THE SEVENTH CONTINGENT. OPERATIONS IX VRYHEID.

Otago Witness, Issue 2497, 22 January 1902, Page 22

THE SEVENTH CONTINGENT. OPERATIONS IX VRYHEID.

Captain Tubman, forrnerlv of the fourth contingent, but now attached to the seventh contingent, writes to a friend in Dunedin as follows : —

Colonel Garratt's column, to wliich the 7th New Zealand Regiment is attached, has been operating for the pas-t three months in Vryheid district. This originally formed part of Zululand, and on its being annexed to the Transvaal Republic n - a3 known «<= the "New Republic." It was reded to the Transvaal in return for tho assistance tendered to a Zulu chief by Louis Botha, Lucas Meyer, and 800 burgling (drawn principally from the Or&nJZ£ Fieo State) aji&uut a aoiglibow-

ing chief. On reference to the map of Vryheid (i.e., "Freedom") it will ba fouad that the district comprised exactly 800 farms, one for each of the burghers who took part in the war. Botha himself received three adjoining farms. The system of measuring off the farms was a somewhat unique one. Each had four bides, not necessarily at right angles to one another, the length of each side being approximately the distance a man would cover in three-quarters of an hour riding at the rate of four miles an hour. Streams, as far as possible, formed the natural boundaries between farms. A kopje higher than its neighbour would mark one of the angular points. Care was taken that each farm was well supplied with water.

The Vryheid commando, which is at present under Commandant Groblar, numbered at the beginning of the campaign about 900 burghers. It seems to have been particularly fortunate, as it still has a fighting force of 700. It is against these worthies that our column, acting in conjunction with that of Colonel Pultney, is operating. The process of thinning it cut is certainly a difficult one. It is rarely that the whole of the commando is together. It seems to move in three detached parties, each under its own veld-cornet, who takes scrupulous care never to risk an engagement that might result in the loss of a few men. Their system of intelligence is so admirable that it is quite impossible to surprise them by day. A system of night marching, terminating in the rushing of the farms before dawn has until quite recently been very successful, but there are evidences th=»t the Boers are beginning to be on their guard to prevent these surprises. Farm rushing carries a good deal of risk with it, and it is probable that had the enemy the same discipline as exists among our troops we would frequently be cut up. But the Boer does not like fighting in the darkness. If he is apprised of our approach he withdraws to a safe position to await dawn. From frequent conversations J have had with prisoners recently captured, it would appear that the enemy have abandoned all hope of European intervention on behalf of their Republics. Likewise they admit their cause to be hopeless. They acknowledge their inability to successfully combat us. When asked, " Why do you, then, persist in fighting?" they reply that there w now nothing else left them to do. A point of honour they adheie to is that, having drawn the burghers of the Orange Free State, as well as a number of Cape and colonial Dutch, into the struggle, it would be now grossly mean to abandon them to their fate. The latter will certainly never lay down their arms, for they know what awaits them when they do, so there is little hope of seeing the Transvaal burghers surrender in a body. Another idea, too, that they have recently conceived ia that the expenses to us of continuing the war are so heavy that we shall soon be practically a bankrupt nation, and then we shall be compelled to make terms with them which shall secure to them their independence. This is no doubt the latest report circulated by the commandants to encourage the burghers to remain in the' field. For those burghers who have surrendered voluntarily they have the utmost contempt; and to those who have not only surrendered, but who have assisted us by joining our forces, the epithets they apply are not to be found in "Webster's International. •Strange to say, those most bitter towards us- are their women folk. From a capable way many of them slang us when we are bringing them in from their farms, I sometimes do not wonder at their men folk remaining on commando. The official estimate given by the Ha>Office shows that there are still about 11,000 still in the field. This number is b*ing reduced by about 1000 fighting men per month. Of course, as the numbers decrease, there will be additional difficulty in catching them. However, under ordinary circumstances, all those in the field (with the exception of a few small bands of desperados) should be accounted for in about 12 months. Nothing but the complete subjugation of the race will ensure the future peace of British South Africa. I think it possible that had all the burghers surrendered after the fiill of Pretoria we phould have had to fight the war over again in about 10 years' time. Much as the continuance of the war may be deplored, it is, perhaps, for the be&t, and may result in permanent peace.