THE BOERS AND THE SWAZIS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10638, 24 April 1900, Page 6

THE BOERS AND THE SWAZIS.

(Received April 23rd, 9 a.m.) CAPETOWN, April 22. Sir Ashmead Bartlett visited the kraal of the Queen of Swaziland, and urged her not to permit the defeated Boers to occupy the eaten in the mountain fastnesses.

(Writing on February 18th, the Swaziland correspondent of the '"Natal \v itness , says:--The following has been reported and confirmed by different natives. Lost week ten Boors —old men—well armed, arrived at the Zombodi (royal kraal), accompanied by Commissioner Krogh, and bringing ten cattle. They had an interview with ttie Queen. In the tirst place they presented the tan cattle as the Dutch offering in support of the lamentations for the late king. That a desire to manifest their •ympathy with Bunu's mourners, who are credited with also being his murderers, was not the chief end of their mission was •oon apparent. They did not inform the Swazi Court that the British had got the best of it, but something very like that. They begged that the Swazies would show them tne caVes in the Indimba Mountain — those caves* in which the Swazies took refuge from the Zulus, and which are so •overed with bush and difficult to find that the owazies alone know how to reach them. These caves are of enormous size and can accommodate thousands of men and cattle. There is a plentiful supply of water ioride. The Boers must have been a little chagrined with the reply which the Queen gave them. She did not beat about the bush, but went to the root of the matter at once, as is the prerogative of royalties. She said:—"l kjnow that you are my lords, and I give you all honour, but 1 dare not hide white people, and I cannot show you the caves." The situation in a nutshell. What the Boers said, if they Raid anything, has not' come to hand. The natives are very proud of those "royal caves," aa they are called, and it is not at all likely that the Boers are going to have them as a place of refuge. Tha Swasei are more inclined to resist any Boer flight into tueir country, and probably the Boers noil find this out won.)