BRITISH TROOPS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 14 January 1901, Page 4

BRITISH TROOPS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

(per press association.)

Wellington, January 13. Acting- Premier Ward has received the following cablegram from the AgentGeneral re the South African War operations • The British troops in South Africa number 210,000 Regulars 142,000, militia 20,000, Colonials 33,003. Yeomanry 800, English Volunteers 7000. British casualities to date; Deaths from all causes 12,700; oversea contingents sent' to South Africa from the Australian colonies 6,350 : Canada 3,050; New Zealand 1,820. The proportion sent home to December 31st is—Canadians, three-fifths : Australians, one-third ; New Zealanders onesixth. The progress of tho war for the last two months has been less favourable, Boer duplicity, farm burning, and other drastic measures are responsible. The Boers have fought with desperation and some success. Much of the outlying country has been abandoned to them, but they have failed to break the line of communication. There numbers have increased since October, and there are now probably about 16,000 in the field, The position is unexpectedly difficult, but not specially dangerous, as the Cape Dutch show no sign of general rising so far. Sir A. Milner has cabled that Lieut Ross of tho Third Contingent died at Pretoria,