CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

Manawatu Herald, 20 January 1900, Page 2

CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

■ .» - — The Transvaal. NEW ZEALANDEKS TO THE FRONT. A cablegram received by Reuter's Agency states that on Monday a force of Boers tried to storm a hill neat Bensburg which commanded their position, and was held by a company of the Yorkshire Regiment and a few members of the New Zealand Mounted Infantry. Under the protection of a heavy artillery fire the Boer marksmen crept towards a low wall, from which they could have covered the Yorkshiremen. Just when the final rush of the enemy to the wall was imminent, -the Yorkshiremen leapt over the wall, and charged the marksmen with fixed bayonets. I Captain Madocks, commander of No. 2 Company of the New Zea-. landers, with ten of his men, gallantly joined the regulars in the movement. The Boers fled precipitately, tumbling over one another in their efforts to escape the bayonets. Twenty-one of the enemy were killed and fifty wounded. Lieutenant-General French complimented the New Zealanders, who form part of his column, upon their gallantry in the engagement, telling them that on all occasions their conduct, had merited the highest praise. Private ConneJl. of the New Zealand Mounted Infantry, was killed during the action at Slingsfontein on Monday, Sergeant Gourley died of wounds received in the same engagement. Further particulars of the fighting near Rensburg show that after the captain in charge of the Yorkshires had been wounded, it was Captain Madocks who ordered the bayonet charge which proved so effective. CONGRATULATIONS FROM MR CHAMBERLAIN. His Excellency the Governor received the following cablegram yesterday morning from the Secretary of State for the Colonies : " Hearty congratulations to the people of New Zealand on the gallant conduct of the contingent at Rensburg on 15th instant. — (Signed) Chamberlain." The Premier received a cablegram from the Agent- General as follows: — " London, January 17, 5 p.m. Victorious charge at Slingersfontein, in which Captain Madocks and the New Zealanders behaved most gallantly. Officially recorded that General French conveyed cordial thanks to our men." THE SWAZIS. The recent report as to the death of the mother of the King of Swaziland, the native territory to the east of the Transvaal, is contradicted. It is now stated that the Queenmother has had all the chiefs favourable to British influence put to death — those who have visited England and the Cape — and that she is now plotting with the Boers. LADYSMITH. Evidence is accumulating" to attest the desperate character of the fighting in the assault in force made by the Boers upon Eadysmith on the 6th instant. For example, a report has* been received here showing that after the battle the British assisted to carry away the bodies of ninety Boers from Waggon Hill. [The trenches, which, according to General White's heliographed report were thrice taken by the enemy and re-taken by the British are- on Waggon Hill.] It has been ascertained that thirty three of the natal troops were wounded in the course of the day's fighting. The " Standard's " correspondent at Ladysmith has been able to trans mit some particulars of the recent assault on the garrison to his paper. In his account of the fighting he says that the Heidelberg commando early in the morning of the 6th succeeded in evading the British pickets and captured the outlying " Caesar's camp" Owing to the darkness and the Boer's trick of replying to the shouts of the British officers, some confusion occurred. W hen daylight broke, however, the British shrapnel fire prevented reinforcements coming up, and ultimately the Gordon Highlanders and Chesters drove the enemy out of the camp in utter disorder, many being drowned in crossing a stream, which became suddenly swollen by a heavy thunderstorm. The stubborn fighting which ensued lasted all day. At a critical period in the afternoon the Gordons rendered splendid service by holding the Boers in check until three companies of Devons charged brilliantly across open ground, under a terrific fire, hurled the enemy down the hill at the bayonet's point. The Boers admit that they received the severest blow of the • campaign in this engagement. The correspondent of the "The Times " accompanying the army under General Buller, has telegraphed an account of the recent operations, in which he described a dashing movement made on the 10th inst. On that date Lord Dundonald, in command of the British column, crossed the Little Tugela river north-west of Spriogneld, and , occupied the hills

above Potgieter's Drift. Sir Charles Warren's force yesterday crossed the Trichart's drift, five miles higher up the river. The troops met with no opposition, though the Boers held a position five miles away. GENERAL BULLER. There is still no official news as to the progress made by General Buller ]; in his advance from Springfield n (twenty miles west of Colenso) in the p direction of Ladysmith. * h One of the War correspondents of v "The Times" in Natal telegraphs 0 that very heavy artillery firing was heard on Monday in the direction of j Springfield. J The censorship exercised over press " messages will be of an extreme charac- s ter until General Buller officially noti- 8 fies the War Office of his operations. c General Buller in reporting some casualties which have befallen his r forces, incidentally mentions that he made a reconnaissance of the Tugela district from Springfield on Monday; I but no further particulars have been l made public. '<■ SMALLPOX AMONG THE BOERS. 1 It is reported that smallpox has broken out in the Boer camp in Natal.