The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 9 December 1899, Page 2

The Transvaal.

MORE ABOUT MODDER. Dumdum bullets were used by the Boers in the Modder river battle. It was also noticed their sharpshooters fired from under the shelter of the red cross flag, a trick which would until it was detected secure them protection from the British soldiers, under the supposition that the flag indicated a hospital or ambulance. One of the incidents of the battle was the galloping of a company of two hundred Boers from the field in the afternoon. The artillery of the British Naval Brigade gave special' attention to the fugitives, and exploded a number of shells amongst them. At another stage a section of the Free State Artillery became panicstricken and bolted amidst denunciation from their Transvaal comrades, who accused the gunners of cowardice. Sune harrowing scenes wero witnessed on the field the morning Liter the battle. Many of the Boei victims had to be abandoned by their comrades, and were interred by the British burial parties. The shell-riddled buildings of the town were found to be filled with the Boer wounded, who had as yet received no surgical attention. The growns of the sufferers were terrible. The bodies of three Highlanders were found in a trench, one of them grasping the rifle- of a foe in his stiffened fingers. It is stated by the Boer prisoners that Commandant Cronje had to ipply the sjambok, the hide whip ot the country, in order to prevent some of his followers from taking flight before the battle begun. During the Modder River Battle, which was fought under a burning sun, the British troops were almost maddened by thirst, the water-carts being unable to approach the zone of fire. It is said that Commandant Cronje considered the defences that had been constructed by his troops would have enabled the Boers to withstand an attack by the British for three weeks. Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen is reported to be satisfied that the morale of the enemy has been much shattered by the victory achieved over them, as their losses exceeded that of the British. "The Times," states that the number of Boers killed during the engagement was 150, while hundreds were wounded,

A NEW POSITION. The gth Lancers, while on a reconnoitring expedition located a Boer force six miles north of the Modder River, strongly posted on a ridge. THE TUGELA BRIDGES. j Lieutenant-General Sir C* F. Clery, in Lis reconnaissance from Frere In direction of Weenan, some twelve miles to the eastward, has ascertained that Weenan has been evacuated by the enenijN The report as to the destruction by the Boers of the Bulwer railway bridge, which spannned the Tugela river at Cdtensd, is confirmed. The work of blowing it up was, however, done defectively^ for the piers across which the line was laid bave remained iritaCt, so that the restoration of the bridge by the British , engineers will be a matter of compaartively little difficulty. The British troops have succ eeded in completing a trestle bridge over the Blaaukrate stream, the southern branch of the Tugela river, at Frere. The railway bridge at this point was some time ago destroyed by the Boers, LORD METHUEN. So much depends upon the condition of Lietenant-General Lord Methuen in view of his responsibility as officer Commanding the Kimberley relief column, that the greatest interest attaches to his physical condition. Information has been received from Modder river that notwithstanding the flesh wound in the thigh which he received in the battle of November 28th. his Lordship continues to perform his dutius as director of the operations. BGEri WOM£N\ A number of Boer women have visited the lines around Ladysmlth, and in their despair at the severe losses suffered by theif troops have implored Commandant-General Joubert to end the war. THE CAPE DUTCH* Mr Labuschaguej a prominent Afrikander member Of the Natal Legislative Council, has been arrested on a charge of treiso:i for joining th;. Boers near Estcourt while their commandoes were in the vicinity of that town. Major-General Sir W. F. Gatacre who has now reached Putterskraal, iri the. Colesberg district* has to a great extent checked the spread of disaffection among the Dutch settlers. MISCELLANEOUS. The British prisoners at Pretoria are allowed to purchase Boer newspapers. Lately the Basutos have been very restive, but the news of the victories won by Lord Methuen's column has had a reassuring effect upon them.

LADYSMITH. British scouts have ascertained that the Boers have made great preparations in the vicinity of Ladysmith and | Colenso to resist the advance of General Buller's relieving column. The hills adjoining these towns are stated to be dotted with heavy artillery, twenty-six guns surrounding Ladysmith itself. The gradual approach of the relieving army from the southward has greatly excited the troops now under siege at Ladysmith, and the garrison is much cheered at the prospect of an early release. The long-continued siege at a particularly trying period of the year has had its effects on Sir George White's forces, amongst whom sickness is now prevalent. Another unfortunate circumstances is that it has been found necessary to reduce the rations served out to the men owing to the shortage in the commissariat. The latest news from the front stated that the Boers were bombarding the western defences at Ladysmith with three heavy guns from a range of four thousand yards. Major-General Sir C. F. Clery, who relinquished the command of the relief army on the arrival of General Sir Redvers Buller in Natal, has resumed command of the division, and is directing its advance from Frere. The British troops have succeeded in establishing heliograph signals with Ladysmith. BOERS LEAVING N*ATAL. Large bodies of the Boers who have hitherto been occupying the country around Ladysmith have been seen moving in the direction of the Drakensberg mountains. It is presumed that news of the advance of Lord Methuen's army along the Free State has reached the Natal commandoes, who are now anxious to return to defend Bloemfontein, thp capital of the Free SLate. and othe* i:n;)ortatits town, from attack by th British. PREPARATIONS AT PRETORIA. Advices from Pretoria state that the B lers are anticipating a resolute siege of the city when the British reach it, and have stored six months' provisious in preparation for the investment. KIMBERLEY. Advices from Kimberley state that the building at the De Beer diamond mine have been converted into workshops. . One of them is being used as an arsenal, and shells are being made with, the grim inscription: "With Mr Rhodes's compliments." Reports by the natives state that the Boers of the investing force have boasted that they will yet capture the Right Hon Cecil Rhodes, and will exhibit him in a cage for six months. The garrison made a sortie on the 28th November, and captured a laager (defended inclosure) of the Boers, but in doing so lost twenty-two men killed and thirty-one wounded. The Canadian contingent of 1000 men and the Australian troops who had been encamped since arrival at M ait land have been formed into a separate brigade for service, under Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen, who is now advancing towards the relief of Kimberley. Another trick practised by the Boers at Modder River, was the weariog of

the red cross of the ambulance while serving out ammunition. j The artillery and other supplies which Lieutenant- General Lord Methuen's column required before it could advance further in the direction of Kimberley has now arrived. GENERAL jOUBER'i. General Joubert the Commander-in-Chief of the Boer Army, who has directed the operations of the Transvaal forces in Natal since the outbreak of hostilities, has again had to retire from active service owing to illhealth. The General is in such a precarious state that he has been sent to Volksrust, on the Transvaal- Natal border, near Laing's Nek, for medical treatment. He has been succeeded in the command of the Boer army in Natal by Commandant Wilhelm Schkacberger, on whom will fall the dual task of directing the investment of Ladysmith and checking the advance of Sir Redvers Buller's relieving army from the south. BOERS IN CAPE COLONY. The Boers have abandoned Arundel the town nineteen miles south of Colesberg, in the vicinity of which a reconnaissance was made by Lieu-tenant-General French's forces, including part of the New South Wales 'Lancers, a day or two ago. Twelve hundred of them have occupied Dordrecht, another town in the same section of the colony. MAFEKINGi It is believed that the Mafeking garrison is too feeble to be able to take the risk of engagihg even the small force now remaining. The latest report from Colonel Boden- Powell at Mafeking was dated the 27th ult., at which time all was well with the garrison.