The Washington times., 1901-08-18
THE BOERS At BERMUDA.
How Great Britain Will Care for
1000 Prisoners.
Good Sanitary Arrangements - The
Men to BE Well Fed and Clothed
Scnnt Liberty to He Given Under
Martial Law - An Isolated spot.

Uoou sanitary Arrangement Tne
Men to he Well Fed and Clothed
Scnnt Liberty to He Given Under
Martial Law - An Isolated spot.
1t is far cry from the dusty veidt of
South Africa to the coral reefs of Ber-
| muda, and 1t Is not at all likely that any
of the Boer prisoners knew Of the exist
ence of the isolated little spot which Is
to be their home for many weary months.
This is not n reflection on the intelligence
of the veldt farmer. for there are many
Americans who have yet to hear OF
Shakespeare's still vexed Bermoothes-"
Just what prompted the British Govern
ment to send prisoners of war to Ber-
muda will probably never be known The
Rermudians, knowing that his Majestys
Ministers rarely give a reason for any OF
| their acts. have not taken the trouble
| to enquire into the matter. although they
| are not over-pleased at the prospect OF
| having two thousand men living on forty
! square acres of land for an indefinite
| period.
| The natives with vivid imag!nations
| have pictured the camps as hot-bed for
! all horrible diseases. from bubonic plague
! to measles, and many OF the more pessi-
! mistic sent up the cry that Bermuda was
ruined forever as health resort The To-
cal house of assembly, stirred up these
alarmists, debated the subject OF santa
ton so strenuously that its members
! finally concluded that 900 Beers could
| hardly do much more harm to the health
of the colony than an extra British regi-
| ment.
When one takes into consideration the
! conditions under which the prisoners will
| live, it will readily be seen that this is
the more sensible view. The climate of
| Bermuda though somewhat enervating in
| summer, does not breed the dreaded ma
| laria, nor, in fact, any of the tropical dis
| eases of the West Indies, and unless the
! men are in poor physical condition. there
| will be comparatively little sickness
among them.
| There is picturesque group of little
| islands in the Great Sound. close to the
entrance to Hamilton Harbor, and here
| the camps are located. Ports Island, the
| naval quarantine station, is the hospital
| island. while fuckers. Darrelrs, Burt's.
| Morgan's, and Moses islands are given
| over to the main camps. The islands are
well wooded with cedars. and these in
addition to the tents, afford excellent
shelter when the sun is at its height 1t
is interesting TO note that the whole group
is commanded by the guns OF Hamilton
of the fleet.
Wise precautions have been taken to
keep the camp healthy. Latriues have
been built and moored close to the waters
edge so that the refuse viii be swept di-
rectly out to sea b. .he tides. The one
serious problem is the supply of fresh
drinking water. There are no wells or
springs in Bermuda, all the water being
caught on the roofs Of the houses In the
dry season, which is now on, the supply
is necessarily limited. The Government,
however has large water catches and
tanks in various parts of the colony, and
it is from this source that the prisoners
are supplied There is also a large con-
dersing apparatus in the course of con-
struction.
The first contingent of Beers, numbering
$685. of whom eighteen rank officers, to-
gether with a guard of five officers and
1874 men of the Second Battalion. War
wickshire Regiment, arrived on the 2sth
of June after a pleasant thirty-day voy-
age from Cape Town The health of the
prisoners was even better than that Of
their guards, for. although only two of
the former were invaded. twenty-five OF
the Warwickshires were removed to the
naval hospital upon their arrival 1t was
feared that an outbreak of bubonic
plague might possibly occur during the
voyage, but the precautions taken to pre-
vent this proved effectual Before leav-
ing Cape Town the Armenian was cleared
of rats-the chief agents in spreading the
plague-and ingenious devices were pre-
pared to kill the vermin should they at
tempt to get back to the ship.
So far as is known, the voyage was
without incident the prisoners being ac-
nd rrovided for in DreciSe-
ly the same manner as their guards
There is a tale of mutiny which lacks
confirmation. 1t is said that two foreign
mercenaries-one a German, the other
Frenchman-originated a wild plot to
overpower the guards, seize the ship, and
compel the captain to steer for some
American port There is some ground for
this story, for the men in question are
now confined in the military prison at st.
Georges, where no one is allowed to in
terview them. On the way to prison the
German complained bitterly of the un-
willingness of the Beers to make an eff
fort for freedom His grievance is APP
parently just one. for it is said that the
man who gave the details of the plot to
the officer commanding the troops is a
Boer. There is so much bitter feeling
between the Beers and the men who
fought for them that the latter will prob
ably be placed on an island by themselves
after the other contingents arrive f.'-f
All sorts and conditions of men COM
prise this remnant of Cronje's almost un-
beatable army. The stalwart young
burgher who has lost all for his country's
sake the soldier of fortune who claims
Is country as his own. the bearded pat
riarch O. the veldt. whose family is scat
tered throughout the length of South AT
RIGA, perhaps never to be united again
in their teens. and enc, little chap.
eight years old. who carried ammunition
in the trenches at Paardeburg
1t need not be presumed for an instant
that the prisoners will be badly treated.
ON the contrary, they Will be well fed,
well clothed and allowed as much nberty.
q is possible under martial law. If there
is any trouble among them 1t Will be
caused by the foreign mercenaries. who
are the recognized Inalcontents- The priS-
oners will have an undisturbed existence,
for no visitors are allowed within thirty
yards of the islands.
Where these men will be sent after the
war is over is rather interesting 'ques-
ton Rumor in Bermuda has 1t that the
British Government hopes they VIII be in
duced to emigrate % the United States.
II will be an easy way to get rid of them.
and cheap one, too. think the Bermu-
dams whose wishes evidently lead them
to believe any tale that is circulated con-
corning the prisoners.
Interviews with prominent Boer sympa-
thizers in New York reveal the fact that
every effort will be made to prevent the
prisoners coming to the United States.
One who is intimately connected with the
Boer relief fund. and who is acquainted
with all that is going on in South Africa,
..Wat a11