DE LA REY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11950, 26 April 1902, Page 3 (Supplement)

DE LA REY.

De i.a Ret, the Boer general who captured Lord Methuen, is the most dignified of all the Boer generals. No Boer general, not even the famous De Wet, has inflicted so many disasters upon our troops. He is responsible for our* defeats at Uitvals Nek. Nooitgedacht, Vlakfontein, and the recent convoy catastrophe, while his troops at Moedwill and in the tight with Von Donop's convoy came very near to annihilating considerable British forces,, and were only repelled by the groat- gal-1 lantry and dash of the British troops. The Avar has brought pergonal sadness to him. His boy of fifteen was by his side at. the Modeler River. Then a bullet laid him low, and in half an hour the boy Ira* dead. DE LA. RKY AND LORD ROBERTS. What this meant to him was shown one night when some of his men were, sitting in De la. Rey's tent discussing Lord RobertsOne of the men was saying his lordship had earned in the war. an earldom, £100,000, ; jjj the highest position in the British army, and i a world-wide name. De la Rey listened quietly for a long time, and then said: "You. speak of what! Lord Roberts has gained, and seem to envy, him, but do you ever think of what he has lost? None of you have lost a son in this, war, but Lord Roberts and I have, and £ can sympathise with him. I will guarantee ; to say that he would willingly give up all the honours that he has, every penny of his fortune, and return again to the position "J of a, lieutenant, aye, even to a Tommy, if/ by so doing he could regain his sou. Ho I. is a field-marshal certainly, but he is 'ill father also. 1 know what his feelings ware■ when be heard that bis son was killed, j I have drunk of the same bitter cup, though he has drunk deeper than 1, for in bis i case he lost his only son, and I have others left," ' But he was soon to lose another. ;, No sooner had his eldest son been killed| than General De la Rey was joined at the front by his second son, a boy barely four-j' teen. if a Lee-Metford bullet has not found | him also, that little.lad. will be bearing the f terrible fatigues of guerilla war at his i father's side to-day. .' ' V , DE LA RKY AND THE WOUNDED. At Magersfontein (General jDe la Key occupied the extreme left of the Boer posi- i tion. The choice of the Magersfonteia' position was his, in opposition, to General Cronje's suggestion of. a stand at ScholtaNek. ■■;>,-*, " • ■- :■' : " At four o'clock on the Monday after-'' noon of the Magersfontein battles General; De la Rey bad to . sustain a very fierce at-" tack of Lord Methuen's forces. His de-1 fence was perfectly successful, and the dead | lay very thick before his position I when: Chaplain Robertson went there with his burial party on the Wednesday. . Throughout the war General De la Key has been continuously at- the front. He lay, very ill for a time at Kroonstad, but rose from his bed to take command of the scattered commandos opposing Lord Roberts" advance from Bloemfontein. ' DE I.A REY AS A MA.V. De la Rey is of Huguenot ancestry, as is shown by his high-bridged, finely-chisel-led nose, his well-poised head, his wellpoised head, his delicate hands and feet, i Mis breast is swept by a well-combed beard,, and his whole stature shortened by the mas-' siveness of his fine head. - Mr, Douglas Story had a curious discussion with Mr. Re.it?: once as to the height' of General De la Rey. "I had called him I a 'smallish man," and the State Secretaryi contended he was tall. In matter of inched] I believe Mr. Reitz was correct, but if ij were describing the man to one who desired to recognise him I should still call him a smallish man. His massive bead and heavy beard, set on a. spare, clean-cut body, give, him the appearance of a man of very medium stature. And yet 1 suppose, he is sft lOin in height. "He is a strange figure in the field," says Mr. Stoiv. "Dressed in a coarse,brown tweed suit, With a great light-colour-, ed patch on the seat of his trousers, he rode a ragged Rusnto pony. * "He had none of the trim neatness of Louis Botha, none of the aldermanic impressive!) ass' of Lucas Meyer; yet bis keen', eye. and sad, reflective face commanded respect. His native dignity asserted itself, through bis clothes. UK I,A KEY THE SILENT. '..:'.! "No man has ever accused De hi Roy of anything approaching dishonesty.;.'- ':• In. him is grand material for a loyal British' subject- He voted against the despatch of the ultimatum in the last secret session of the Volksraad befcre the war, and he fought throughout as a patriot, not as a political agitator. - " General De la Rey is too good a soldier, and has too high a respect for his opponents, to stoop to petty annoyances against the men who fall into his hands. He is in every sense of the term one of Nature's gentlemen—brave, courteous, and! chivalrous.'' He is known as a silent man, and has the thoughtful man's habit of slowly passing his hand over his forehead and over his heath Even in the Volksraad, where he sat for eleven years, he was known as the silent man. ■. He is said to be a true patriot, and fought for bis country rather than for his President. "No good can possibly come to the State until the,, old man is out of the way,'" he once exclaimed. Indeed, it was his known opposition to President Kruger that cost him the position of Commandant-Gene—' ral when Pfet Joubert died.

Life AND Vigour TOR THE Hath.— i rnly article which really possesses nutritious virtues for stimulating and ftstoring the hair' is Rowland's Maoassab Oil. It removes scurf harshness, dryness, prevents the hair' being injured by illness, and should always be' used for children's hair; no other article im-s parte such a beautiful and dressy appearance to the hair as Rowland's Macassar Oil, and if you have never used it, you are strongly advised to procure a bottle without delay, and continue using it; also in a golden colour' for fair hair. > Sold by stores and chemists.

A QUESTION FOR THE DOCTOR. Would it not be desirable to consult ' the doctor as to which soap commends itself to our uses, as so many skins j are ruined past - redemption by inferior soaps ? i Fbsbs' Soap; is recommended by the highest skin authori- . ties in the world. Dr. Redwood, J>., F. 0.5., FJ.O- w«o«e opinion if unimpeachable,' says, "I have never come across another, , toilet soap which so closely etmes up to my • {deal of perfection."- ■■';;.■: '^■■ «; 'it^i'tifrifrM.