THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7238, 26 October 1901, Page 3

THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.

I ?&« Fart Played fey tta S««c 'Women. There -was a fair attendance in the dancing hall of the Exhibition Buildings on Oct. 8, when Madame lie Bassou gave an address entitled " Witih the British Ambulance in the Transvaal." The speaker, aiter describing how she had been led to join the Red Cross Ambulance, said that it ■was at the battle of the Modd-er River that she first realised the terrible horrors of wax. It was most pathetic to hear the wounded and dying soldiers calling for sisters to write letters to dear ones at 'home, letters which were full of love and thoughtfulness, while nothing was said by the brave fellows about tfoair own aches and pains. At Belmonit, also, extremely patihetic scenes were witnessed, and the speaker had ocme to the conclusion that none bub those who actuallysaw the scenes could realise tihe frightful horrors inseparable from modern warfare. Her father and her brothers were fighting in the war, and when Earl Roberts met Commandant Cronje at Paardeberg, she was Shocked to find among the slain one of her brothers, eighteen years of age. One of the most glorious pages in war, the speaker continued 1 , was tihe one wnioh told of th© manner in which the Boer women had fought side by side with, their husbands and brothers against the Zulus in the' early days of settlement in South Africa. The Boer men and women of the present day were worthy children of those who lived in the former time. Long before the second Boer war broke out, the women, who took a prominent part in politics, urged the men to take up arms for their independence, saying I>hat if the men were timorous, the women were not. Organisations had been fomnied) by tie vroaxKn in various parts ,of iie colony, in, readiness for tJze outbreak, large food supplies being prepared and collected. Women, young and old, flocked to offer their services to assist the wounded, and care for them. All this time, the Boer women attended to the work of the farm, while the men fought in the battlefield. Time after time, the women shouldered the burden and went to the rescue of those in distress. The women hed done many noble acts of self-sacrifice, but none had had a more beneficial effect on those in the field than the emphatic manner in which the women insisted that the men should return to their commandos as soon as possible. In many cases, notably at t)he TugeJa, women used the rifle, shooting with as much precision as the men. Tho main portion of iJhe address was devoted to the action of the Boer women, but the speaker referred to several side issues in connection with the war. During the evening songs were sung by Mr P. Hockley. At the conclusion) of the address " God Save the King " was sung.