sketry stood
them in good stead. I may say that a Boer even early in life is a good
horseman and marksman. He does not shoot without purpose for he can
generally estimate at a glance the distance at which he is shooting,
and he has been taught economy in the use of ammunition. The burgher
knows perfectly well how valuable to him is his horse, and he is thus
constrained to use his knowledge in carefully tending it; moreover,
considerable affection exists, in many instances, between the master
and his beast.

Taken all round the Boer is a brave man, but his attitude on the
battlefield is influenced very largely by the character of his
officer. And being brave, the Boer is, in the main, sympathetic
towards prisoners-of-war, and especially towards such as are wounded.
Possessing bravery and humanity the Boer has besides what the British
"Tommy Atkins" lacks, the power of initiative. The death of an officer
does not throw the ranks of a Boer commando into chaos, for everybody
knows how to proceed. It must not be supposed, however, that the death
of an officer does not exercise a certain amount of demoralising
influence. What I wish to impress is that the members of a commando
can act independently of the officer and can exercise their own
judgment.

As regards the fortitude of the Boers, I can best illustrate it by
pointing to the fact that it frequently happened that having been
repulsed with loss one day we attacked our conqueror with better
success the next. We often assumed the aggressive when a favourable
opportunity offered itself, and did not always wait to be shot at.
Frequently we held out for hours notwithstanding severe punishment.

I think even the bitterest of our enemies will allow that the Boers
who remained faithful to their country to the last were animated with
noble principles. Were it not that so many of my compatriots lacked
that which is so largely characteristic of the British soldier, the
quality of patriotism and the intense desire to uphold the traditions
of his nationality, I would ask what people in the world would have
been able to conquer the Afrikander? I say this with great
deliberation, and I do not believe that any impartial compatriot will
attempt to deny the truth of the statement.

The question suggests itself how would the English have fared had
they been placed in a plight similar to that to which we found
ourselves reduced? Supposing that we Boers had taken London and other
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