THE TRANSVAAL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2087, 30 July 1901, Page 3

THE TRANSVAAL.

LONDON, July 22

Mrs Kruger died at Pretoria after three three days' suffering, frcm pneumonia; aged sixty-seven. The English newspapers express genuine sympathy over the death of Mrs Kruger.

'The Times' says that Mrs Krjger exerted her womanly influence more than once—notably after the Jameson Raid —on the side of moderation.

The Official Staff and many of her numerous relatives at present in Pretoria surrounded the deathbed of Mrs Kruger. A Belgian and two German doctors had latterly been in attendance. Although informed of his wife's illness, Mr Kruger Avas dumbfoundered on hearing of her death. He burst into tears, and asked to be left alone. He had frequently spoken of rejoining his wife. His friends say that the only tie binding him to South Africa is broken. Many anticipate that Mrs Kruger's death will have a disheartening effect on the Boers still fighting.

Four hundred Boers attacked General Pitcher's column under cover of a veldt fire in the Bultfontein district last month. The Mounted Infantry relieved the Yeomanry, who were in a difficult position. The British guns were brought into action, and then the enemy retired, with a loss of seven killed and twenty-five wounded.

Major Pine Coffin, with detachments of the 9th and 15th Mounted Infantry and Essex Volunteers, nocturnally surprised Collier's commando near Honing Spruit,capturing fourteen Boers, including two of General Prinsloo's sons, besides horses, saddles, rifles, and ammunition. General Rundle, during his march to Standerton, captured forty-two waggons and carts, 5,000 horses, 3,400 cattle, and 34,000 sheep. The same general's Yeomanry, in the Vrede district, fighting at close range, killed Captain Botha and captured Fieldcornet Lombard.

Mr Bennet Burleigh says that further inquiry confirms the statement that acts of butchery were committed at Vlakfontein. The sworn testimony with regard to the matter has been forwarded to De la Rev.

Recently Louis Botha expressed to Lord Kitchener his regret at the demoralisation and degeneracy in the Boer ranks, and the impossibility of repressing such acts. Mr Kruger, in a note published m the Brussels Press, declares that he informed the burghers that international complications were possible, but that intervention was hopeless. The Boers captured seventeen men of the South African Constabulary near Petersburg. Out of the total Orange River Colony population of 75,000, 10,000 are prisoners, 35,000 are in refugee camps, 17,000 are living in towns held by the British, and 13,000 are still at large. ' The Standard,' referring to the possibility of a Boer plebiscite being taken on the question of peace, says that if the leaders act, and a plebiscite is granted, it must necessarily include the Boers now in British hands, whose verdict undoubtedly will be the preponderating one.

BOER FICTIONS

'The Times'*' correspondent, telegraphing from Carolina recently, says:—"Carolina has been occupied for the fifth time by British troops. A few Boers retired as the troops appeared. These belonged to no organised commando and intended, to surrender, but a message arrived from Louis Botha at Ermelo telling them to retire and hide till we passed. The English, he said, were embroiled in war with Russia; plague was destroying the soldiers, and the rest were being hurried home. The Boers had completely destroyed the railway in Orange River Colony, and the British were obliged to trek to the sea coast. He owned he had thought of making peace with Lord Kitchener, but thanked God that Jie had rejected his terms. In 1881 a blood-red comet appeared, meaning war; the comet now seen was white, and signified peace, which would shortly be given them, and with it independence. Botha made a similar announcement later on at Ermelo. I have this confirmed (says the correspondent) from various quarters, and, believing it true, quote it, because such announcements serve to prolong hostilities."

BITE WORSE THAN HARK

General French has fought shy of interviewers ; he is a naturally reserved man. One of the men who has fought under him writes:—He is an example of still waters running deep; a man of few words, but one of the most " business" generals in the army, and a rigid disciplinarian. 1 heard him summed up by a trooper whom lie had sentenced in a word or two to fourteen days' confinement to barracks. Said the trooper: " Ole French don't bark a bit; but, crikev, don't 'e bloomin' well bite!"

