A NEW ZEALANDER IN SOUTH AFRICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5497, 30 June 1879, Page 6

A NEW ZEALANDER IN SOUTH AFRICA.

We take the following from the Lytlellon 2gmes, in an abridged form r— Another Now Zealander, well knoivn in Canterbury, has turned up in the Zulu war, in the person of Mr. Arthur Dobson, who was very well known to many residents in Christchurch. In 1877 he left Canterbury, where he had resided for some 13 years, and returned to Tasmania, where his family, live, and a few months afterwards sailed for South Africa to inspect, report upori, and take up land in the Transvaal. The Sobart Town Mercury obtained a number of letters written to various members of his family, which, from Mr. Dobson's long agricultural and pastoral experience, carry weight with them, and these letters we reprint from the Mercury below. Unfortunately for poor Dobson, the warlike aspect of affairs pnt an end to any prospect of settling in Africa for some time to come, and in July last he joined the corps of Frontier Light Horse, under Colonal (then Major) BuUer, now attached to Colonel Evelyn Wood's column. He saw active service against Secococni, and subsequently against tho Zulus. No reasonable doubt, the Mercury thinks, can be entertained but that out of the 35 Light Horse who went to tho Zlobane Mountain on March 2S last, ho was one of the 28 who fell victims to the assegais of the Zulus, and wo believe a private letter has been received in Christohuich which puts this belief beyond doubt. The following is the series of letters: —

" The Camp, 20 miles from Utrecht, Wakestrom, Novomi -" 30, 3878:—I joic-'d the frontier Light Ho: Jf in July last, for six months. My time is ap, but I shall never have another opportunity of seeing the country, so I think I shall continue for another six months. Where I have besai, and what I have seen, would take a long time to relate. It is a strange country, especially when you get out of civilisation, as we were for weeks in Secocojni's country, which is all bush land ; the heat awful, and bad climate, and bad wator. The chief Secocosni has not given in, and his men shot two of our fellows ; but we were obliged to retire on account of horsasickness, and no water for the cattle that draw all our provisions and forage. It is a dangerous country to fight in, and it is a wonder that we were not all killed. On my way to the Transvaal I was at Port Elizabeth for two days, and there saw the ostrich feather sale. It was said that £220,000 was realised in the one day's sale. The feathers were all laid out in bunches on long tables— and such a motley crowd of buyers. A proportion of the feather men are well off, but only the old hands, or men who have had large capital to start with. The feathers are nearly as dear here as in England. _ I went on to Maritzburg. There was nothing to be done. The cost of travelling about to see the country would have been very gr'eat, and it wonld not have been safe to travel in some parts, so I saw Major Buller, and joined the Frontier Light Horse. The Frontier Light Horse was recalled from Secocceni's frontier, and came on to the Vaal River, and camped at Eobertson's store. Here 1 first saw an ostrich farm—some 50 birds enclosed in a paddock. This farm is owned by two brothers, who have had great experience in this country. I was pleased with this place, as some land was being ploughed, and five or six paddocks were fenced in, and actually a gate icto the orchard; gates are not common in this country. I assure you; fenced-in fifty-acre paddocks out of the question; no boundary fences; and a farm means a kraal made of stones-and a bare house, but on the older farms you see trees. There has been a wonderful dronght all'over the country this year. Carriage from Maritzburg to Durban, 50 miles, is 12s to 16s per cwfc., which used to be 2s to 3s ; potatoes, 303 per cwt. The Dutch farmers are not well off. They are a lazy set, and think of nothing but money, and live anyhow. They cut the corn, and then thrash the corn by driving stock over it, and then toss it in the air on a windy day. I like the country very much, but it is banishment for life. So one wonld care about investing much till the war is over ; land will then improve very mach in value at Pretoria. To get goods up the country is something very difficult. The greater pait of South Africa is a good climate ; the place reminds me of Tasmania. It will be a wonderful country some day, especially if the Delagoa Bay railway is opened. From what I have seen of Africa, I should say that it will be, in 20 or 30 years, one of the finest countries in the world. A fenced run here would be a fortune when things get quiet. Land can be bought at from 4s to 10s an acre. The 10s land is worth about £2 and the 4s about 15a." '' The Camp, Blood River, January S, 1879. —Round abont here the country is composed of hills about half the size of Mount Kelson, with splendid green grass all over them np to the very top, but in places rather rocky. Duripg our 20 miles ride out, and back by a different ronte, I only saw one single tree. The grass in South Africa is a lovely green at this time of the year, and it will be a lovely country in fifty years' time ; in fact, it is a wonderful place for grass, and far before Australia and New Zealand. "We have killed a good many in our tents ; as a rule they do not run large, although some kinds are very deadly. There is an absence of birds all about here, and very few wild animals ; tbef animals are nearly all killed.out. Sometimes we see'a rare specimen spoken of in books, such as the Kaffir cranes—lovely birds. Last night some of our niggers; under two white leaders, opened the ball on our side, and had a hand-to-hand fight, killing seven Zulus; they assegaied two of our blacks, who are now lying in the hospital, in comfortable camp beds. Our doctor wanted them to eat something, but no; their own Kaffir doctor, a fellow who carries his shop round his neck and waist, a lot of short pieces of wood and powders, must mix up a drink and give it them on the sly, then they are perfectly satisfied. Some of these Kaffirs are splendid-made fellows. A few wear tiger skins, but very faw, for wild animals are very scarce all over South Africa. The amount of ants, centipedes, and scorpions up about the wooded country, for miles round. Burgher's Fort, was awful. That is the place for sickness, and our men had such a bad time of it there, that one-half of them have given notice fe leave, as they fancy, when this war is over, we phall be ordered back there. It is constantly raining here, and thundering. Four nights ago we had a storm; its equal I have never seen—hailstones bigger than Hobart Town walnuts; the camp washed out. If I get through the next four months, without being shot or stabbed, I shall leave, there is nothing to be done in my line here, the country is too new. The green hills of Zululand are covered with flowers ; many of them you see in your garden at home. Here irias, gladiolas, picottee, kallow, convolvulus, petunia, are just as common as the wild lilies that used to grow in the fields long ago, when we were children in dear old Tasmania. My happiest days, I fear, have been spent. What memories the 90th Band last night brought home to one, as familiar waltzes came into one's ears, - while cleaning our horses—remembrances only a short ten months ago. .