III. Baboon for Boer ments. Numerous baboons were occasionally seen on the CHAP. Magaliesberg range and spurs. Their activity, and the regular manner in which they would perform their mistaken outpost duty, throwing out sentries here and there, movewould sometimes deceive even military eyes, aided by glasses, into the belief that these creatures were Boers assembling together, seemingly in great excitement, for purposes of attack, and reports would be made accordingly. sentries. Some amusing incidents were related at the time— Vagaries of though we fail now to call to mind more than one or two-attending the sentry-work by night, when the countersign had to be demanded. The performance of their duties by men imperfectly acquainted with the English language, and not fully understanding the military instructions given to them—perhaps, also, not over proficient in the handling of their rifles -would often occasion danger to others. An officer was nearly shot by a volunteer who would insist on his roaring out the countersign at 300 yards' distance. It was necessary to employ some of the native drivers on armed duties around the transport laagers by night. It was explained that they should challenge all approaching their posts, then demand that one should advance and give the countersign. One night when "Tuesday" was the countersign, Hendrik Pinto was on duty for the first time. Soon a step was heard approaching: "Oo-kom-da?" shouted Hendrik; "just stop da, or I shoot yer quick." "Friend!" cried out the invisible individual, getting a little nervous as to his reception. "Ah!" said the zealous sentry, "then CHAP. you just kom 'longside 'o me and say 'Toosday,' that's III. all." Some of the soldiers took special delight in ly The ration reduced. Change of position a Boer laager. ing in wait for an unfortunate doctor, returning after dark from visiting some civilian patients. He occasionally would have to run the gauntlet of several, who would wait until he was close up, and then suddenly scare him by coming down to the charge, with bayonet within an inch of his breast, at the same time demanding the countersign in a stentorian voice. Native reports-which, not being favourable to us, were the less likely to have been manufactured, and therefore the more entitled to credence-coming in during the second week in March, foreshadowing the Majuba disaster and the death of Sir George Colley on the 27th February, Colonel Bellairs considered it prudent-the period for relief arriving being yet further delayed-to direct that all male adults should be placed on a reduced scale of ration from the 14th March. On the morning of the 15th, much excitement was effected by occasioned by the appearance, seven to eight miles to the west, of a long column of mounted Boers, escorting between forty to fifty waggons, the foremost carrying a large standard, coming, apparently, from the Potchefstroom road, crossing the Elandsfontein valley, and making for a gap in the Daas Poort range of hills. Various were the conjectures as to what it could mean. Some said it was the funeral procession of a great man, who was being taken to his farm to be buried alongside others of his family. Others III. supposed that they were Boers returning from Laing's CHAP. Nek, the war, from some cause, being over; and soon, a horseman being signalled as approaching with a flag of truce, lent colour to this idea. But many only saw before them a favourable opportunity for attacking the column. These excitable individuals, having no educated military eye, pictured the enemy attacked in the position and formation in which they then beheld them-drawn out in long processionand so falling an easy prey to vigorous onslaught. That it would take about three hours for any adequate force sent out to cover the seven or eight intervening miles, before a serious blow could be struck, was not thought of by these irresponsible-airy persons; or that, in the interval, reinforcements would have assembled-being no doubt in readiness to do sofrom every quarter, and the waggons have been safely disposed of over the hill. In fact, while our other attacks had been initiated under cover of darkness, and the Boer reinforcements had been unable to arrive until after the attack had been delivered, in this case the advance would have had to have been made in broad daylight, and, so to speak, our intention to attack notified to all the Boer laagers around, when their reinforcements would have been able to hang on our flanks and dispute the advance all the way out! Indeed, about this period, much play was very improperly given to irresponsible opinion as to what ought to have been done, and the supposed want of offensive action on the part of the officer commanding-unfortunately often unchecked, III. CHAP. but rather the reverse by some who had the opportunity of controlling it, but preferred for reasons of their own to allow such a feeling to spread.' The Boer waggons soon disappeared through the gap over the ridge, and the enemy then developed their intention of occupying this fresh position, by throwing up schanzes and defences. It was afterwards ascertained that the party belonged to the Elandsfontein Laager, which was thus removed for sanitary causes. The strength of this laager, in wag 1 An attempt was subsequently made in certain quarters,-from motives which only those behind the scenes can appreciate at their proper value,— to disparage the defence made at Pretoria, and detract from the services of the officer commanding-Brigadier-General Bellairs-but, fortunately, without the result hoped for. That officer was knighted and received the insignia of the Order of St Michael and St George at the hands of her Majesty, for the services he had rendered to the State; and the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief caused it to be intimated to him that "His Royal Highness has carefully considered all the matters connected with the period referred to, and has arrived at the conclusion that so far from any blame being attributable in conducting the defence, you have merited great commendation for the way in which a very anxious duty was performed, and the defence carried out, and his Royal Highness is gratified to be enabled to express his approval of your conduct." This ill-will, the evil effects of which were thus so happily frustrated, through the Duke of Cambridge's habitual love of justice,—was in curious contrast to the spontaneous cheers with which the troopsthe Royal Scots Fusiliers-greeted and bid farewell to their BrigadierGeneral, when quitting his command, and filing past him on the evacuation of Pretoria. It has been well said "It is incalculable how far light inventions, judicious ridicule, hints and innuendoes may work on a dawning halfgrown predilection. Honest people are more or less at the mercy of the unscrupulous, and must be so to the world's end." Thus even a straightforward, well-intentioned "special correspondent," while endeavouring to arrive at the truth, may be "got at,” and influenced by the above means; and, regarding his informants as the "best authority" as to what their information implied, may work injustice to an individual. III. gons and men, was now seen to be about treble that CHAP. estimated in Colonel Bellairs's despatch of the 6th February, showing how little reliable information was forthcoming on such matters. truce sent news of an Meanwhile the messenger bearing the white flag Flag of having arrived at the outposts, three miles out, sent in with in a letter addressed to Colonel Bellairs by Assistant armistice. Commandant-General Schoeman, commanding at the Red House Laager, which announced that an armistice had been concluded, for eight days from the 6th March, between Major-General Sir Evelyn Wood and Commandant-General Joubert, and enclosed a copy of its conditions. This was accompanied by some Boer Government Gazettes' and the Orange Free State 'De Express.' These papers confirmed the native reports of Sir George Colley's death, gave details of the Ingogo and Majuba fights, a summary of a Transvaal debate in the House of Commons, and English leaders from the Times' and other London papers- the war. the study of which seemed to show that the imperial Government and general opinion in England had inclined towards peace since the second week in January, and that the fighting which had afterwards taken place had been unnecessary and might have been avoided. It was also recognised, for the first Feeling of time, how strong was the feeling of the Dutch- population speaking population of the Cape Colony and Orange Colony and Free State in favour of the Boer movement in Free State. the Transvaal for independence, and how greatly that feeling must influence the imperial Government towards listening to proposals calculated to Р opinion on the Dutch of Cape Orange |