New-York tribune., 1903-03-15
[ WOMAN,S WAR BOOK.
Pathetic Record Of Nrs. Detarey,s 3
Wanderiags on the Peldt.


London February %.
One OF the most pathetic Of the Boer hooks
IL q record Of brave wonlap's wandering OH
the veidt. II Is written by Mrs Delarey
the wife Of the famous general: is translated
smoothly by Lucy Hotz, and will be published
next week by Mr.. Unwia. under the title, "A
Womans waader4ngs and Trials During the
Anglo-Boer War" It is a simple record of
personal experience. and II helps one to under
stand the wonderful defence which the Dutch
made against the resources Of the British En-
pire. The generals wife was the daughter Of
Hendrix Adrian Greet one of the Voortrekkers
OF the TraRsvaaL and from her early child
hood she had lived in Lichtenburg. When the
Western Transvaal was little better than q
wilderness, where only kafirs ard savages
were to be met, her mother. with four children
was accustomed to accompany her father on
hunting expeditions They went with him on
long journey to Damaraland. and were for
twelve months on the veldt. exposed TO attacks
from blacks who were like wild beasts. and
trekking from day to day In search of water
and food These early adventures
called when Mrs. Delarey was ordered by
Lozd Methuen to leave her husba nds farm in
Lichtenhurg and to wander with four young
children up and down the country for nineteen
months The Boer had been trained
from childhood Ito rough it, like men. to drive
oxen, to hunt In the wilderness and to live
on the coarsest food. When the came
they were not IN need Of protection, but could
take their children with them and live in Oh
wagons and tents in the open country This
hook narrates in detail the experience Of one
Of these exied families In mountain and plain
while the general was fighting at the head of
his commando.
This story Of womanly fortitude begins With
the march Of 1,o01 hurghers to Krasipan and
Kimberley, and the mothers seTrowful part
ing with her two sons. who were to fight under
their father. Days of suspense were passed
while she was waiting for news freM Lord
Nethuens battiefelds; and morning
neighbor met her with these words: Il have
sorrowful tdngs. Your husband has sent ma
p telegram for you. and 1t says: This morning
our dearly beloved son Adrian passed away
in my arms from a wound received yesterday
in heavy fight, and to-day shall lay him
in the ground at Jacobsdaal. fortnight
afterward she went to the front at Mayors
fontein and heard the story Of the boys death:
and she found in the hospital the clothes which
he had worn and in Jacobsdaal the mound of
earth where he had been buried. She returned
~ her farm when her husband was ordered to
Colesberg. and she there when the British
march to Pretoria began aud when Mafehiug
was relieved The Kaffirs stripped the border
of cattle and the Rritish traopers entered the
village She lost all her cattle. hut was allowed
by Lord Methuen to retain two horses: and
orders for the burning of the farm buildings
we're not carried out. Whenever the British
evacuated the village she received visits from
her husband. and because he found shelter
there she finally ordered to abandon the
farm An wagon loaded with clothing
end cooking utensils for a protracted journey;
the children were seated in front; the mother
and daughter were behind in carriage;
and two mich COWS followed the So
began. in a drenching rain. a pilgrimage which
to end with the negotiation of peace.
For nineteen months this wagan Was the
family refuge Sometimes the wanderers
would find lonesome house. which had
capped destruction, and they would live In 1t
for few weeks: and sometimes they would
set up their tent under trees and the
floor with grass; but they seldom halted long.
for the cry of ''Khaks would be raised and
everything would have to be taken down and
hacked up in moment and the oxteam set
in motion. They remained as much possible
in the district where General Dearey was
operating, hut il was frequently secured and
harried by British columns, and they were in
constant danger Of CAPTURE The children out
grew their clothes and shoes. which their
mother always patching and eohbng; and
since she ipsfsted upon keeping them clean
soap had to he made of the ashes OF resin
exuding from certain trees or from deposits
Of saltpeter scraped from walls They were
constantly deyising new ways of doing things
They unraveed sailcloth and renewed their
supply of sewing cotton and material for stock
ings; they carded sheep's wool and wope it
into strands; they made skirts and jackets out
Of blankets captured from the enemy; and
they drted and burned a species of wild petato
to exc their diminished stock of coffee
beans. Ordinarily they travelled the
Seldt with COWS and shesp, hencoaps and
kafHr servants, and they had mealies in album
dance and ovens for baking bread. It
lfe OF stern hardship and eeaseless self-denial;
and il became more hazardous and Wearisome
as the lines OF bloekhouses were extended and
the fugitives allowed to halt more
than few days in any place, and we're often
forced TO retreat under Of darkness.
Grit was needed for arduous a pilgrimage.
and the generals wife had an inexhaustihle
store Of IT
The devotion Of this mother to her children
and the practical talents which she displayed
IN supporting them for nineteen months In the
open veldt help TO explain the resolute deter
miTation Of the burghers themselves. The
wives Of the warriors could lie depended upon
TO take care of the children even when they
we're driven from their homes and were too
PROUD spirited TO take refuge in the c0ncentra-
lion camps. Many of them camping out
or living in huts not far from the Iaagers
where the burghers were stationed, and they
were often under fire on the edge OF the battle
field When there driving movements
across country by a series of British columns
the women could elude pursuit by midnight
marches almost cleverly as the men them
selves. They were enabled 10 encourage their
hUs6an6z nd hers bx yiSj nd