ARTHUR NEUMANN 145 



liminary training at Wynberg, it moved up to Natal, 

 and took part in all the battles in the neighbour- 

 hood of Ladysmith until the relief of that town. 

 Neumann had a very narrow escape at Spion Kop, 

 a bullet going through his hat and passing through 

 his hair, whilst a moment later his commanding 

 officer was shot dead at his side. He went in to 

 Ladysmith with the relief force, and at the con- 

 clusion of hostilities came home. 



Early in 1902 he again returned to East Africa, 

 and went up to the Mount Kenia country, where he 

 intended to stay for some years. 



The following is one of his characteristic letters, 

 which gives some account of his life at this time 



"Mthara (E. of Kenid), 

 " E. Africa, 



" July 20th, 1902. 

 " MY DEAR MlLLAIS, 



" Would that you could drop in upon me 

 here in my ' boma ' and have a cup of tea and chat ! 

 I know that you have a kindly feeling towards me 

 and take some interest in my vagaries, but it would 

 be much easier to tell you what little there is to 

 tell that is worth hearing than to sit down and 

 write. Still it is a pleasure to send you a letter; 

 so, in your case, my now habitual repugnance to 

 writing when I am in the ' bara ' is overcome. I 

 often think of our last meeting at Ward's shoot. 

 It is curious how certain details, sometimes trifling, 

 stand out in one's memory of any particular ex- 

 perience after what might be supposed the more 

 important events have faded. Now the leading 

 impressions left on my mind from that visit were : 

 first, the failure of that old brute of a butler to 



