors is elected
by the dramatic narrative Of another Eng
lish Boer prisoner who fought at Glands
laagte on the Dutch side, while his two sons
fought in the Imperial Light Horse with
the British. During the engagement this
man pursued an Englishman and shot him
in the back. only to find on turning over
the body that II was his oldest boy. TIE
incident has we'll nigh erazed the father.
Dueling Of families in this way is one OF the
most horribly pathetic features Of the war.
A Natal newspaper man says that after
the Elandslaagte engagement both Briton
and Boer were cursing the war and every
one responsible for 1t. The scene at Prices
store on the night Of the fight was one
never to be forgotten.
Wounded men were being attended to at
one end Of the dining room, while soldiers
and civilians. officers and men, were hun
at the other.
few bottles of whisky had been SNUG
gled out Of sight during the Boer occupa
ton. but these speedily evaporated on the
reoccupation OF the store by the wet and
dirty Britons.
As the night went on further patches Of
Boer prisoners were brought in, and the
little side room. which served as a prison
house, soon became uncomfortably over
crowded
Later in the night these men were
brought before a sort of impromptu court
martial, consisting OF two good natured
and half-amused imperial officers and
pompous little volunteer with two stars on
his shoulder straps. of course, this court
martial IL such it was. ended without any
result
In the back kitchen at Prices sat a group
OF soldiers Imperial Light Horse and vol
unteers, EARNING, smoking, and when the
chance offered drinking to while away the
weary hours till dawn.
A niger prisoner, with half his scalp torn
away, lay bleeding in his rags under the
kitchen table.
A bronzed sergeant Of the lancers. with a
POPULARITY that contrasted strangely with
his general appearance described with his
riding whip how he impaled two Dutch
men with one poke of his lance-a yarn
which have since seen published in the /
newspapers as a fact, but the truth OF |
which l still greatly doubt.
young sergeant of the |. l.. II. sported
Boer commandments sash over his dirty
khaki tunic and described his special feats
OF prowess to a half-credulous audience.
In the corner sat poor old Dutch vrouw,
bewailing at intervals the shamefulness of |
war.
At last daylight broke, and in the dull
drizzly morning the English returned to /
Ladysmith, victorious but disguised.
While the craftsmanship of the Beers |
has no doubt been exaggerated, the British |
soldiers testify that the enemy still have |
many crack shots AT Ladysmith." re- |
lates captain in the Kings Royal Rifles, !
I'VE occupied a cattle kraal that was sur
rounded by mounted Beers and invested /
so closely that we expected 20 be captured |
One of our men who was working a how
itzer stuck white helmet above the breast
works and In ten seconds 1t was perforated !
on all sides"
At Dundee Hill, again. a single Boer
entreDched himself behind a stone fence,
and a company of Dublin Fusiliers could /
not dislodge him. At every shot he brought |
down man. To test his shooting powers,
an Irishman raised his helmet on the wall /
behind which he was lying No sooner
was it in sight than zip" a bullet bored
II through. Five times this performance
had been repeated when a she'll siIenced
the Dutchman forever.
The Transyaalers are so fond of their to-
baccc that they continue to s,.ioke even In
an engagement. The captain Of light bat
terry at Ladysmith was greatly amused at
an old Boer whom he could see through
n field glass working n big gun on the
heights single handed and at the same time
putting volumes of smoke. The conclusion
Of shell knocked him down, but he was
on his feet directly and smoking more Wig