AUSTRALIAN BUSHMEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 90, 18 April 1900, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN BUSHMEN.

AH OFFER FROM NEW SOUTH WALES. (Received 18, 12.30 a.m.) Brisbane, April 17. The Imperial Bushmen Contingent cimprises 387 men and 500 horsi h. Sidney, April 17.

The Governor has cabled to the?' Right Hon. J. Chamberlain offering c the services of 500 infantry men, who 11 have been in camp since the last Bush- t men's Contingent was despatched, at _ Imperial rates for South Africa. A LOYAL DUTCHMAN. It has been noted more than once that the Boers can tolerate the British soldier, they have even learnt to respect and fear him ; but they have no patience with the colonist, and above all the Dutch colonist, who is against them. Him they cannot abide, and when he becomes their prisoner they treat him somewhat shamefully, Here is an incident illustrative and trustworthy. The enemy held a meeting at Dundee, and called upon all the Natal Dutch to attend, \mong these was a man named Van Liebenberg. He told the invaders that he was a British subject, and meant to remain one. By-and-bye he was granted a pass over the border, the pretence being that nobody would be forced to fight for the invaders. The morning he attempted to leave he was stopped, and for some - days he and his family were detained in the market square, in bad weather, and not permitted to occupy a house. J Finally the loyal fellow was sent a - prisoner to Pretoria, the Boers promis- . ing to send his family to friends in Natal. Boer official promises can never be trusted. The family were a stopped at Helpmakaar and a guard l placed over them with orders to shoot if they went five yards from their waggon. Next they were sent back to Dundee, and on arrival there the ' eldest son—a mere boy—was locked in : a cell for over a week, with no food I but niealie porridge. Eventually they, 1 like the father, were despatched to Pretoria. I hope the British Government will see to it that this grandly ' lojal Dutchman is not allowed to sutler • —as was the case after Majuba—for his allegiance to Britain. I quote this case specially to show that all Dutchmen are not pro-Boer. Some of the best Britishers in this colony, as well as in Natal, are men bearing historic Dutch names.—Correspondent of the London Chronicle. HOW THE 74th LOST THEIR GUN. The following letter was received by a gentleman in Newcastle (England) from his son, who was in charge of the gun lost at Stormberg: —" The infantry opened out under the hill, when, all of a sudden, the ]ing-ping of the Boer Mauser was heard. It was a surprise, and we all knew we were in a trap. The infantry, which was in battery column at close intervals, wheeled into line at full intervals, along the plain south-west of Stormberg Hill, to take up a position, all the time under the enemy's fire. During that movement across the plain my gun got stuck in a ditch, and we were left there. It wad awful. The infantry were retiring at the time, but directly the euemy saw the position we were in they turned their lire on us, in a short j time wounding my three drivers—the j only tliree wounded in tiie battery.] All this time myself and the gunner-1 were endeavouring, umler heavy fire, to get the gun out; but it was of no avail. All the horses wore killed durii," the twenty minutes. I must say that both drivers and gunners behaved fplendully, Of tUu of v* wt s *

man left his horses or the gun until we were ordered away by Major Lawrie, D.5.0., of our battery, who, at the risk of his life, galloped across the line of fire with spare horses to try and save the gun; but it was impossible. It was then he said to our party : ' Men, you have done your best - and bravely, too. Leave your gun ; it cannot be saved.' Tbis we did sulkily, thinking that they would meet us again with our own. Driver Haville, although wounded, stood to his horses like a man. He belongs to Newcastle. That is how the 74th lost their gun, and it is a true story." :