The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-19
THIRST FELT BY The SOLDIER
THE GREAT HARDSHIP or SOUTH
AFRICAN CAMPAIGNING.
Contests OF Bocr and British for Con-
troll Of the Fonteins Cavalry at q
Watering PIace-The OverpowerinE
Thirst-Danger Of Fever Dened

gether h the constant craving of men who
march under the sun and shoot. The i'm
mediate objective Of every fight in South
Africa Ia the control Of a "fontein," Tho
side that fails to retain 1t must sheer of
must seek the next one, which means a re-
treat, for there are rarely more than two
In a days journey.
The big pitched battles decided the COM
mand Of the main rivers and the hills that
bound their Watersheds. They were the
scenes Of the early strategy.
Lord Methuen had to get back to the
water after he failed to dlslodge Piet Cronje
ut Magersfontein, for there was no water
near where the unsuccessful assailant
found himself after his attack. Cronje
himself when he saw the danger Of being
surrounded in the same Magersfontein
stronghold was compelled for reasons OF
water TO keep along the banks OF the Modder
In his forced march TO the east and 1t was
In the river bed at Paardeberg that he
met his finish.
Every one knows how '~Ferryman' Bull
Ter chung to the river UP and down the
Tugela. These were the big fights between
large numbers and the soldiers needed
something like q running river close at
hand II they were TO keep alive.
But for a long time nov all the charac-
~teristic of the mounted feet
on both sides-of the Beers who have moved
on horseback and fought on foot all the
time and of the British mounted infantry
who are now trying to organize on similar
l~ines-have had for their indispensable
end access TO enough water for man and
beast to refresh both for the next move.
- ---. - NA md sNlnt"
belongs TO the "fontein' family and each
denotes an oasis in he dry landscape OF
the veldt. These 1fonteins' are never
the limpid, plashing water that Is brought
10 the eye by the charm OF the word
fountain
Assuredly they are not wells, which Is
often ventured as a rough translation OF
the word. They are like nothing except
themselves. The military map maker has
been known TO desc ribe them as 'copious
water
Late In the afternoon before the battle
Of Driefontein, or Abrams Kraal. as some
call II, this writer was with G FTench's
staff. The English cavalry division had
finished its prescribed trek for the day.
It's outposts were within skirmishing
touch Of the burgher patrols of Delarey
and De Vets army. The rapid twilight
closed around 5000 men and as many
horses, besides an odd thousand OF trans
port mules, and every mouth and limb
among them asked only TO quench thirst
and rest.
The Generals aIde-de-camp unfolded
his War Office map and remarked In disgust,
This is what We have got TO go on with.
il was an imposing and artistic docu-
ment. Its scale was large in the proper
ton OF inches to miles. much was printed
over Il about the traversible possibilities
Of the country 1t represented; and some
of it's most important features were dis
tiuRuished by colored tinis, which had
their counterpart and translation on the
margin. The color OF the place we were
on meant -copious water.
Beyond a doubt there was 10 be seen a
"fontoinr not a quarter OF a mile away.
II looked like a big enough pond Tor a farm,
where a hundred cattle might wade and
drink in comfort daily,
But here was a division Of cavalry. h
transport wagons and gun carriages We're
parked In rows for the night Their
draueht teams freed from their weary
Gull turned vAterward. In ten minutes
the @foutein' wa 81 the color and con
sistency Of black porridge
A few horses and mules not strong enough
20 pull any further put their last remnant
Of energy into a trot hat brought them
10 the middle Of the pond There they
were too perfectly happy 10 drink, 30 they
settled down forward. rolled oNer ana
die drowning. The others drank thelT
fiji % mud with gasping slde-.
And the men made the beet Of II, loading
their cook pots and water bottlet By
ret time tie 'fontein' Was 30 drained
that a lancer could have stuck a lance
Ia tho middle u % aud 20 would have stOod
upright,
BIt tho cavalry division had had its
~SCopious water " II could get soaf'elY a
- $500. H.. - .TH..F and A.N IA nUH.AH.
ouenoa not a. ~ b.rt Tor rapid NOfk 30
much ths worse for th" blg orOwdS aud 90
much the better Tor Tie agile, rowing COM
mands.s For the 'luui"iuh- d"olu'I TO-"
question a Transport and they we're on
the side 81 the burghrrr
really dsylsei Near hTouu-'nn th"i"
have bss,u fuT Year, Two lOf"-iIir. 500
f-.t deep Tho wHf"I they haN" islJ~Hi
D1mrs g. within fifteen i"si 81 'h" -.iia."
and by ppinping q 90 s,i'nin
idra u Arta.ian wells Co. water d h'.I fHl.r
va aItas-thof tou H.1u even ~ r4. D. q De-
llrrAts ~ gAulsaflUu be- fhu hfI'lrl AiiH'
Tic thlng thai q MON would tHi o. -
ths sake ~ water oanhu' D." hhn.'i laig
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