Boer War

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

the war waged by Great Britain from October, 1899, to May, 1902, against the two South African republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State. The opening of 1902 saw an attempt on the part of the Boers to negotiate terms of peace; but the British Government still refused to consider the question of the independence of the republics, and the effort accordingly failed. Further fighting took place, and in March a column commanded by Lord Methuen was badly defeated near Klerksdorp, its leader being wounded and taken prisoner. Renewed efforts to procure peace before the approaching coronation of King Edward proved successful; and after a meeting by the slow decay of mosses and plants of the principal Boer commanders with Lord Kitchener at Vereeniging, the treaty by a more rapid decomposition of plants. signed on May 30, at , the was Pretoria Boers agreeing to recognize the King of England as their sovereign on condition that representative government should be granted after a limited period, and that the use of the Dutch language be permitted together with that of English. The Boers still remaining in the field now surrendered to the number of 20,000. The number of combatants who fought on the English side throughout the campaign including regulars, irregulars, Canadians, Australians and sailors amounted to 450,000, of whom about 250,- 000 were engaged at the same time during the latter stages of the war. Of these 1,072 officers and 21,000 men were killed, and 3,116 officers and 72,500 men invalided home. On the Boer side some 75,000 took part in the war, though never more than 50,000 were present in the field at any time. Their casualties in killed totalled 3,700 and in prisoners 32,000, of whom 700 died before peace was declared. The net cost of the war to Great Britain is estimated at £250,000,000. BOËTHUS (bō-ē'thus), a Greek sculptor, born in Chalcedon in the 2d century B. C. He is celebrated for his statues of children. "The Boy with the Swan" was his most famous work. A girl playing with dice and a boy extracting a thorn were subjects of other masterpieces by him. BOËTIUS, or BOETHIUS, ANICIUS MANLIUS TORQUATUS SEVERINUS (bō-e'thius), a Roman didactic poet and born between 470 and 475. statesman, bor While in prison awaiting execution he composed "Consolation of Philosophy" in He died about 525. prose and verse. BŒUF (bef) BAYOU, a large bayou of the Mississippi river in Louisiana; flowing between Atchafalaya Bayou and Grand Lake. of wet, soft, and spongy ground, where the soil is composed mainly of decaying and decayed vegetable matter. Such ground is valueless for agriculture until reclaimed, but often yields abundance of peat for fuel. Bogs are generally divided into two classes: red bogs, or peat mosses, and black bogs, The former class or mountain mosses. are found in extensive plains frequently running through several counties, such as Chat Moss in Lancashire, and the Bog of Allen in Ireland, the depth varying from 12 to 42 feet. Their texture is light and full of filaments, and is formed of different kinds. Black bog is formed It is heavier and more homogeneous in quality, but is usually found in limited and detached portions, and at high elevations where its reclamation is difficult. In Ireland bogs frequently rest on bogs a calcareous subsoil, which is of great value in reclaiming them. In the recrec lamation of bog land a permanent system of drainage must be established; the loose and spongy soil must be mixed with a sufficient quantity of mineral matter to give firmness to its texture and fertilize its superabundant humus; proper manures must be provided to facilitate the extraction of nutriment from the new soil, and a rotation of crops adopted suitable for bringing it into permanent condition. The materials best adapted for reclaiming peat are calcareous earths, limestone gravel, shell marl, and shell sand.