AMONG THE BOERS.

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9878, 25 February 1901, Page 2

AMONG THE BOERS.

A cable in • another column states. that the Boers who entered Portuguese territory have been sent to Europe. The following interesting article appears in the Ghrfstchureh Press from a special correspondent at Lorenzo Marques :—There are at present 700 camped inside the walls of the Portuguese gaol. The Portuguese provide them with rations and tents, their own President utterly neglecting them. I got permissioni to go.in and see their camp, and entered into conversa* tion with some of! the burghers.

One very manly, • straight! ' forward, young fellow gave me a long account of his service with the Boers. He we a solicitor at Standerton, with a large practice. He fought, through Natal and rfight through to Komata Poort. When the President turn&d tail and crossed the border "he then saw how.they had blindly followed a man who got all he could out orf them, and then deserted. Recognising that their cause was \mt, he followed Presj4«s JSrugw to Jaxswi Mwfluw to

the hope that he would at least be kept by • his own Govrnment. Here he was doomed to disappointment, and had to accept charity fr^im the Portuguese. Asked why he could not see for himself that" the Government ■ had not. been acting straightforwardly since the fall of Pretoria, he said: —

"We had certain suspicions at • timesbut they were wafted away by the promises of our commandants and the President. Who could doubt a man's word when he spoke to you with the Bible before him? Whenever the President brought us news or orders, he would first read a chapter out of the Bible, then tell us our troops were successful in different parts, and plan a trek for us, finally giving us his blessing and sending us away again. We would trek miles, have a fight, be driven back beaten and disappointed, only to be deceived again. , . Asked what the Irish-Americans had done, he answered, "Nothing, but burn and loot. They h»Vp hardly fought one decent fight. They were the rearguard when the Boers were in action, and advance guard when running away. They I were composed of the owe3t of the low, were perfectly uncontrollable, and treated their officers as they did each .other. They were responsible 'for all the damage dona to rolling stock, railway stations, etc. At the conclusion of the war they expected to get-well paid for their trouble, and you can imagine their chagrin -when they received 30:^ ,ar<d 'wfcifa sent out of the country. The true Boer detests to stoop so low as the Americanshave. There are men of our own nation just as low, but the majority are men.* He finished by saying: "I have implicit faith in anything Lord Roberts says, and am going back to hand myself up, and do anything I am asked to do." Most of the young Boers talk in a similar strain. One Afrikander, who hacl been a veldt cornet, gave me a few wrinkles "about their mode of travelling, etc. When the Boers cajnp at night,. their first care is their horses, then themseleves. After their meal they sit round a fire, a.nd talk and smoke for about an hour, and then break up into ssmall partiesj and all go out on picket, taking one blanket and waterproof sheet with them. If four compose a party they take watch two hours on and six off. They don't patrol at all; they just sit where they are, and keep watch. Before daylight one man is told off to. saddie two out of every four horses, and when that is done half, the commando moves ofi, taking everything but the rest of the horses with them: After a trek of about four hours they halt and cook break fast for themselves, and the rest of the commando they left behind. If the enemy advance on tho&e left behind a message is at once sent on, and off go the advance force with convoy etc, and travel straight for a couple of miles, and then branch off on one of the flaniks a few. miles, waiting: till the others retreat, which they always do. They hold the position long enough to allow their convoiy to get away, tihen every man for.himself, to meet at an appointed place. In the meantime, a decoy- party retreats in Ml view of the British in an altogether different direction; when out of sight they scatter, and make back to the* main body, ready to Tepeat the manoeuvres again if necessary.

The County Chairman Las left 'no stone unturned to make the visit of Mr Duncan to the district a pleasant' one, that -it may be a profitable one, -we would like to be able to announce. Mr Duncan has earned tBo reputation" of being liberal in the expenditure ■of public money, and the districts through -which he has already passed have no reason to compladn.

Mr Hursthousc, who is with the Hon. Mr Duncan, is a surveyor and one of the best authorities -on the value and possibilities -of the country lying between Taranaki and the Waikato. He has reported on' the North Island Trunk line of rail-

way, and has spent many years in the Taraiuaki province.