BRITISH LENIENCY

The ' New York Press' explains the persistence of the Boers by the fact that ttie British have contracted to support the noncombatants, thus enabling the commandos indefinitely to indulge in "khaki stalking.' Similar mistaken humanity enabled the Confederates to approach Washington closer than Vlakfontein is to Pretoria, Then General Grant ordered that the Shenandoah Valley should be made barren and waste. The result was that after the Paardeberg General Lee's subordinates did not take the field as Cronje's subordinates have done. Lord Kitchener's work of destruction is not one quarter of that caused by Sheridan, and the loss is no more than that from an accidental fire in Texas over areas somewhat similar. The 'Press' sees no sign in-China that modern international public opinion or morality requires such tenderness. If it does, says the writer, the remoteness of ever ending a -war will discourage the commencement of hostilities. Mr William Mac Donald, describing himself as Scoto-American, writing to 'The Times' from New York, says:—l trust that in the conduct of the war, and especially in the settlement of same, the Government may remember Grant's terms at Appomattox—-" unconditional surrender." Anything less than that in the present instance, as it would have been in the four years' civil struggle of the United States forty years ago, will necessitate the work being done all over again by another generation and in a more herculean form. To a certain extent England is fighting Continental Europe, and any terms less than unconditional surrender' is a victory for England's enemies, whilst complete subjugation of these cat's-paws of England's enemies is defeat for them.

VICTORIANS TRAPPED

Staff-sergeant A. L. Robinson (of Melbourne), writing from Klipfontein on June 3 to his parents, says:—"l suppose the list, of casualties that we sustained last month will have caused rather a sensation in Melbourne, as the people seemed to

think ive wotudn't have much to do. We have already lost more officers and men (in action) than the other four contingents put together. Owing to the" nature of our work this is not surprising. I only wonder that a great many more of our men are not hit. Lieutenant Murpny and his party (one officer and twelve men) Avent out to a house, anu found women and children there. They had no waggons to bring them away, so returned next day for them with about thirty men. The Boers lay in wait Ut "ur men. Result: One officer and thre* men killed and one severely woHnded. 'I bey had made a brave stand, and we found two dead Boers and one severely wounded hirg on the field."

Private Fisher, of the same contingent writing of the same occurrence, states that Corporal Robertson, who was of Lieutenant Murphy's party, died in his arms as ne was trying to lift him on his (Fisher's) horse. The letter proceeds:"He was shot througu the heart while making a dash for cover. But, all the same, he twice made an effort to get upon mv horse in front of me. I got off and tried to get him on, but he was too heavy and limp. I put him down and tried to stop the flow of blood. Just then two Boers gave us their undivided attention. The bullets were very close ; twi :e they went between my arm and body. A mate of mine rode up and killed one, arid we made a prisoner of the other ; he was wounded in the thigh. I then tried to ge*; poor Robertson on the other chap's nor.n, but he fell back dead, and I laid him dov.- >, and had to cut for it, as the Boers charged us again. We afterwards recovered 1 is bodv."

IHE GRIM SIDE OF WAR. One of the returned Hawke's Bay troopers related a grim incident of the war a few days ago. He said : "We captured an English Tommy who had deserted and joined Be la Re-'s commando. He was found amongst the prisoners we took when we smashed up De la Rev between Hartebeestefontein and Ventersdorp. His doom was tixed for sunrise next morning. Forty Tommies were told off as the shooting party. The ueserter had ten bullets in him at the finish, and then he was not dead. It remained for an officer to take his revolver and give the deserter the final despatch. Another Tommy was shot for sleeping at his post, while a New Zealander got six months' imprisonment tor a similar breach of duty."—' Herald.'

