JUDGING from the telegrams in Boer-inspired organs, J the history of this war as written by a Dutchman will differ materially from the statements made by British generals and British pressmen. A few specimens of fabrications have already been given.
At breakfast the day after his capture at Mafeking, Commandant Eloff—"a typical Boer of the younger generation, with curiously unkempt hair, literally standing on end, light sandy whiskers and a small moustache, and wearing on this occasion a solemn, dejected expression on his by no means stupid, but discontented and unprepossessing face"—publicly stated that on leaving his laager for the attack he sent back to instruct Reuter's agent to cable the news that " Mafeking had been taken so soon as the fort was in their hands," and that was done, yet how soon the fort became his prison I
Here is a specimen of Dutch veracity:—
Machadodorp, June 14th.—The commandoes east of Pretoria, in the direction of Bronkhorstspruit, were compelled to retire from Van der Merwe Station. This only happened after the burghers had made a fierce stand for over two days in a way which won the admiration of the adting Commandant-General. The loss of the enemy is, according to the Commandant-General's statement, very severe. The short rifle fire was very hot during the second part of the day. Late in the afternoon the enemy was fought at a distance of one hundred yards. Our loss cannot be given yet. The a<5ting Commandant-General only mentioned the name of Field-Cornet Jan van Vuuren killed. He calls him one of the pluckiest men on the field.
Information is again to hand regarding the most miserable condition of the enemy's troops, who penetrated to Johannesburg and Pretoria. There are continual complaints of lack of food. Several of the troops died in the streets of Pretoria from exhaustion and starvation!
All along the road corpses, horses, and mules are lying about. The living ones are so weak that they can hardly carry any loads I
June 15.—Another official war report to-day states that while retreating the burghers were followed up a short distance by the enemy's advance guard.
Both near Pretoria and on the Natal borders the burghers have had to fight their way back step by step, the enemy being in overwhelming numbers.
In Secocoeniland one native tribe wanted to fight another, but the rising was soon suppressed by the Boers.
Fifteen officers and 500 British soldiers, prisoners of war, have arrived at Standerton from the Free State, en route for Nooitegedrecht.
According to a statement of the acting Commandant-General, about thirty burghers were killed or wounded during the last few days' fighting near Pretoria.
During the night of the 13th and 14th a small commando of Free Staters penetrated through the enemy's lines near Kopjes, and took 22 prisoners. Fighting still continued when the report was sent off, the enemy's positions being in Randtjes, north of the bridge. The English forces were overwhelming.
The enemy are still getting reinforcements by train from Vredefort Road.
Eighteen locomotives, which were still in use on the Heidelberg-Volksrust section of the railway, have been disabled, except one, which will do duty until the last moment.
June 16.—A large movement of English troops is reported to have taken place on the 14th between Vereeniging and Elandsfontein.
A different version from the same quarter — Lorenzo-Marques—was as follows:
Machadodorp, June 13.—Lord Roberts sent a message to Commandant Botha suggesting disarmament, and complimenting him on the bravery of the burghers. The surrender, it was pointed out, would be without dishonour, and would prevent much suffering.
General Botha suggested an armistice of six days so that he might consider the proposition. Lord Roberts was willing to grant one for five days for that part of the Transvaal only. Botha declined, and hostilities were renewed.
June 15.—The commandos are concentrating at Balmoral. Both Commandants Botha and Delarey are leisurely retiring on Middelburg.
There has been slight bombarding of the enemy by a Long Tom. Bridges have been destroyed and the veldt burned. The authorities have succeeded in removing provisions.
Fighting is continuous at Volksrust and Heidelberg.
There is an abundance of arms, dynamite, and ammunition on hand; there are also 1,000 oxen.
The Government are working the Barberton mines.
In a short time there will be a heavy supply of transports for Lydenburg. The Government are determined to make an indefinite stand in this inaccessible country.
The Government issued a proclamation on the 15th inst. ordering the acceptance of paper money at par with gold. The non-acceptance of this proclamation will be regarded as inimical to the Government.
The Government have consented to accept supplies for the prisoners at Nooitgedrecht.
June 18.—The train, which arrived early yesterday morning, brought £45,000 in bar gold.
Kruger and his Government are still on wheels at Machadodorp.
Bar gold to the value of £5,000,000 is lying in eight covered trucks at Machadodorp station.
From another source came the acceptable news that provisions had got through to the British prisoners, taken as hostages to Nooitgedrecht, and clothing and blankets were to follow in a few days. The prisoners had not then been provided with places of shelter, but were in a cold ravine between two mountains, and some were sick and minus any medical comforts. In the day time the men played football to keep themselves warm, and at night were huddled together on the ground, watched by pickets. Though healthy in winter in the summer time the locality is notorious for fever.
According to a report at Lorenzo Marques a desperate attempt was made to steal some of the bar gold reposing in the railway trucks attached to Mr. Kruger's travelling capital.
The attack is said to have been planned by a German-American, well known to the police of New York, and carried out by a number of the foreign mercenaries who had been fighting on the side of the Boers.
If it be true, as many of these soldiers of fortune averred, that after Cronje was captured their pay was not given them, such a loot was not surprising.
According to another account the marauders removed several of the bars before their presence was detected, and that they got clear away with their booty.
A train and bridge were afterwards blown up neat Komati Poort, on the Netherlands railway. It was the Malalana Bridge, which is on the railway about seven miles west of the Portuguese frontier. Whether this was done by a British coup from Swaziland or by engineers from Lorenzo was a disputed point. As Mrs. Reitz and family had sailed thence for Europe and Mr. Reitz was said to be in the port, it might be a design to prevent the escape of Mr. Kruger and his gold bars by sea.
With General Baden-Powell at Pretoria, after covering 60 miles in three days, there came orders for the erection of 30,000 wooden huts with zinc roofs for garrisons at different points of the conquered States, which showed that a considerable force was to be detained, to keep rebellious spirits in subjection.
A Reservist of the Coldstream Guards, writing home, said—"We are quartered in the stables of the Orange Free State Artillery, which are swarming with rats and mice. We have lively times when we lie down to sleep, for they run all over us." But most of the battalions were under canvas.
Among the casualties published on June 20th were a large number, including scores of missing, sustained in engagements of which no mention had previously been made.
We learnt now for the first time that a reconstruction train was attacked at Leeuwspruit on June 10th, with the result that the British had three killed, five wounded, and between fifty and sixty captured.
Leeuwspruit station is forty miles north of Kroonstad, and only two stations north of Roodeval, where the Derbyshires were cut off.
The attack on the train at Leeuwspruit was made on the same day as the attack on the British post at Zand River. The two places are eighty miles apart.
The only light on this affair had been shed by the Boer bulletin dated June 14th, stating that on the night of June 13-14 a Free State commando took twenty-two prisoners at kopjes near Roodeval.
Another list of nine wounded and eleven missing referred to an action at Vredefort on June 7th, of which no statement had previously been made.
From Hammonia on June 16th, we learnt that General Rundle's outposts had been in contact with the Boers along the line from Scheeper's Nek to Ficksburg, each force holding its own as the Boers were moving in great strength on Ficksburg. General Rundle's positions had been reinforced.