KRUGER’S MEMOIRS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12986, 29 November 1902, Page 9

KRUGER’S MEMOIRS.

THE EX-PRESIDENT AS SPORTSMAN, SOLDIER AND PATRIOT. [FbOM Ouß CoiSRESrOXDEXT.] , LONDON, Nov.. 24. f Our recent recollections of cx-President Kruger as the crafty potentate whose main idea of government was to feather the nests of himself and his family i and as the fugitive from his stricken country with a safe skin and a goodly portion of the State funds, aro rather apt to hlot out from our minds the memory of the youthful intrepid; sportsman, fearless fighter, cunning strategist and conciliating patriot. This side of Kruger's life is dealt with in the extracts which the “ Times ” gives us this week from the “ Memoirs of President Kruger,” which are to bo published in November. They show how Kruger, in the battle with wild beasts and the defence against savage races, won a home for himself and his people, and how he (secured it by his sober grasp of the internal dissensions. The emigrants who joined the Great Trek, which Kruger's father joined, conquered the soil step by step ; and young Kruger, who joined the trek at the ago of nine, played his part gallantly. The first extracts describe how, at the age of fourteen, he shot his first lion, the beast almost crushing him as it fell dead upon him. ,

“ A certain Hugo knelt down to measure the lion’s teeth, which were extraordinarily big. Thinking no harm, I jumped on the lion’s stomach. As I did so, the air shook with a tremendous roar, which so frightened Hugo that he forgot his tooth measurements and fell down flat upon his back. The others shook with laughter, for every hunter knows that if you tread upon a lion’s body within a short time of his death he will give a short last roar, as though he Were still alive. The breath that remains in him, being forced from the stomach through the throat, produces the roar. Hugo, of course, knew this, but he had forgotten it, and was greatly ashamed) of his fright.” At one of his last rhinoceros hunts he had a very narrow escape. He and his comrades, on setting out, agreed that the one who behaved recklessly, or through cowardice allowed game, which was merely wounded, io escape, should receive a sound thrashing. Theunissen, who had wounded a cow, warned Kruger not to dismount in front of the beast. However, the reckless youth jumped off his horse, and was pursued by the furious animal. “ I allowed her to come within a distance of three or four yards. When I fired, the percussioncap refused, and there was no- time for a second shot. There was nothing to be done but to turn round and run for dear life. In attempting to do so, my foot struck against the thorn roots, and I came down fiat on my face. The beast 1 was upon me, the dangerous horn just missed my back, but the beast pinned me to the ground with her snout, intending to trample me to death, But at that moment I tupped under her and got the contents of the second barrel full under the ,shoulder blade, right into her heart. J owed my life to- not letting go my hold of the gun during this dangerous adventure. The rhinoceros sprang away from pie, but fell down dead a few yards away. My brother-in-law bunded up as fast -as he could, for he thought I had been mortally wounded by my gup in this deadly combat. When he saw that I was safe and sound, he took his sjambock, and, ‘according to contract,’ commenced to belabour me soundly because I had acted recklessly in disregarding bis warning.” The author goes on to describe the part fie played in the various wars with the Natives. In the fight against fetched he was struck on the head, by a ball which rebounded 1 from a rock, and also on the chest by a musket ball. He became unconscious, but was guarded by a Hottentot boy, and came-to just in time to see the Kaffirs creeping up under cover, and to foil their attack. His daring interview with Moshesh on the Thabo, Bosigo mountain resulted in a treaty putting an end to the war between the Orange Free State and the Basutos. In the expedition of 1853, to avenge the murder of Hermann Potgieter, the Kaffirs were driven hack into the gorges and besieged in tire caves and gorges to which they had retired. “After the Kaffirs had long lain in hiding and suffered many losses through famine, without showing any immediate signs of surrender, I asked leave to obtain their submission by stratagem. I crept in the dark, unseen, into the cave where the Jvalfirs lay hidden. Sitting down among them I talked to them in their own language, as though I were one of themselves, 3 pel said that jt would be better to surrender than to die of hunger. I went on to say that the white men would certainly not kill us, and offered myself to go out to the white men and talk to them. Suddenly an armed Kaffir cried : ‘ Magoa ’ (a white map). But the moment of danger was soon past-, for no sooner had the Kaffir cried ‘ Magoa ’ than the others fled 'further into the cave, and I, too, sprang to my feet and fled with 'them to the back of the cave. The Kaffirs now looked' everywhere for the white man, except where he really 'was, ip 1 their -own midst. After they had become a. little quieter I again talked to them in their language, advising them to surrender. At last I succeeded in obtaining leave to take our 170 or 180 women and children with me, and it was not until I was -outside that they perceived it was I, and not a Kaffir., that had spoken to them. My plan really was to obtain the voluntary surrender of tho Kaffirs, and thus to get the guilty captain into our bauds. But this plifiv failed, and we were obliged to continue tb e siege. Eventually, the Kaffirs were forced by hunger to surrender.”

Mr Kruger gives an interesting account of the prominent part he played in arranging the settlement of the civil war of 1861-186-1, and of the loyal support he gave President Burgers when th-g latter was elected in opposition to tho candidate of Kruger’s party. The extracts, so far, contain little controversial matter, but the following reference to Livingstone is, no doubt, a sample of what we may expect when we reach that part -of the book dealing with the relations of Great Britain and the Transvaal.

“When the- fight against Setdieli was over, Commandant Sclwltz sent to the hdjiso of Livingstone, the- English missionary, which was not far from the Kaffir town. Here Theunis Prcto-rious found a complete workshop for the repairs of firearms and a multitude of war materials which Livingstone kept stored up for Setcheli’s use. This was a violation of tbe Band River Convention, of 1852, which laid down that the Kaffirs were not to be supplied with arms or ammunition, nor to be permitted to -obtain either for themselves. Bchollz accordingly, confiscated the missionary's arsenal, and: in return, the Boers were insulted and, slandered by Livingstone throughout the length, and breadth of England.”