BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-08-13
Lie In A BOcr Camp.
lnteresting 6 Details.

The Dolly News of London publishes an
interesting interview of its correspondent
with Doctor Poursma, a young HOllander
who since May 1900 has been in charge Of
a hoer ambulance and has been present at
the principal operations of &c Wet, Delarey
and other bOer commanders.
DR.. Poutsma, says that he has been taLen
prironer five times by the English and that
he has been present with Delarey at the
battles of Aystroom, Waterberg. Zermust,
Rustenbufg and many others. He also
accompanied de Wet on his long expedi-
lions through the North and Southern parts
of the Orange free State.
Tue doctor also States that he was we'll
treated by the English and that they per.
mitted him to attend to his ambulance du.
ties in the boer camp.
Ode Wet had 8, 800 men under his orders
when 1 left him and his marvellous marches
and escapes are exclusively due to his ex'
traordnary cunning"
We were in great straits many timeS;-
One night we were lost, completely sur
rounder-de Wet said to me. s'to day we shall
all be taken prisoners" but about 10 o'clocl
at night hewslked through the camp order
ing everybody to light all the torches they
could find. When they we're all lit, he told
us to mount our horses and follow him and
we get clear through the English lines
When the sun rose next morning the En-
glish prepared to give us the finishing
stroke but the birds had fl0wn.S
"On another occasion, when the Englist
general Knox had caught us in trap with
only one narrow exit, gulch called Spring
hansnek, when was guarded by English In
fantery ond we thought that not even a
rat could escape Dy that narrow defile
Steyn himself refused to face the slangel
of trying to escape by it but de Wet said
g. 1t is our only hope of salvation and il
must be tried "--On this, he gave the or
der TO follow him and they all rushed at fall
speed into the defile amidst horrible rain
of shell, shot adm palls from the English
troops was coming behind with some
wounded boers and Eaa made priSoneI
but they set me free 1.-TWO days
met De Wet and asked bin what the il
of that daredevil retreat had been and~
answered me that he had not lost singl
man,
"On another occasion we attacked D
Vets dorp which acas defended by 81
EngIshmen; we had only 120 men on GU
side You will scarcely believe me, sil
when tell you that the fight lasted thre
days at the end of which the English SUI
rendered having had 80 killed and som
wounded; we made 413 prisoners an
[ know the exact number because / had Il
count them and cured their wounded a
there was no doctor among them"
"The English shoot too high, their ball
are lost in space, they are bad marke
menD
"Christian de Wet is a tsciturn man
In camp he scarcely speaks to anybody. 81
is always thinking and all at once he will
order the whole to be up and moving an,
his men follow him without knowing wher
he takes them"
"Delarey is very brave man and mucl
beloved ley his men; The English themseIve
have told me that they respect him for bi
intelligence and military qualifications"
"Tbe beers have all they need but no
in abundance; their principal articles of foot
are maiz, smoked beef, coffee and milk, bu
their other provisions they obtain from th,
English conveys, which they know how tt
surprise whit special ability and cunning.