CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

Manawatu Herald, 19 October 1899, Page 2

CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

■ ♦— — The Transvaal. It is reported that there has been heavy fighting a Spystfontein, south of Kiraberley. The object of the British was to prevent Free Staters from making a junction with Transvaalers at the Modder river. The enemy have torn up the railway line at Modder, and threaten to march to Fourteen Streams, north of Kimberley. A Vryburg hospital train, while hastening t6 Kraapu to help the wounded, was nearly wrecked in con* sequence of the rails having been interfered with south of Maribogo. The Boers pointed a gun at the Red Cross train as it returned. Spitzkop, another town in the same neighbourhood, has also been taken by the invaders. Orange Free State troops are entrenched at Tintwa Pass, and are evidently determined to avoid meeting Sir George White's force in the open. It is believed that a large number of Free Staters intend to join the Transvaalers by the way of De Beers Pass. [The De Beers Pass (5635 feet) is one of the passes of the Drakensburg Range, which lies between the Free State and Natal.] Boers have occupied Charlestown as well as Newcastle. The forces la occupation at Newcastle consists of Transvallers and Free Staters, with four hundred Hollanders. General Joubert is fortifying Lang's Nek. Boer commandoes / have passed Ingagone, ten miles south of Newcastle, making southwards. The detailed arrangements for the embarkation of the British Army corps mobilised for service in South Africa are now announced. Commencing on the 20th instant six transports, carrying nine thousand troopers, will be despatched daily. The Natal railway stations to the northward of Glencoe have been dismantled in accordance with the British scheme of defensive operations. With reference to the firing that has been heard to the south of Kimberley, it transpires that the Boers are advancing southwards by way of Belmont a town about sixty miles S.W. by S. from Kimberley. The Boer army that is operating on the south-western border of the Orange Free State has succeeded in isolating Kimberley. The latest telegrams received from the town, however, indicates that when it was despatched all was well with the inhabitants. Boer tjoops hold a railway siding on the border, twelve miles north of Fourteen Streams. Orange Free State troops hold the railway to Kimberley. The telegraph wires from Vryburg to Kimberley have been cut. Kimberley is defended by a force of 4000 men. Martial law has been proclaimed at Mafeking, Vryburg, Barkly West and Herbert. The British forces at Ladysmith number nine thousand men, There are also four thousand British troops at Glencoe. Six members of the Natal Mounted Pblice Force have been caught by the Boers in an ambush at De Jaager's Drift, on the Natal border. Cape Colony is raising 2000 and Natal 1000 additional volunteers, making the totals for the two colonies 9000 and 3500 respectively. The British Government has authorised the summoning of Capetown volunteers for the war. Loyalists in Cape Colony are wildly indignant at the inaction of the Ministry. Orders have been issued for the evacuation of Dundee, and 3000 civilians have been transferred to Ladysmith. Press censorship has . been established in Cape Colony as well as in Natal. One result of this is r , ; jthat President Kruger is cut off .from telegraphic communication. The Boer forces advancing from the direction of Lang's Nek have reached Dannhauser, the station on the railway south of Ingagane. They cover a wide area of country between the Buffalo river and the Drakensburg Mountains, their outposts touching Glencoe and Dundee on the eastern side. A large camp has been formed at Dannhauser, its armament including fifteen guns. The towns of Brakwal and Bester's on the Free State branch of the Lady-smith-Harrismith railway, are in the occupation of the Boer forces. An immense Boer commissariat col-

umn is approaching Doomkop. It stretched over the country for a length of six miles. The Boer commandoes which were moving south in Natal have retreated to Ingagane. Orange Free State troops have torn up the Port Elizabeth-Pretoria railway line, at a point north of Norval's Point, where it enters the Free State. Seven thousand Boers are encamped at De Jaager's Drift. The Boers' transport and commissariat arrangement are said to be disorganised. Peace is favoured by the farmers near Colesburg, to the extreme south of the Orange Free State. Martial law has been proclaimed in Northern Natal, in consequence of the British military authorities, distrusting the Dutch colonies, of whom a large -proportion are known to be in sympathy with the Boers. Major Marchant, the hero of the French expedition to Fashoda, on the Upper Nile, has offered to assist the Boers in the present war, but General de Gallifet, Minister of War, has warned him that if he does so he will forfeit his commission in the French army. The Free State troops hold the railway between Kimberley and the Orange River, a distance of over 80 miles. A proclamation against treason has been issued at Aliwal North, one of the most northerly towns of the Cape, close to the Free State border. Many disloyal Boers are attending a religious festival at Vrybnrg. The coal mines north of Glencoe have been abandoned to the Boers. The Boers attacked an armoured repairing train north of Mafeking. Two Boers were killed and three wounded. Nine British were wounded. A native report states the Boers were badly defeated on an attack at Mafeking. Large quantities of supplies- are being shipped from India for Durban. A press censorship of Transvaal news has been established at Aden as well as the Cape, 4 and interferes with President Kruger's communication. Dr Tanner, member for Cork, while speaking at Crosshaven,made insulting references to the Army. A Royal Engineer kicked him down. The whole of the twenty-five thousand British reserves summoned to join the colours, responded to the call. • The defenders of Kimberley have asked for the assistance of an armoured train. Reconnoitring at Spytfontein the British killed five and wounded seven Boers. The British were unhurt. Several Boer spies have been arrested at Ladysmith. .-.-..' The Zulu chief Diniznlu - offered the British assistance against the Boers. Sir A. Milner, on. behalf of the*. British ' Government, replied " Eaep quiet yourself ; do not disturb the Transvaal Zu us."