THE BOER WAR.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 42, 18 October 1900, Page 15

THE BOER WAR.

NOTES AND POINTS OF INTEREST TO CATHOLIC READERS.

LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT TUBMAN.

Lieutenant Tubman writes a-* follows to a friend in Dunedin :—: — Mafeking is a miserable little place from what I saw of it. The whole business of the siege, looking at it from the point of view of the besiegers, must have been boomed and over-rated tremendously ; one rush by the Boers, and all would have been over, but they are such cowardly wretches when it comes to a down right wiiimg g»». If you oould uiAj o r.c the place yon would wonder at the importance put upon it, and why it was defended bo tenaciously — for no oilier reanuu, I suppose, than the principle of the thing. It was not the relief of the place so much as the relief of B. P. and his men that roused the excitement and enthusiasm of the good people of Dunedin, I suppose. Well, we were hurried out of Mafeking in the direction of Zeerust. We have 25,000 men with us, and shortly after we crossed the border we were fired on, but no harm was done to our boys. The following day (the 16th) we got into action, and no doubt you have long ago heard the particulars of it. I was with Captain Fulton, and aB Boon as we reached the top of a kopje we received a volley that laid one poor chap low, and wounded three others. It was terribly warm work. As soon as they gave us the volley we took cover just on the ridge of a kopje, and settled down to business. My company had to cover Captain Fulton's retreat with the rest of the wounded who were able to get away. I had one close shave. A big Boer aimed point blank at me at about 100 yards. When I saw him aiming I thought it was winter with me, but he fired high and missed (flurried at the bayonet, I suppose), the bullet going between the rim of my hat and my ear, it seemed to me by the whiz. Then my turn came, and I laid him out on the rocks as dead as a atone. After that two of my men and I were cut off for an hour or so, and had to lie low, getting an occasional shot. We killed Snyman and seriously wounded a field cornet. A flag of truce came up in the morning and took their bodies away, and also the rest of the killed and wounded that they could not take away in their flight. Poor Harvey fell on the other side of the kopje from me— shot through the head. He never spoke a word — not even moved. I miss him very much, for he and I, as I told you before, have been chums ever pince Forbury Park camp. I never witnessed anything in my life so pathetic as his burial.

We spent two nights and a day on the kopje — no blankets and very little food. I never felt the cold so much before, and we could not sleep for fear of being surprised. We were all pretty well knocked out, but are well again. The following day we had to retire for acme reason or other, leaving our dearly won position and poor Harvey's body behind. We executed our "retirement in good order, but were again fighting all day after reaching Ottoehoop. Thank God. I have not been hit, and I can tell the sight of fellows being dropped by bullets not far from you makes one feel that he don't want any more kopjes to rush, as it certainly means ' winter ' for some more of us. As far aa my men are concerned, only one was scratched. Yesterday I went back to the border with the wounded ; we were fired on, but no harm was done. Tell the children that I have not time to write to them just now. and that I got letters from several of them. Glad to nay lam well. You might regard this letter as a reply to the children at school, and read it to them. All my clothes are at Mafeking, and what I stand in are almost in rags. You would not know some of us if you saw us for dirt, etc., and general uncouthnedh. We are on three-quarter rations just now, and when I was at leisure to-day did some naturalist work, and bagged a fowl. I am now waiting and watching it carefully till ."> p.m. I laid the specimen out with a Btick. No naturalist ever guarded a unique specimen like I watch that hen.

NOME TROM SOUTH AFRICA

The transport steamer Cauada, of the Dominion Line, took home recently from Capetown 1,200 invalided officers and men, nearly 200 of whom were Catholics. Rev. Father Ogle, O.M 1., the chaplain, has been through the siege of Mafeking and marched many a mile with the troops.

HIGHLANDERS AND IRISHMEN.

Trooper Glover, an jAustralian, writing from South Africa, says : 'The novelty is wearing off the game now : everything is too regimenial, and we will not be sorry when we receive orders to proceed to Durban or Capetown. I think a good deal of this country, but I wouldn't stop here for all the rice in China. lam satisfied that the British Tommy Atkins is not at all like the article we read about, and I reckon that one Australian is worth any two of them, excepting the Highlanders and Irishmen, and they are champions to the backbone.'