A FORGOTTEN MESSAGE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 260, 3 August 1928, Page 6

A FORGOTTEN MESSAGE

A page of secret history concerning the British disaster at Majuba Hill, in IbSl. is revealed by Admiral Marx Kerr in his volume of reminiscences, - ’Land, bea. ana Air” The story has hitherto been within, the knowledge of only a handful ot people. It concerns the ill-fated attempt 05 General Sir George Colley to occupy and hold the hill on February 27, 1881. Out of his small force, of 600, about 200 were killed and wounded. Colley himself wasshot through the head. Part of his force contained a naval brigade detachment, and it is in this connection that Admiral Kerr’s story is given point. He was at that time a midshipman, and was on a voyage with a flying squadron m boutli American waters. ' When at Montevideo the officers attended a .brilliant ball given on January S, 18S1, by the British Minister. The very eharming diplomat who represented Her Britannic Majesty in Uruguay had fallen deeply in love with a pretty and accomplished countrywoman, whom we all saw at the ball. At the moment when the representative was summoning up his courage to propose to her during the dance a telegram was brought to him. He put it into his pocket, deferring the deciphering of it until his fate was decided for good or ill. 'ln the joy of the. reply that he received the telegram was forgotten, and it lay snugly in the pocket of his full-dress coat until discovered there the next day by his valet when he was brushing his clothes. The cablegram contained the orders directing thi) squadron to proceed to bt. Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, at once, and to prepare to land 1000 men and eight field guns for the assistance of the expedition under Sir George Colley. The message was sent down at once to the port, but the squadron had sailed. There was no wireless in those days, and a little gunboat sent in chase was obliged to return because of a great gale. The squadron arrived at St. Simon’s Bay on February 16. too late to join in the Majuba expedition. “It is amusing to speculate on what would have happened if, unfortunately, the beautiful girl refused the hand of the charming diplomat. The squadron would have arrived at South Africa three weeks sboner. The Naval Brigade would have doubled the British force. Majuba’s defeat could not have happened, as the increased force would have overflowed the hollow on the top oi the hill in which the British army reposed, and consequently th Boers would not have surprised them. The Boers probably would have been beaten, the Transvaal would not have left the British Empire, and so there would have been no second Boer War and no Kruger telegram.