THE BOER WAR. NOTES AND POINTS OF INTEREST TO CATIIOLIC READERS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 4, 24 January 1901, Page 4

THE BOER WAR. NOTES AND POINTS OF INTEREST TO CATIIOLIC READERS.

PROMISES THAT WERE NOT KEPT. At the beginning of the Anglo-Boer war (writes a Parin correspondent) a committee was formed in France, with a great flourish T)f trumpet", to nid *he Boer" wHb rpnn arid mnmy A f..w Minn■and francs were collected, and some 30 or 10 French volunteers were ihipped off to South Africa. They did pot- fii" 1 i« \\r~]\ n.9 they expected, and those who are not dead are now prisoners at St. Helena, with the exception of three or four who could manage to pay their fare back to France. The French prisoners at St. Helena mre free to leave on condition of going back to France at their own expense. Most of the poor devils who went over had no money, and they are now writing to the French papers complaining bitterly of the French-Boer Independence Committee, who got as much advertisement as they could out of the sending of the French volunteers, but who, now that no glory or political end is to be achieved by going to the expense of bringing them back, conveniently forget them on the rock of St. Helena, The caustic comments of a number of papers may, however, refresh the deficient memory of the committee. SHOT BY A DEAD MAN. Mr. A. G. Hales tells a queer story of Spion Kop. He iayß :—: — ' So our dead lay and grinned at those other dead, and the fierce sun dried flesh and blood on Britain and Boer, for both remained unburied for a while ; and so it came to pass that a Boer commando retook those lines where those who died for us were lying, and as they marched amongst our dead, they saw a sergeant lying at full length shot through the brain, yet even in death the man looked like some fighting machine suddenly gone out of order. His rifle was pressed against his Bhoulder, his Jeft hand grasped the barrel on the under side, the forefingers of the right hand pressed the trigger lightly, the barrel rested out upon a rock, and his deathdulled eye still glared along the sights. A Boer soldier with rude hands grasped the rifle by the barrel and tried to jerk it from the dead man's grip, but as he pulled he brought the rifle in a line with his own breast, and the unyielding finger on the trigger did the rest, the rifle spoke from the dead man's hand, the the bullet passing through the Boer's heart laid him beside the Briton.' BISHOP BRINDLE'S OPINION OF SOME ENGLISH GENERALS. Bishop Brindle, D.5.0., delivered a lecture recently at Wigan in the course of which be referred to the various generals in command in South Africa. Speaking of General Buller. he said he was the coolest man in danger he had ever known. He kept his brain perfectly clear, and he knew exactly what he had to do, and he did his best. He was not the man to spare men if necessity arose for sacrifice, but he never uselessly baenficed a man throughout his career. There might have been a useless sacrifice at Spion Kop, but it was not General Buller's fault. He believed that if General Huller's orders had been carried out in the lirst instance he would have beaten his way through and saved the re->t. General BullerV tenacity of purpose was neare it akin 10 thutoi a bulldog, and when he bad eet his mind upon a thing he would carry it out or die. 11* did not credit any of the stories which in any way reflected adversely upon General Buller, whom he knew intimately on the field and in hia home life. He aiso gave a close description of Lord Kitchener, whom he described as having a determined face which was inscrutable, with eyes that penetrated one. He did not agree that Kitchener was hard ; he had a tender heart, only he was too proud to show it. He certainly said to his officers that he had a certain task to perform, and he wanted it done in such a way , if they were not the men to do it like that he must get someone else. Anyone who had men under him would naturally insist upon the same thing. He paid a high tribute to his exceptional skill as an organiser. And the War Office documents he presented proved hia true sense of justice to everyone under him, m whatever capacity he served. Another man he was acquainted with was General Gatacre, who was an untiring worker, who would never wilfully lose hie men, and from his knowledge of him he (Bishop Brindle) would wait until the full account of the Storm berg disaster was published before he condemned any action on his part. The Bishop next vividly described the battle of Omdurman, and refered to the impressive memorial service in which he played such a prominent part in front of Gordon's Palace. Again he testified to the intensity of feeling which Lord Kitchener could display. On thia occaeion the conqueror of the Soudan stood with his hands to his face, whilst the tears streamed through his fingers. MAFEKINC, NUNS AT WINDSOR. Some time ago we were informed by cable that two of the Sisters who had been through the siege of Mafeking had been received by the Queen at Windsor. The following account of their reception is from the London Tablet :—: — The keenness of the Queen's sympathy with those who have suffered by wounds and bereavement in the war with the South African Republics has been unfailingly evinced by visits to the wounded, and messages of inquiry and condolence to the relatives of those who have fallen. Her Majesty has been assiduous in the expression of her interest in all that has been done, and the latest illustration of this is the visit paid to her at Windsor by two of the nans who Bhowed such indefatigable devotion in nursing the sick and wounded at Mafeking. In accordance with a gracious Royal command Mother Superior Teresa and Sister Evangelist went to Windsor, where they were met by a Royal carriage and driven to the Castle. There after luncheon they were granted an interview with her Majesty, who was accompanied by the Princess Beatrice and her children. The Queen manifested the deepest interest in the work of mercy in which they had been engaged for the seven

