THE LAST OP THE EUGENITES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2836, 2 July 1895, Page 3

THE LAST OP THE EUGENITES.

A letter dated Madabing, British Bechuaualand, 13th April, was received recently by a gentleman In Wellington from one of the Eugen (the Wellington prophet) party, detailing the final breaking up of that ill-starred expedition. We told recently of its wanderings up to the arrest of Eugen for horse-stealing. The present writer tells how three of the party refused to drink the daily portions of wine which Eugen served out to them, and were therefore dubbed unbelievers. Of the life at Madabing (a native settlement 150 miles beyond Yryburg, where the party finally camped) the writer says : “ All went well at Madabing until one evening Eugen called everyone together except the three unbelievers, and told them that New Zealand had gone, and if any of the party wished to speak to their friends in New Zealand they could do so through ‘The Man ’ (as Eugen was called). Several persons were called, and it seened so real that some of the party were iu tears. Now seemed the time when they could test Eugen, so Messrs Bullock and Jamieson started atjonce for an Englishman’s farm, 50 miles distant, their object being to send a messenger to Yryburg for news concerning New Zealand and Australia, because Eugen also told them that the cables were all down from England to Australia. They returned with the news about the wreck of the Wairarapa, etc. When Eugen was told about this he said that what had been said through him was said for a purpose, that purpose was to scatter tho party. Soon after this Eugen said he must shift his lent further away, because his life was iu danger. He went about a mile further away, thank goodness. After Eugen’s leaving we all lived like lords —plenty of duck, partridge, and buck, besides plenty of fresh-water fish. Things went on very smoothly until one day Eugen took Bullock’s stallion, his object being to ride to a place called Kurumau to procure a waggon. Bullock saw him ride oil', and told Eugen he was horsestealing ; Eugen only laughed and rode on. Bullock at ouce sent A. Gough and a black boy after him with a letter to tho Magistrate, explaining matters but on arriving at Kurumau, Gough could do t nothing, so Eugen was let off. After this Eugen began to ride the high horse. First he demanded four cows and three calves, bought by him and paid for by Bullock. [Somehow ho managed to get the receipt made out iu his name (Eugen), hence his demand. Secondly, he sent iu a bill for £9(i for services rendered to the party, passages for himself and wife from LN'ew Zealand, and a score of other things. When he sent these claims iu everyone was dead against him, because he was beginning to show his true colors, A few of us wanted to go and shoot him there and thou, but the ladies protested so we let him rip. In the meantime a policeman visited the camp, he having been sent to report about a certain ‘travelling lunatic asylum’ at present camped at Madabing. Of course, it meant our party. He soon found mt how matters stood, and said he would arrest Eugen and take him to Yryburg on a charge of horse-stealing, providing Mr Bullock came with them. He agreed, and they wont, but the magistrate said he could not, make anything out of the affair, so they h’d to lot him g». Now that Eugen was iu Yryburg ho though he would sue for his cows, etc., but we got wind of it, so we sold all the cows there and then to a farmer, and made over all the goods we had to another, so wo apparently had nothing. On finding he could not get them he sent a waggon for his wife and goods to return to Vryburg. We have heard since that he has gone to Johannesburg. Now that matters have arrived at a crisis the camp has broken up, and all are shifting for themselves—some, iu fact, are penniless. Mr and Mrs Wolter ;uo going to the sea-coast, but Albert Wolter will stay a fow mouths longer and see the country. There is plenty of sport and riding, especially in the desert, hut the water is very scarce just now : in fact, it has not rained this year yet. Young Wolter is with a trader.”—Wellington Post.