We would draw attention io Mr W.; Causley^s jadviertisement^ |in! whioh he mentions that he has some spleniid inmates, a good show of dahlias blooms, i.nd pome fine young fruit trees for nest season. The Jockey Club has disposed privately of the majority of the privileges which were withdrawn at the tome-* they were submitted by Mr R.. R. McGregor at public auction.

The Hon. Mr Duncan has enjoyed .his tour of the North Island very 'much. He has seen almost all that was to be seen of the natural wonders *of the districts visited. He was much surprised at the vast areas of Govemmenit land yet unoccupied in the Waikato, and lying between! the Waikato and Taranaki.

Heavy rain fell yesterday at TeAroha and Up-country.

' The, Oddfellows' excursionists on Saturday did not land at Motutapu, but proceeded to Auckland. After spending an hour or two in town; the Wakatere returned home, reaching tlhe Goods wharf at 9.30 p.m,

The Auckland Salvation Band came to the Thames on Saturday evening 1 by the Chelmsford. On landing at the -wharf the band was met by the local members of the Army. The band then played to the Salvation Army Barracks in Pollen street. During yesterday the services, were largely attended, and the Band played selections. , , . ':

As the administrature of the Piako lands, if to be placed on the market, -will b« in the hands of Mr Gerard Mueller, Commissioner of Crown Lands in Auckland 5 he ds -one <xf the. most interested of the visitors to the Piako to-day. . :

At tEe bowling green on Saturday afternoon a championship single match was played by Mr Wilson and Mr Wk Price, the latter .winning. A match between Messrs Jordan, McCullqugh, Paul and A. Price (skip) and Messrs Hollis, F. Trembath, Booth, and Bayldon (skip) also came off, with the result—Price 16, Bayldon 27.

The Mayor and Councillors will meet the Ministers on. Wednesday afternoon 1. -

The libel actions commenced by Messrs Best -and Co. against the proprietor of the Star and Mr Bruce, Town Clerk, havebeen settled out of court.

The lad Percy Dumslan who passed the •,T"«;ir Civil Service examination, •is a, Thames boy, not a resident of Waihi, as our telegrams stated^

At Te Aroha the Hon. Mr Duncan •was most interested in, the Domain and fully approved orf< the policy of. his- pre'deoessors in expending public money on such a public park. The Domain Board 'waited;on.-the oMinister of Lands and reminded him; of the liberal way the Hon. Mr McKenzie had alw.ays treated the Board. The Board, it was pointed out, were now much in want of money to com plete the bawling green, and renew the Bath houses'. We understand the replies of the Minister were satisfactory to. the Board and although the vote of last session was 'a small one," something better would be done next session.

Mr Dunlop invited Capt. Man-, resident native agent, to accompany the Ministerial party to the Piako to-day. Ho ds not alone intimately ■ acquainted with the natives, but knows the district well. It is said that there is only a difference of Is per acre between the natives and the Government in the matter of the purchase of a? block of 9000 acres;

A well attended meeting of the local branch of the, Auckland Educational Institute was" held at Tararu.on Thursday last, Mr Jno. Fisher presiding. A considerable amount of correspondence was read including a letter from the Chief Inspector stating that for the present the spelling test in Sandard . 111. to VI. would be taken from the New Zealand Graphic Reader in use by -the class. * No information was 'forthcoming re the disbursement of the extra. 5s per head voted tOjwarcfe teachers' salaries last session, although a list payable to the Wanganui teachers had appeared in a Taranaki paper. Regret was expressed at the loss the Branch had sustained by the-removal 'of Mr Biss to Opua, and Mr .Newton was elected secretary and Treasurer in his stead. The principal business of the evening was a report of the proceedings of the Council held ?U> Wellington in; January last, read by Mrs Newton, who had attended those meetings as one of the Auckland district representatives. He was- accorded, a hearty .vote.-pi thanks for his interesting paper, and was asked -to allow it to be published for the information, of teachers generally throughout the district.

At • Cullen's Summer Sale" you can. buy Ladies' Corsets -worth 2s lid for Is 6d. Umbrellas 3s 6d for Is lid. Sunshades worth 4s 6d for 1 6d, Bargains for everybody