WITH THE BOERS.

New Zealand Mail, 27 September 1900, Page 25

WITH THE BOERS.

AN ATTACHE’S REPORTS. The Norwegian Attache with the Boer army has sent a number of interesting reports to the Governmentat Stockholm of his experiences. The Attache was at Kroonstad early in March, and from his letters the following extracts^ re taken ; “Here prevails the most extraordinary life it has ever been my lot to xvitness. All hotels and private houses are filled to overflowing, whilst little laagers are spread everywhere in and outside the toxvn. A wild stream of loose horses, mules, donkeys and oxen, and little bodies of troops and solitary riders, pour through the streets, bt'oken by heavy ox-waggons and 1 mulecarts driven by whips and shouts. All nationalities, and all colours are present, and the most Babylonian babble of tongue resound's on all sides. Here are foreign military attaches, surgeons, nurses, regular and irregular Boer troops, volunteers of all arms, officers as well as privates, and besides a goodly lot which I can only stamp as ‘freebooters,’ for they do not ■belong to any fixed commando, but look upon the fighting as sport or chase. Frequently, however, among them I come across men of high culture and of first-class families,, often fine, handsome men with martial bearing, side by side with the worst scum of the earth. Many pass from one war to another. I have spoken with some who have gone through the- Greek, Cuban and Philippine Wars. And xvhat uniforms do these mercenaries, wear? None at all, or, more correctly speaking, each one has invented his own! The only common badge is the bandolier across the shoulder and the slouch hat. Otherwise everyone wears whatever clothes he may possess, only so that it is nothing new. Many of them who are well off have donned a fantastic costume—slouch hat, with waving ostrich feathers and. gold lace, jacket edged xvith yellow, orange and green hands, epaulettes with great gold tassels, white or gilt buttons, stripes on the trousers, top boots xvith spurs, cockades ill tiie hat and on the breast, and revolvers in the belt. At present the Boer troops are spread all over the place, mostly without any order, or discipline. Many of them, particularly the Orange Boers, arc sick of the war, and long to go home to their families and farms. Others have simply gone home, after the Bloemfontein debacle. in these circumstances Steyn considered it best to alloxv his men to go home for a few weeks, and call ’ hem together again xvlien the great Council of War at the end of the week had decided whether the xvar should be continued. Many thousands have thus gone home, with or witho-ut leave. Will they return ? It seems a dangerous experiment. Had the English continued northwards just in these days they would have easily reached a very advanced northern position, prevented a fresh assembling of the Orange army, and cut off the southern commandoes xvhich- are now retiring xvest of Bloemfontein. But now the burghers are able to gather and organise anexv.” “ Yesterday I attended the great Council of War here, presided over by Kruger ancl Steyn. About- forty Boer leaders xvere present, among them Joubert, De Wet, De La Rey„ Celliers, F. Botha, De Villebois-Mareuil (since killed), and others of high standing. Truly this was a curious collection of fighting farmers to the eyes of anyone used to European uniforms. Not one had a. trace of uniform;, no, not a. bright button or a bit of lace even, and only one here or there' a clean shirt! But talk they could; fluently aud expressively they gave their opinions. Some of them had clearly natural genius as ; leaders in war, and showed' distinctly wherein ‘-.lay the ■strength ancl weakness of the Boer troops. ' They had not lost courage in the slightest degree, and had no intention whatever of throwing i" up the sponge. They -. . are powerful, bronzed and beai'ded men, those Boers, with set lines of face, and ca.hu and selfconscious bearing. Had they and tlieir men been in possession, of more, military training and skill it'U might r have gone hard with the English.” I '' President Kruger opened the Council with tx prayer, calling clown the blessing of the Highest upon the just cause of the Boers. Prescient Steyn followed xvith a brief review of the situation, and tlio expression that if the English thought they had won the game by occupying the capital they xvere utterly mistaken. Hoxv should we noxv continue the war ? Should xve as before defend ourselves in fortified positions, or should xve try a new method? j-I am no soldier, he continued, . but according to ray conviction xve ought no longer to occupy fortified positions, as the English have learned, to manoeuvre us out of them, without fighting, for which they invariably have plenty of men. Therefore, xve ought only as much as possible hamper the enemy’s forward march, and, while threatening his rear and flank, attack him everywhere where there is a chance with small commandoes without train. We must by this method proceed more offensively than hitherto, and before all turn upon his lines of communication.”