months of the siege. The Sisters appear to have been particularly pleased that her Majesty thanked them for what they had done for her soldiers, gave them her best wishes for the future, and seemed to be greatly interested in the fa«t that they were Irish nuns. After leaving tho Queen the nuns were shown over the Castle by some of the ladies of the Court. We understand that Mother Superior Teresa and Sister Evangelist will sail lor South Africa immediately. The Sisters settled in Mafeking three years ago, being a founrtnHm, fr«-,,v the cc"vent i". Ftu.banx in Ir.lc.J. TLJr the erection of which cost nearly £.'{ooo, was only completed about *-hr"o months before the sic,;,. U*>an. Wlwi >\u.i d W « aiul to be inevitable Bishop Gaughran gave the Sisters permission to leave Mafeking if they wished, but they hiavely ekctel to stay in ease they might be of service in at .ending to the sick niA wounded. Their convent was shelled repent tlly, and almost completely wrecked, and for some time the Sisters were obliged to live iv bomb-proof underground shelters. Not only did they nurse the wounded by day and night, but they occupied their spare moments in making and mending for the soldiers. Their work, as our readers will know from what has appeared from time to time in our columns, was highly commended by General Baden-Powell, who gave them a letter of introduction to his mother when they started for England. Although the Sisters suffered considerabey from want of food and sickness, they all passed through the siege safely. As an example of the way in which the services of the nuna were appreciated, we may quote the following testimony given by Mr. Neilly, the war correspondent of the Pull d'azitte at Mafeking, which appears in his book liesitged with Ji P., under the heading ' Honor the nuns ' — ' I must say a specially good word for the Irish Sisters of Mercy, who were shelled out of their convent and driven underground to suffer with the rest. Three bands of the same Order worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea. They were within sight of their shell-battered wreck all the time, and had much to remind them of the terrible time they hud there while the enemy poured his projectiles towards the building. They were not idle during the siege. They nursed by night and by day, and when not engaged in this work of mercy they were making and mending in their " dug-out " for the troops. They made hundreds of haversacks, powder-bags, and all sorts and conditions of things. I frequently called in to inquire how they were bearing their share of our load of trouble, and always found them in a sunshiny, cheery mood. They never once grumbled during the siege. It was refreshing to go in and have a chat with them. They never spoke of big guns, or slandered their friends, or backbit, or said what they would not do if they did not get adequate compensation for the damage done to their convent by the guns. If the people of Britain have a desire to mark their appreciation of services done during the siege, they may meetly do something for these good ladies, who left their homes and friends to spend a life in showing light in the dark corners of the earth, and cheerine: the needy, and generally giving help where help is needed. They had almost finished their convent building, and, I believe, are still in debt over it. Now they have to bi gin all over again.'