The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-05-25
THE BoERs IN cEYLoN.
A Good Thing to be British Military
Prisoner.

Prisoner.
If a criterion may be taken by thu
condition Of Boer life in the laagers O
Ceylon, it is comparatively good thint
to be a military prisoner of the British
government.
Nursed in a lap of modified luxury
the five thousand trappers of the weld
on the island are so we'll satisfied will
their surroundings as not to desire {
change until South Africa touches nor.
NAL once more.
The captiyes are as healthy and fit c
crowd as ever stepped upon a British
possession, and transport rides al
anchor In Colombo Bay bereft Of any
justification for her existence there as
a hospital ship.
The Beers are accommodated in iron
huts in two camps, each of which is in
closed by a liberal radius of barbed
wire fencing, through which the muz-
zles Of Maxim or two protrude as a
sort of dumb sermon on law and order
The area is large, and the prisoners
have abundant exercise room. They are
fond of chatting with their guards, and
call them Tommy with easy familiarity,
just as they used to do across the river
! trenches at Fourteen Streams, for the
Boer has a quiet admiration for the
British private, and in his days Of
much ease follows his example in many
things, including sport.
The hot eastern days are beguiled
with non-exertive recreation, and In the
cool tennis, cricket and football form a
self7appointed curriculum Of athletic
pastime.
1t Is particularly interesting to no.
tice how much the prisoners have taken
to the purely British game of football.
At the beginning they were content to
watch the Seeker men of the garrison
dribble, or to applaud the dexterous
handling of the oval. Then they Joined
in, and progressed to primitive game
of their own. They have long since
ceased to borrow the Gloustershire regi-
ment's ball; they have dozen of their
own, and pit the Transvaalers against
the Free Staters, or the doppers Of the
back veldt against the Johannesburg
ers.''
The troops usually start the play, and
leave off to be guard while the bur-
nation.
The appetite of the captives is abnor-
NAL, and the influx Of so many big eat
ers has actually upset the local markets
and brought about rise In the price of
provender. Even the Gloucester sentry
envies the Boer his supplies. and Is
daily heard to hold forth upon the in
iuuities of commissariat which pro-
vides comforting extras for the captives
which find no place in the regular die
tary. But Tommy grumbles good-hu
moredly, and would share his ration
any day with a hungry Boer, just be-
cause he Is the same brave, tough ten
der, lion hearted Atkins beloved of all
who know his sterling qualities in the
field.
Commandments Krantz and Olivier and
nearly all the officers live on parole out
side the camps. Many of them reside at
the Queens Hotel, Kandi including a
of Frenchmen, who hold aloof
from their former comrades n-arns.
Others, including a percentage Of
burshers who can afford it, live in the
of Trincomali street. and,
save that they report daily to the chief !
Of police, enjoy the privileges of leis-
ured resident or visitor.
Numbers of the men carried cameras
On commando, and the Colombo apothe-
carries have been busy developing plates
and films in great numbers.
One shoto of great interest shows the |
line of reserve commanders awaiting |
The result of the battle of Colenso. The
snapper was so excited when the re-
suit became known that he forgot to |
Dress the button on the wild scene of |
oy which surged about his kodak. And |
so a remarkable series Of Natal photos
s incomplete. s. c. Shead, of the
Stock Exchange, has several interesting !
specimens, the burghers being quite
Wiling to turn penny with their films.
Vrouw Krantz, the wife of the COM
nandant, is proud of having carried |
life on commando with her husband.
Quests at the Queens Hotel often hear
he good lady recount her bag of roof
leks. There is not a suspicion of ami
nus shown against the British. The
aptives are grateful for good quarters
nd liberal treatment.
Many Beers are voluntarily employed |
n the foreshore works at Colombo at a