THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7294, 6 January 1902, Page 1

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

A BRITON AMONG BOERS.

A MISSIONARY'S EXPERIENCES, At a recent meeting in London, the Rev F. C. RoUin related !his experiences of "Johannesburg During the War," and told several good stories. When the war cloud burst English, andi other ministers of religion were faced with the question, What should they do? Some found it comparatively easy to answer. They hpd English -congregations, and their people had left, so they could go without breach of faith. He (Mr Rollin) had a congregation largely composed of Dutch people— of Boers; and his church was situated in what he called the "foreign part" of the town, meaning, of course, the native quarter. His "people, nevertheless, were anxious that he should Btay on with them; so he decided to remain. He saw his friends go one by one, and was then left alone in & 'hostile city full of excitement, with the Boers being daily palled away to the front. It was very, strange, said Mr Rollin, to know, that these men were going to fight against one's' own- countrymen. But through it all, Mr Rollin willingly bore testimony that his people were very bind and considerate to him. They pledged themselves to do aU in their power to help him, andjaiost faattf-* fully .kept their word. Soon news of Ihe first battles was heard. But after Elands•laagte yery little leaked but, except reports of Boer victories. Wild and exagger- j ated stories were rife at this time. Every- .! one was seeing war balloons flying over the city. They were reported in the newspapers. But Mr Rollin was never lucky enough to see one. At last one of his congregation told him that he had seen cne .'! the night before, and had a shot at it. j He asked him to let him know when he j saw the next. Sure enough a night or j two4a]ter the Boer came" and told him there was one in sight. He went out, and lo ! ; J it was only one of the planets shining a j little mere brilliantly than its wont. (Laughter.) Speaking of the exaggerated Boer reports of the war, Mr Rollin told how one paper continually reported engagements where hundreds of English were killed and one or two Boers wounded. Once it excelled itself, describing three Boers :■ killed — "one seriously and two slightly." Several attempts were made to get Mr Rollin' s permit cancelled, and in this connection the speaker paid a warm tribute to Dr Krauss. It was by his kindness, he said, that be was enabled to continue his church work i in Johannesburg, and now that the tables were turned and Dr Krause was under a cloud, it was only right he should mention how kind the doctor had been to him in those trying days. Another interesting experience the English missionary had was his presence at the last sitting of the Boei Volksraad. There he saw Mr Kruger and heard him speak, saw Lucas Meyer, Erasmus, saw the empty seats . of Joubert and others decorated with the Boer flag and wreaths of evergreens. When the British forces marched into Johannesburg their ragged ani travel-worn appearance evoked much. (Sympathy among the Boer •■ wjimen — especially the Highlanders. "Oh, dear," said one simple-minded woman, "the others were Tagged and torn, but these' poor fellows haven't any trousers a* aIL" _■ '