The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 30 December 1899, Page 2

The Transvaal.

AT THE TUGELA RIVER. The Boer army at the Tugela river has been reinforced by the arrival of a thousand Cape Dutch". The heavy guns of the Naval Brigade commanded the whole of the position on the banks of the Tugela rendering it impossible for the Boers to approach General Buller's position. The sixty-third Battery of Field Artillery, which orginally formed part of Major-General Lytleton's Brigade, has left Capetown for Durban. To increase the difficulty of fording the Tugela river when the British advanced to attack the Boer entrenchments, barbed wire has been stretched under water at the crossing places. The guns of Colonel Long's battery of Royal Artillery that were captured by the Boer 9 atter the battle of the 15th inst. have been thrown into the Tugela. Since the repnlse of the British troops the Boers constructed a rough bridge over the Tugela, by which a commando crossed and fortified Tuhlowe Hill, which commands the plain in front of Colenso. The Naval Brigade shelled the Boer positions on Tuesday last. Sir Redvers Buller and Sir Charles Warren (who was appointed to the command of the Fifth Division) are at Chiveley, seven miles south of Tugela. GOOD NEWS FROM LADYSMITH. A message has been sent by heliograph by Sir George White to General Buller stating that the garrison at Ladysmith can hold out indefinitely. The casualties suffered during the sortie on the 22nd inst. amounted to 24— -nine killed and fifteen wounded. CAPE DUTCH. 1 Ths special correspondent of the

" Times " accompanying General Sir William Gatacre's army in Cape Colony, telegraphing from Sterkstroom says that it is fear, not loyalty, which prevents a general rising. There were 1850 disloyalists amongst the troops which recently defeated General Gatacre at Stormberg. The members of the Afrikander Bond are unanimously disloyal. KIMBERLEY. The Kimberley garrison is understood to still have provisions for six months. NARROW ESCAPFS. During the battle along the Tugela river on the 15th iust. a bullet grazed General Sir Redvers Buller's ribs. Major-General Sir C. F. Clery also had a narrow escape, a bullet grazing one of his arms. BOER- RESERVES, Members of the Afrikander Bond in Capetown report that an army of 8000 officers and men skilled in military tactics and the use of artillery is being held in reserve at Pretoria. MILITARY AMENITIES. General Cronje, the Boer leader on the western frontier, has notified Lord Methuen that he declines to have any communication with the British general until the end of the war. OUTBREAK OF SICKNESS. Fever and a complaint peculiar to the country, known as "pink eye," have both made an appearance in the Boer encampment at Magersfontein. " Pink eye " has also broken out at De Aar, the British military base, south of the Orange river, and among General Gatacre's troops at Sterkstroom. BOERS AT VARIANCE. Much friction is known to exist between the Free State and the Transvaal troops in their camp beyond the Modder river. It appears that the Transvaal men distrust their allies, and apprehending defections on their part, are continually threatening to shoot them at the first sign of weakness. The Free State men, who have throughout their history been more friendly disposed to the British than their 1 northern fellow-Dutch, declare that they would prefer British domination to that of the Transvaal. The Sydney " Daily Telegraph's " Cape" correspondent comments on the likelihood of 1 the Orange Free State abandoning the fight after the first great reverse to the Boers, President Steyn thus hoping to save something from the wreck. It is thought, adds the correspondent that President Schreiner, in a milk-and-water telegram which he sent to President Steyn, is working to a similar end. . Mr Schreiner, after expressing surprise and regret at the Orange Free State authorities commandeering Cape Colonists, says : — •• The consequences will be at your door if it is not stopped without delay." There are other acts, however, which make Mr Steyn impossible. He has never ceased to add insult to injury. The successive British reverses at Stormberg, Spyfontein and the Tugela have temporarily, at all events, restored the Boer morale in some measure, and at the same time lead to a large accession to their fighting strength through their having been joined by members of the Cape Dutch. NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION. The New Zealand contingent was in a tight corner in the fight at Arundel on the 1 8th inst— that- in which Trooper Bradford was wounded and captured by the Boers. The contingent engaged the enemy at short range and in returning to camp after the General had withdrawn them from the position he had arsigned to them, met with a hail of bullets. There were many narrow escapes. Several of the men had their clothes perforated with bullets. A squadron of the Tenth Hussars has reinforced General -"French's column, to which the New Zealanders are attached. It is understood, that Trooper Bradford, of the New Zealand Mounted Infantry, who was recently wounded and taken prisoner at Arundel, is likely to recover. LADYSMITH. News has been received that on Tuesday last the Ladysmith artillery shelled the Boer position on Isimbul vana Mountain, to the eastward of the town from which most of the enemy's bombardment has proceeded General Joubert, Commander-in-Chief of the Transvaal forces, who has been ill for a week or two, and has been replaced in the supreme command by General Schalk Burgher, has recovered, and has again gone to the front. WITH LORD METHUEN. Lieutenant- General Lord Methuen is still keeping up artillery fire upon the Boer position. The enemy, however, are making no reply to his shells evidently fearing to disclose the positions of their own guns. The war correspondent of the " Daily Chronicle " telegraphs to his paper that the infantry from the various Australian colonies and the Canadian riflemen are at Belmont, a little more than thirty miles south of Lieutenant-General Methuen's posiThe Queensland Mounted Infantry according to the same authority, are at Orange river, just over fifty-five miles from the front. General Cronje has further received reinforcements. His troops have been kejJt busily engaged in strengthening their position and are now throwing up entrenchments withing three and a half miles of the British lines. While reconnoitring along the railway line, the British succeeded in unmasking a battery of six of the enemy's guns. REINFORCEMENTS. Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, before leaving England, obtained from the War Office authorities a promise that the Sixteenth (Queeif sV -Lancers, now 1 stationed at Umballa ; in the Punjaub

