SUPPRESSING THE GUERILLAS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9043, 11 January 1901, Page 3

SUPPRESSING THE GUERILLAS.

A farther letter has been received from j Trooper E. A. Rees, dated Pretoria, Dec. 2nd, m -which he says: — "No one seems to be able to forecast the time of the end, but I think that Kitchener will adopt much j more stringent measures than Lord Roberts would countenance. They are needed, . too, as these Boers and adventurers who are now carrying on this guerilla warfare, i are m most cases merely murderers..! There are some very ugly stories of their i conduct ■ vouched for — prisoners disarmed and murdered m cold blood, and unarmed men being shot down without warning. The whole country 2s being devastated, crops and houses m every disaffected district being given to the flames. While on our return from Rustenburg last month, we made several early morning raids. The procedure would be as 'follows: The Brigade would camp within six or seven miles of houses where it was supposed snipers stayed at nights. Orders would issue at about 9 at night for, say, fifty «Nevr Zealanders tojnova out at 1 a.m., destination only known to the officers m command. We are roused at midnight and are ready to start before the time. At last the commands come, 'Get mounted,' 'fall in,' 'groups right,' 'walk, march.' The right hand group follows close on the officer and the guide, and away we go. Nearly pitch dark, it is only by the sound of the horses' feefr that we can tell whether we are on the road or not. After an hour or two of walking, trotting, and sometimes cantering, we are split into four or five parties, and each party is instructed to surround a house m the vicinity. Then as the pale indistinct light becomes strong enough to enable us to see an outline at 100 yds, we set spurs to our horses and ride for all we are worth m the direction of where the houses are supposed to be. Presently one looms out, we are over the water-race and round the house m a second or two, battering on the door and demanding admission m Her Majesty's name. Up to now there is a touch of excitement, but then, after the men are taken, when they have to leave their families, comes the part of the work that is most distasteful. One lot of our fellows; found two men concealed m a loft under a lot of tobacco leaves. They nearly succeeded m escaping, but luck was against them. Then the various parties gather together, the prisoners are permitted time for their farewells, all their stock are taken, wag-' gon& and crops burned (we have not had to tur.n any women out of their houses), and then we return to a late breakfast at camp. Ido wish the regulars would be put on tHs work instead of us, but we can only obey orders and hope for orders to leave soon. Had service this morning at the camp' of the Lincoln Regiment. The band sounded splendid playing the hymns. We are under Paget at present, and have been under nearly every general out here. ■