A TYPICAL BOER LEADER. Here is a graphic pen and ink picture of the Boer leader by one of the American correspondents : —There was nothing in the appearance or dress of the man (says the writer) to cause one to single him out from among any crowd of burghers. He looked the typical Boer of the veldt, from his weather-beaten slouch hat to the cowhide boots into which his trousers were tucked. A more unmilitary figure could hardly be conceived. There was no attempt at uniform. A dingy, dark-blue sweater concealed the shirt—if there was one—and the trousers were an ordinary pair of brown overalls. Coat there was none. A bedraggled little cockade of ostrich feathers was stuck in one side of the hat band, but it had lost its freshness and drooped disspiritedly. Not the slightest indication of rank was visible. But for the light magazine sporting rifle slung across his shoulder, and a bandolier filled with cartridges, he might easily have passed for a farmer who had just left his plough.

THE DISSEMINATION OF BOER LIES. The Paris correspondent of ' The Times' desires to call the attention "of the proper authorities" to the fact that such usually sane papers as 'Le Temps' are crediting the lies circulated by the Leyds factory concerning events in South Africa. For instance, the ' Temps ' states that it has received from the Transvaal Legation the following communication : —"On May 2 the English were defeated by Beyers and Breytenbach near Kalkspruit, an hour's distance from Pretoria. They had 46 killed, 80 wounded, and lost 600 prisoners. The Boers captured six guns.'' Commenting on this 'Le Temps' says : "It is possible that the guns captured by the Boers were some previously taken from them, but, however this may be, the news, the accuracy of which is' beyond doubt, inasmuch as it has received an official imprimatur, is in several respects important. Not merely is this engagement unfortunate for the English. the most important which has taken place for more than a year, but the telegraph had said nothing of it, and the censorship must have been exercised even over letters, as no letter addressed to England mentions this defeat. It must be concluded that the English newspapers and Government only furnish information frequently not very correct and nearly always ' doctored' on the situation in South Africa."

All those persons whom I have met, says 'The Times' correspondent, and whom I cannot suspect of hostility to England, are amazed that for three days neither the English Government nor those commissioned to watch and correct information should have deemed it expedient and even necessary to contradict such reports, instead of allowing people to believe that news of the loss of 800 men can be suppressed by the censor. Either such a disaster occurred, in which case it should have been announced, so as to show that England does not keep back the news of Irer reverses, or it has not occurred, in which case they think that it should have been officially and strongly contradicted.

A QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY BRUSH

A strong patrol of Border Scouts, under Captain Ramsbotham and Lieutenant Beresford, left Kenhardt to escort waggons with stores to Upington, and repair the telegraph line between Kenhardt and Upington, which had been destroyed by the Boers after the Leeuwkop skirmish. They completed the task without meeting any opposition on the journey, but on returning they were attacked by a commando of 100 Boers, who were said' to be Free Staters. The Boers were marching on Kenhardt with the full intention of attacking the place, but on the way heard of a patrol at Narvega, and hoped to annihilate the lot. They simply stormed the homestead, and gave our men an opportunity of firing on them at a range of 100 yards. After an engagement lasting five hours, fifteen Boers were found dead on the field, seven were captured, and a number of horses, rifles, saddles, and cartridges were taken. Fieldcornet Jan Louw was among the wounded. The ammunition used by the Boers was mostly of an expansive character. Our losses were one man severely wounded in the leg.

"ZULUS ON THE WAR PATH."

Mr Brunner, member of the Natal Legislative Assembly for the Eshowe district, wrote to the "'Natal Mercury':—"Steps have been taken, with the cognisance of the highest military authorities in the country, to let loose the natives upon the already demoralised enemy, permission being given to them to loot and plunder. The natives of Zululand have been instructed by the military officers to arm and invade the Vryheid districts. Thousands of head of Boer cattle were brought in and handed over to Colonel Bottomley. and the Zulus were allowed 10 per cent, of all the plunder. One Beer, Cornelius Muller, has been seriously

wounded with assegais. As a result of this action the Dinizulu and Usibepu tribes are again on the war path." Mr Brunner also publishes a telegram of protest sent to the Premier of Natal, and what is stated to be the latter's reply, to the effect that he had sent protest after protest to the military authorities, but that he believed that Colonel Bottomley had greatly exceeded the instructions given in the original order.