TRANSVAAL RAID.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1934, 16 November 1906, Page 2

TRANSVAAL RAID.

BOTHA OFFERS SERVICES,

Received 10.15 p.m., Nov. 15. Capetown, Nov. 15i

General Botha, offering his services .to the Government, describes the raid ,as filibustering. ‘ Mr Duncan, Colonial Secretary for the Transvaal, in an appreciative reply, forwarded Botha’s letter to Lord Elgin, but he believes the police will soon deal-with Ferriera. - . Dr. Jameson is at Madeira. Inspector White has been superseded at Upington.

FARMERS AND FERRIERA.

PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT Received 12.11 a.m., Nov 16. Capetown, Nov 15. Farmers at Hoopstad three weeks ago were aware of the date Ferriera would cross the frontier. He did not receive . local support, though he seeks to compel everybody in Upington district to join in a fight for independence under the black flag, or die. He has now twenty-eight. ■ followers. • '.

Monday’s police volley killed a ; farmernamed Vandermeun ■ who Ferriera recruited.

AN ARRIVAL FROM BASUTOLAND

Wellington, yesterday. A Post reporter rtenved some interest- •- ing news about South Africa from Captain Crawford, who arrived recently in Wellington on furlough from Harriemitb, on the borders cf Basutoland, where he has been stationed with his regiment, the Buffs. Referring to Ferreira, he said that be knew a Boer of that name several years ago, a solicitor from Krugersdorp. He had been an ally of Jack Hinton, the notorious train wrecker. The present rising was merely an isolated affair, and the movement was not at all likely to spread. Tne rebels might have dug up - some of the ammunition that had been buried during the war, but that was unlikely in view of their recent attempts to get supplies. However, there was no dou'ot tba ammunition had been planted -hrooghout 'he country, particularly in, :b» n irtb. 'Jem'!, rs of his own regiment had um-ar-h-d 10 QUO or 12,000 rounds at Gsrri-mi'h Tnnugb th- latest raiding speared to be a small effair, it m'ght be .iiffioult to run down the men. Unless <h» upstarts were immediately cheeked < ,hey might cause considerable trouble) and similar bands might arise in other districts ; bat this was not likely, Speaking generally, Captain Crawford r6tna>ked that the Boers had had enough of fighting. Some of them were Btill rather bitter against the Eng* lish, but it was not probable that their rancour would arouse them to arms. Personally, he had found tbo Boer farmer in his district quite friendly, but they hated uniforms. Wbile a man was in mufti they bore bim no ill-will apparently, but the aepeet of a unifotm annoyed them, for they did not like to be reminded of tho past in any way. They would talk pleasantly • about stock and any of the ordinary things of life, and altogether were quite good fel* lows, so long as they were not reminded ' of the war. Beoause the South African Armed Constabulary rode about in uniform - they were disliked. These troopers pat- . rolled the country principally to keep an' eye on the natives, but even the suggestion - of military surveillanoe displeased tho Boersi Incidentally Captain Crawford stated that a large number of the Boers did not regard the new Constitution favorably, though it gave them a greater mea» sure of independence. Their attitude was doe to the faot that now they would mostly have to fight their own battles with the □ stives. The Imperial garrison' was to be reduoed to 10 000. Four battalions would go Home in January. ' ~ <