THE SKETCHER. "STONEWALL" KITCHENER'S BLOCKHOUSES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2503, 12 March 1902, Page 65

THE SKETCHER.

"STONEWALL" KITCHENER'S BLOCKHOUSES.

(A South African Constable, in the King.) It is quite true that since Loid Kitchener was obliged to commandeer all our horses, the greater part of us have remained an infantry force without any experience c«f mounted work or horse-mastership. For all that, the S.A.C.. green hands as most of them were, will have had a larger share 111 bringing the war to a triumphant conclusion than many would suppose. And the blockhouse lines, which are slowly but surely strangling the desperate efforts of the jjoer guerillas, are to a veiy luige extent the work of Baden Powell's indefatigable "Nav\ y Brigade." When the war has become a bit of past history, and Boei and Briton have joined forces in the working out of a common destiny, it should not be forgotten that the foundations of this \asl country's civilisation and development were literally built up by him who w ill be remembered hereafter a« 'Stonewall' Kitchener. To realise the completeness of the blockhouse system, you should remember that each of these diminutive forts is connected with its tellotvs at a distance of from six "to seven hundred yards by wire entanglements and telephones, by which latter the presence ol the enemy at any point is communicated right up and down the line. Before I came up here on to the Limberg Kopjes. 1 was guarding a bit of line in the Orange River Colony. We had been fairly quiet, and I was deep in a game of ches^ with 1,. when a sergeant put his head in the tent door. " Ror-ket just gone up. «ir. Xo. 509 report through telephone that they are surrounded." Uj* we jump L., nearly mated, accidentally kicks chessboard over. We seize our rifles and bandoliers, dash outside in a moment, and, order every one into the fort, except sentries and patiols. Telephone nngs fiom 509. I rush for it. "Yes ; what is it?"' "Boers driven off," ?omes in reply ; "hit tto—gonew o—goneo —gone towards 510. ' I try to ring up 510. Can't get them. Telephone c-vidently cut or broken I telephone to Spitfonteir for armoured train, and, not getting any more messages through, suppose Boers have retired, when up goes anothei locket again.-t the evening sky, and reports cone in that 0111 patiols have been driven back, and the sound of heavy tiring comes down the line, evidently moving acr.>«s 0111 front, engaging the patiols of blockhouses on our right, while two blockhouses are themselves in action. Enemy, in strongish force, show up on a kopje 600 yds away, and a few bullets strike our stone works', as we send up another rocket for a guide to aimourcd tiain, whose searchlight we can see flitting along the hills. The next moment a flood of white light lnt-> the obnoxious kopje. A bang from the approaching tiain is answered by a whorl of smoke, and a splitting crack on the Boer position, and the enemy are scouring off through the night. Shortly after I moved to my present quaiters on the Limberg, wheie 1 shall spend Christinas among q"uite magnificent mountain scenery. We are. in fact, in a sort of eagle's nest up here, and look down upon the veldt from a tremendot^ height. The gias% looking new-sprung and moist after the lams. makes the country far below as green as an emerald, the general colouring '■oftened by the vast distances and deep air spaces which he between us As we sit on our kopje and gaze far and wide upon the scene below, numerous deserted Boer farmsteads meet the eye in all directions, half concealed amidst groves of fiuit trees and bits of scattered woodland. There is not a sign of Lfe among them all. and not even a dog remains to bark at the intruder. A day or t« o back one or two of us ventured as far a 1- the nearest of these, lying about two miles away below the kopje. It was quite deserted, but apparently in very good condition. What pleased u« mo<-t weie the gardens around, full of all sort*of beautiful flowei*-. and extensive grounds stocked with magnificent fruit tiee<- of excellent quality. We made a regular horticultural inspection, and found peaches, plums, apples, apricots, figs, and large orange and lemon gioven. The fruit ill soon be fit to eat, and we slull not let it all fall to rot. It was impossible t(> help thinking tli.it when the war is over thin cotintiy, with proper caie and flint cultivnlio:), will make California and •om- otbr-i lnrvalitios sit ud in the London

market. The wealth of South Africa h not all in gold and diamonds. A passing column of our people have just handed over to our temporaiy care several prisoners captured a few miles off. We sat them down and had a talk with them. Thpy told us they had been surrounded, or would never have given in, as they contended that the war was not yet half over. One of us asked them how they liked the English — lather a curious question to men 'in their condition. A bearded ruffian replied, however, that he had always hated us badh, hut since his capture he hid rathfr changed his mind, and what he had now seen of them he liked much. It appears that they are all taught by their commandants thar we shoot every prisoner on •sight, and it was strange to see their surprise when we treated them in a jovial s>ort of way to hot coffee and some food. One man observed that he never wanted to take up arms again a« long as the British came into power, and ruled the country , which looks as though there would be very little opposition to a paternal form of administration except at the hands of interested agitators.