A LADY'S LETTER FROM MARITZBURG.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 293, 11 December 1899, Page 3

A LADY'S LETTER FROM MARITZBURG.

INTERESTING DETAILS. The following interesting letter has been received from Miss Edith Sutton, of Melbourne, who (says the "Argus ) is at present at Maritzburg, in. Natal:—* MAEITZBURG, Oct. 21. The war has started fast and furious, and wo at Pie>termaritzburg,tho garrison town, are in the midst of itMartial law was proclaimed here yesterday, and everybody must be home by 11 o'clock. We have the town guard out, and are always passing patrol and scouting parties. Everything- is handed over to the military, and the excitement is intense. I can really hardly write. We expect to see some of it ourselves yet, as Maritzburg is expected to be attacked before long. Mr Dicketts, of the Telegraph Department, had the telephone laid on to ono of the camps, and could hear the shells bursting. The major in charge of the telegraph office, was very excited; so was the Governor, Sir W. F. Hely-Hutchison, who y was there the whole night during the fight at TalanaHill. During the time the telephone was laid on the operator at the other end, in Dundee, said, "Hold on, a minute, a beastly shell hasjust burst at my feet." Then he said, ."Go ahead, it's not charged." Out of the first hundred shells the Dutch fired hardly one had any effect, but later on they managed them better; but they say themselves the artillery will bo a drag to them, as they don't tmderstand the art of using it. A line man of the Telegraph Department, just lately out from England, has been shot on the Market Square at Ladysmith, as a spy. It is supposed he was larg-ely in the pas'- of the Dutch. On Sunday, the 23nd, it was rumoured that some of the prisoners were to be brought down, and thousands of people turned out to see the train arrive. They walked miles from the station, and saw the train coming over the hills in the distance; but the disappointment was great when it arrived with closed shutters, and was shunted straight into the gaol, with the Natal Mounted Police keeping guard and keeping the people a safe distance off. The same thing happen--led on Monday night, when the rumour got abroad that the wounded from Elands Laagte were coming down to the hospital. The Natal Mounted .Police cleared the platform and station. The train was expected at eight o'clock, but ' did not arrive till 11

o'clock. After all the waiting we didn't see much. They Avere aAvfully careful of the poor felloAVS, had 80 stretchers waiting, and put them into the ambulance waggons, dimvn by 16 mules. One poor felloAV had a wound on the cheek and bullet Avounds in the arm and leg, and another had his upper lip shot off. _ We Avere talking to some of the little Tommys the other day (the regulars) —drummer boys—and we said, "But, Tommy, aren't you too small to go up to the front?"' and he said, "That's just what our colonel said, sir; but Aye said, 'Never mind, sir; Aye can stop a bullet, and though avg are small we've got big hearts." One of the poor little chaps has stopped a bullet, and he won't->o any further—he left the next day with the Lancers, and his chum, Avho tossed with hini Avho should go, as only one was wanted, is broken-hearted. The Dutch are 'terribly hard and mean, to the Kaffirs, and'even if it is no business of theirs will stop a Kaffir and say, "Oopee 10. pass?" ("Where is your pass?"). Aji Kaffirs are numbered and have passes, and if he happens to be Avithout one he will make him Avork a couple of days on his farm, then take all his money from him. lhey also have been knoAvn to tear up the Kaffirs' passes, then ill-treat them, teo that when the Dutch Avounded Avere being- carried in Avith the British (and by the way they were treated as well as the British) to the camp hospital some Kaffirs who were standing by grinned at them and yelled out, "Oopee lo pass, baas?" Another little incident was a conversation overheard between two youngsters, one Dutch and the other English. "We're goino- to Ii in + C Said the infant Copper. "Hoav's that.p said young Britain. "Oh, we ye got God on our side," replied one o± Oom Paul's nephews. "Oh " responded his opponent, "have you commandeered Him, too?" S°me, ;? pies I)ave beon caught amongst the Light Horse, and already two have been shot. '

A J. le kntish losses al-e pretty heavy, a lot of officers being, as usual, picked off, but the Dutch losses are treble Ammunition ran short at Dundee, and now Newcastle, Dundee, and Glencoe have been evacuated, and the Dutch were cowardly enough to fire on the Aed Gross hospital. All the Britishtroops aro noAv massed at Ladysmith a ieAv miles from Maritzburg, and we hear the Dutch at Greytown are risingand that there are some between here and Ladysmith.

When some of the Dutch Avounded were being carried into the British camp hospital they Avere quite frightened that they would be ill-treated, and were surprised at being treated Avith kindness. The Boers have absolutely no honour, or any idea of it, and you can believo they will do exactly opposite to what they say. They fired on the white flag1, the Avounded, and the Red Cross, but yet there is something to say :ui their favour, at least, to exonerate them. They are not so Avell disciplined, in fact, not at all, and don't always know when to stop firing, etc., as is the case in the British army, when Avord is given by the officer and almost immediately passed from man to man.