THE BOER WAR.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 14 June 1901, Page 3

THE BOER WAR.

[by electric telegraph.—copyeig ht]

(per press association).

London, June 18. There was beautiful weather for the Horse Quards’ parade. The King, accompanied by the Queen and Princess Victoria, presented 3000 war medals.

The Duke of Cornwall’s children set at an adjacent window. Lord Roberts was the first recipient, then Lord Milner, Sir Godfrey Lagden (headquarters staff), the Foreign Attaches, the Natal staff, the Generals of Division, the Household Cavalry, the Guardsmen (many in plain clothes), the wounded and discharged soldiers, finally the City Volunteers. The ex-Lord Mayor, the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs and Moorish Envoys were provided with special seats to view the ceremony.

1000 Boer prisoners at Bellevue camp petitioned Steyn, Schalkburger, Botha, and De Wet to cease the struggle, on tho ground that they are only plunging the petitioners’ families and the country deeper into distress,

New Zealand Rough Rider L. Matthews died of enteric at Capetown,,and James Young of pneumonia at Worcester.

The presentation of medals was a lenglhy ceremony, their Sovereigns standing for two hours. The King, in a Field-Marshall’s uniform, with the blue ribbon of the Garter, handed all the medals to the recipients at the rate of 28 per minute. War Medals Presentation. Becieved this day at 9 17 a.m. London, June 13. Amongst those who received medals were Majors General Hutton and PoleOarew, and a number of Australian officers. The King looked hale and hearty. The Times says a significant; event lay in the attitude of the spectators showing that the King never more faithfully reflected the wishes of his people, than by honoring with his own hand the soldiers who shed their blood to cemerit the unity of the Empire. This may also apply equally to the medal bestowed upon Milner, whom the paper describes as a statesman instinctively identified both by the people and our enemies with the Imperial policy in South Africa. It points out that the bestowal of the medal to Milner is strictly in accordance with precedents, and cites the presentation of medals to Lord Canning, after the suppresion of the Indian Mutiny, to Lord Elgin on the conclusion of tho China War, and to the Marquis of Dufferin after the conquest of Burmah. Received this day at 9 19 a m. London, June 13.

Colonel Pultinez captured twenty-six Boers on the Swaziland border, including Swalkburger’s brother.

Scobell, at dawn on the 6th, surprised Letter’s and Kruitzinger’s commandos of 400, laagered in the valley at Kingskrbwn. They were preparing to attack Barkley East. The Boer pickets on tho bill gave tho warning to Scobell, who' sent a squadron of Cape Mounted Rifles under Captain Lukin, to reconnoitre. The! main column descended the hill in darkness, Lukin shouting “hands up” charged with the squadron, and tho enemy bolted leaving spare horses, rounds of ammunition, 14 prisoners, and guns. At sunrise they completed the rout of the Boars, and returned to Senekal and Lydenburg districts. Immediately afterwards General Blood withdrew his troops.