ese unfortunate people.

Some burghers offered to ride out at night time to try and find them,
and the next morning they brought several families into our camp. The
husbands of these poor sufferers were on duty in the neighbourhood, so
that they were now enabled to do the needful for their wives and
children. I put some questions to some of the women, from which it
appeared that although they had besought the English not to burn their
clothes and food, yet this had been done. Some Australians and
Canadians, who had been present, had done their best to save some of
the food and clothes, and these Colonials had shown them much
consideration in every respect, but, the women added, a gang of
kaffirs, who were ordered to cause this destruction, were behaving in
the most barbarous and cruel manner, and were under no control by the
British soldiers.

I felt bound to protest against these scandalous acts of vandalism,
and sent two of my adjutants to the English camp next day with a note
of about the following tenour:--

"To GENERAL PAGET, _commanding H.M's. forces at
Rhenosterkop_.

"It is my painful duty to bring under your Honour's notice
the cruel way in which the troops under your command are
acting in ill-treating defenceless women and children. Not
only their homes, but also their food and clothes, are being
burnt. These poor creatures were left in the open veldt, at
the mercy of the kaffirs, and would have died of starvation
and exhaustion but for our assistance. This way of treating
these unfortunate people is undoubtedly against the rules of
civilised warfare, and I beg to emphasise that the
responsibility for this cruelty will be entirely yours. You
may rest assured that a similar treatment of our families
will not shorten the duration of the War, but that, on the
contrary, such barbarities will force the burghers to
prolong the struggle and to fight on with more bitterness
and determination than ever."

The two despatch carriers whom I sent to the British General under a
white flag were taken for spies, and however much they tried to
establish their identity, General Paget was not to be convinced, and
had them arrested, detaining them for three days. Their horses were
used every day by the English officers, which I consider far from
gentlemanly. On the third day my two adjutants were again taken before
the general, and cross-