Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-08-23

English foot.
He was a farmer of Lichtenburg. a
razing district lying in the west OF
he Transvaal, and 1t was easy for
lin to muster little company of kins-
uen and friends of like temper to
rex with him out Of the Transvaal
ew days after the close of the war.
There were twenty-six whites in his
,arty. men, women and children, and
bout hundred Kafirs, most of whom
lad been attached by years Of service
md good treatment.
Du Toit had no definite choice of a
pot to settle on. He planned In a
General way to spy out the land amid
md beyond the swamps Of Mozam-
lque and laid his course straight over
he weld to Komateport at the railroad
rossing between the Transvaal and
he Portuguese territory For some
ime his trek was heard from more
" less frequently, but after passing
he Portuguese border the news be-
Ian to shrink to bare reports that the
Beers had been seen by natives from
fme to time, still pressing on to the
northeast through the wilderness to
he vast swamps
They were doggedly entering the
most repellent region Of the dark con-
inent, fearful expanse of fetid pools
ind loathsome mire, under the glare
" the torrid sun, the breeding ground
" the crocodile and all manner OF
eptiles. insects and vermin, perpet-
Ial fount Of miasma and deadly fevers,
Tut jealousy held against intrusion by
he fiercest and most bloodthirsty ma
ives Of Africa. All cunning and hate
ire lodged in these people, into whose
Iative blood has come touch of the
Arab and Of the trader of Madagascar.
Their normal life is war; their chief
is murder; the savage
With most blood on his hands is a
hero. and may become god when he
lies.
1t was presumed that the Boer trek
had passed into the swamps, but no
native had seen the entry and no
Jews came out and back to Lichten-
burg. After several months of vain
waiting and growing anxiety, a search
or the trail was begun with the help
II native scouts.
Every path leading into the marshes
vas traced for many miles by the
searching parties, but no marks Of Du
roit's trek were detected and no It'd
ngs Of the missing party could be
gathered from the natives. Yet ev-
Try Africander persisted In the belief
nat the party was somewhere alive or
hat its fate could be learned. All
African history has no record of lost
Boer; but, after hunting vainly for
many weeks, the Portuguese govern
nent was ON the point of giving up the
attempt, and it was evident that the
5oers must renew the search for their
or It would be abandoned
| had gone to Lorenzo MARQUES to
ielect land for the same purpose as
Ou Toit In territory beyond the
stretch of British dominion. The mys-
ferrous disappearance of the Boer
was table-talk In the little
tiosks on the street-corners Within
IN hour after my arrival a Portuguese
colonel, who was seated at one of the
tables, rose to meet me as l entered a
kiosk and greeted me as an old ac-
auaintance. sat down to share a
bottle of wine with him, and, after a
'ew minutes Of polite inquiries and
1owery talk. he urged me to enlist in
he hunt for the missing party.
The governor-general was persuad-
sd to make one more trial, and my
friend, Colonel Andreas, was put In
command OF troop Of four hundred
men, with myself and number of
friendly natives as scouts.
On the second day the raw men
lhowed signs of fatigue, and before
ne end of the third day the horses
yere tagged and plodded along with
rooping heads.
AS days went on, the column thin
>ed out more and more, stretching out
or over mile. Millions OF insects
covered over our marching troop.
Thinking our sweat and settling in
such swarms that every mans back
ooked as II 1t were coated with flies
wings. One by one the stragglers in
he rear would cry for help and drop
wyoming from their saddles. The
sorses,- too, were falling from ex.
saustion. At intervals from the sur.
founding bush we would hear the
sharp crack of rife; or an arrow
suzzing like frightened humming.
bird would reach its mark In one Of
bur troop. It was idle for us to at.
Tempt pursuit. Before we could spur
,ur tired horses to the cover, the Turk.
ng native would slip or into the thick.
Its.
After month of this travelling by
orced marches, stopping only few
lines to rest at pool or stream, our
horses were too fatigued to go furth
r We knew that we were not fai
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