should be sent to south Africn. The Second Battalion (77th Foot) of the Middlesex Regiment and the Second Battalion (4th Foot) ot the Royal Lancaster Regiment hay« arrived in Capetown. Both these battalions belong to LieutenantGeneral Sir Charles Warrens Division. Strong drafts of other regiments belonging to the Fifth Division have, also reached port. Thousands of mules are being landed and will greatly facilitate the transport work. \ y The offer of two batteries oLa'C artillery from India for service k?"|'4f Natal has been accepted. ;.■-,;.,■ A force of Irregulars, 500 strong, i 1 i || ' being organised at East Londori a'v'q,, seaport on the south-eastern coat. t. 01-'l| Cape Colony. A thousand veter; 1? are being enrolled at Capetown. ; ' Lieutenant-Colonel R. Broadwc i'j of the Twelfth Lancers, is to i|l!jj: command of Warren's Irre^ jjj;! i; , Horse, now forming at Capetown. i; 1! ! There is no scarcity of volunteers m j|i South Africa, for large numbers ol' i-"*] rough riders are still being enrolled <it-jif Capetown and in Natal. * M * Newspaper files just to hand show that 150 Americans joined the Canadian contingent now in Spiifcb Africa before it left Canada. MISCELLANEOUS. The artificers at Armstrong's great ordnance works, *at Elswick, ara j hastily transforming a battery ni twelve-pounder guns into fifteen - pounders. General Gourko, of the Russian army, who was reported to have landed at Delagoa Bay, represents Russia as a military attache to the British army during the war. It is reported, however, that tfcir«« Russian officers have joined the Boers, The British warship Forth, a-secoad-class cruiser of 4050 tons and 5700 horse-power, has captured a cargo of stretchers and railway sleepers which was being taken into Delagoa Ray, the eastern approach to the Transvaal, intended for the Boers. President Kruger is stated to be .uneasy at the suspicion that there ar« British spies in the Boer ranks. THE CAPE MINISTRY. Capetown newspapers which have just arrived show that not one member of the Cape Ministry took any part in welcoming the colonial contingent on their arrival. It is stated, on what is said to be very good authority that some time ago the Premier (Mr Schreiner) asked the Governor (Sir Alfred Milner) ta allow the Ministry to resign. The request was refused. When later on a deputation waixeJ on the Governor asking him to disnu' > the Ministry on account of their wl;u:< of loyalty, he replied that later oil he. M^ would deal with the Ministry. "Forth > * present," he added, "they must: < main in office." j Three members of the Cape Hdr: ; ■ of Assembly are implicated in charges 0 of sedition. . Jy "The Times" hints that .measu ( T«|i§ will shortly be taken to impress til e]| )S! disloyal settlers in Cape Colony. '■