VERY LATEST

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2951, 24 November 1900, Page 3

VERY LATEST

HiK:, till f ill il-

THE TRANSVAAL.

KRUGER IN PARIS. HOSTILE DEMONSTRATIONS. KRUGER’S POSITION DOUBTFUL. Jnited Press Association—x er Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received 9.2 a.m., November 24th. PARIS, November 23. A number of Englishmen who occupied a position on a balcony declined to uncover as Mr Kruger passed. At the same time coppers were thrown from the direction of the balcony towards the ex-president’s carriage. .This exasperated the crowd, who made attempts to storm the building, and also made demonstrations later against the British Consulate. It was subsequently proved that the coppers clime from a window, and the throwing was' probably the act of an Anglophobe. Mr Kruger adroitly postponed his reply to the invitation from the municipality of Paris until he had paid his respects to President Loubeb. The Mayor of Marseilles and many deputations brought endless addresses. Mr Leyds represented Mr Kruger at a banquet. Owing to the absence of any notification from Great Britain, respecting the annexation of the Republics, the French Government decided to receive Mr Kruger as a sovereign travelling incognito. President Loubst will exchange visits if desired.

Received 9.18 a.m., November 24th. LONDON, November 23. A New Zealander, R. V. James, died from enteric at Zeerust.

General Baden-Powell is recovering from his attack of enteric.

A British column, under General Boyes, clearing the country between Vrede and Harrismith, killed 23 Boers. A CURIO. Mr R. McKnight has shown us a souvenir of the war which ha prizes highly. He was at work one day filling small bags of oats at Mill and store, when the thought occurred to him that he would enclose his “ card ” in one of the bags. Picking up fi piece of brown paper that had been used as a twine-wrapper, he scribbled on it: “ The brave s " her that gets this, I hope that he is ge:ting or all right. From R. McKnight, Timaru, N.Z.” Yesterday he received a letter from the “brave soldier” who did get i, as follws : “ Barberton, 28—9—00. Dear Knight,—l received your kind wishes and send you the same, with many thanks. lam nleased to say I am getting on very well, after eleven months hard soldiering on the veldt. My Battery has seen some very distinguished service out here, especially with the First Volunteer Contingent of New Zealanders around Colesburg and elsewhere, on which we received many congratulations. Few of the boys are with us now that hunted the hills around Colesburg on New Year’s Day. lam pleased now that tlyi war is over, and has ended in another glorious victory for our Empire. Now T must rpholne. From yours sincerely. Bombardier Rd. Ormesher, O Battery. R.H. Artillery. Fourth Cavalry Brigade, General French’s Field Force, S. Africa.”

THE CAPTURE OF CAPTAIN BOURN

HIS TREATMENT WHILE A PRISONER.

Mr G. G. Stead, of Christchurch, has received a letter from Captain H. Louis Bourn, dated from Baroerton, 20th September, in which the writer gives a description of his capture by 4 he Boers, and his treatment as a prisoner. “My capture,” says the writer, “ was very unfortunate both for myself and fpr the horse under my command, but even now I fail to see how I could have helped it. We were sent forward to obtain information and to hold a certain kopje. Reinforcements were sent for, and were in sight, and were expected 't any time: in fact, as some of the men etired at my order—as soon as we found ourselves in a hole —they met the reinforcements coming up. Boers were very much .favoured by the rocky slope behind me, but I did not pay much attention to it, as there were two battalions of infantry covering it. I have since learned that the infantry retired previously under better cover, as the enemy from a different quarter attacked them. The very hot fire from two pompoms, and about 400 rifles f° r four hours was very trying, but my task was made easier, as the men kept quite steady, and not a man moved until I was on my feet. This is proved as only man was hit. We were rushed off the kopje, and had to walk 18 miles to General Botha’s laager, where the best place for our custody was an old fowlhouse. Next morning we were sent on a mule trolly to the railway at Balmoral, and after two nights in the tirtn we reached Nooitgedacht. “The Boers seemed to us to be in a very bad way, and for some time counl only give hard peas, coffee beans, and rue for rations, later on flour, and occasionally, say about once a week, 11b of meat each. At first the only store in the place baa nothing. Pots and pans could not be ,r n anywhere; then when supplies did fone in the prices were enormous, or say tin ee times the usual. Under the trying circi instances our men were noted to be lie quietest and least quarrelsome, and seemed to “buckle to” better than any m l.c laager ,which is very much to their credit, more especially as they were taken without convenience, whilst others had their complete kits with them. We were delighted when the report sof the guns were heard, but disappointed when the officers were <-i----dered to pack ready for morning. At first we were led to believe that our mstination was Nelspruit, but when the tr.on ran through not one of us could guess where they would take us. “ Barberton is a small mining town, the oldest mining town in South Africa, and its population is comprised of a British, as well as Dutch, residents. 'lne British were very kind to us while we were here, sending us fruit and vegetables, but the susjien.se was great, and when toe Boers came into the town they were almost in a state of riot, and threatened to shoot us. Tlie women also suggested that it was the best thing to do with us. 'I he influence of Commandant Van der Post only saved us. Snipers used to sit on the hills and shoot at the window lights ; some of the. bullets actually coming through the windows. General French and his brigade must have made a wonderful march, as the Boers did not expect- him for another 18 hours. The method of Boer warfare seems to me peculiar. They do not form a camp or bivouac as we do, but the members of a family, with their relatives, pitch a tent and live together, and will be some distance from anybody else. Thev dri not fight as an organised body, or under control. When there is to be a battle, a message is sent to them, and they either go. or slay as they please. Except those we saw under General Botha, who include the Johannesburg Police, who are a fine, smart lot, and are very well mounted, ■'he other commandos we saw are miserable subjects.”