VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 
293 
saying “We understood these bullets and powder were to turn to water.” 
The M’Limo was equal to the occasion, luckily for him. He said, 
“ Show me a white man’s bullet.” They showed him a Lee-Metford 
cordite cartridge. He asked them 44 What is the color of powder ? ” To 
which they replied 44 Black, of course.” He cut the cartridge open and 
then said “ Look at this, it is white ; I tell you it was turning into 
water, and if you had only stayed a little longer it would have been all 
right.” (Laughter.) 
In the Matabele rising Rhodesians had undoubtedly a tremendously 
hard time to go through, and deeds of bravery were performed such as 
probably have not been performed since the Indian Mutiny. 
Every colonial considers himself a heaven-born soldier, and I fear 
that nowhere in South Africa does the Imperial officer and 4 Tommy 
Atkins ’ command any great respect. Misfortunes have hitherto 
attended them, but at the same time they were very glad in Buluwayo 
to see the Imperial troops arrive when they did. 
The weapon mostly used appears to have been the Lee-Metford 
magazine sporting rifle, which is a most accurate shooting weapon, and 
I can recommend anyone who has not used it to try it. 
For the ordinary Indian shooting, black buck, etc., I should consider 
it a very suitable weapon. It has a bad fault in the half-cocking 
arrangement, which is liable with cold hands or if mounted to acci¬ 
dentally fire the rifle. 
It is serious to consider that the service small-bore bullet failed here, 
as in Chitral. Men either had to use soft-nosed bullets or to cut slits 
in the nose of the government ammunition. You doubtless remember 
that in Chitral soldiers filed down the points of their bullets ; this 
tinkering in both cases being to weaken the fore part of the bullet, so 
as to facilitate 4 setting up ’ and 4 knocking down.’ The French in 
Dahomey and the Italians in Abyssinia found wounds from small-bore 
rifles so slight that, certainly in the latter case, an idea was prevalent 
that the ammunition had been tampered with. The natives fired any¬ 
thing and everything from every sort of fire-arm. A bit of telegraph 
wire was a not uncommon projectile, or the leg of a cooking pot. 
It is sad to contemplate that every man on our side who had any limb 
amputated died, with the exception of Maurice Gifford. I believe that 
ten per cent, of the available force in Buluwayo, which was under a 
thousand, before relief arrived was either murdered, killed or wounded 
during that war ; I do not think it is generally realised what a rough 
time they had. 
Though there were many deeds of daring and bravery performed in 
the defence there are one or two incidents, which if not written will be 
handed down from mouth to mouth, and which were rather the other 
way. I will only tell you one, which was amusing. 
There was a Jew who was alarmed, like everybody else at the time, 
to hear that the Matabele were coming in ; although the Matabele were 
some way from the town he started running off to the laager. He 
rushed out of his house in his pyjamas and slippers and fled down the 
street. As he passed another man who was leisurely proceeding to the 
laager, he shrieked 44 There is a woman in that house ; save her ! ” and 
on he went. The reply was “All right” ; and then he called after the 
Jew 44 Who is she ? ” The answer from the distance came back 44 She’s 
my wife ! ” (Laughter.) 
There are many more things which I might say about Rhodesia, but 
I must leave that place as my time is getting short. 39 
