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Manawatu Herald, 23 January 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal. ADVANCING ON LADYSMITH. The latest news from Natal states that the Earl of Dundonald, whose . command led the way in the crossing ) of the Little Tugela river and the ) seizure of Potgieter's Drift on the Tugela proper, had only a small force under him. For two days he applied himself to " sniping " operations — sharpshooters' work — against the enemy ; awaiting the ar^;-^ o! Majo?|Q«ae«J ' force. \ Howitzers and naval gunsplantea on Mount Alice, near Ziartzkop, shelled strong Boer entrtichments with good effect. T The crossing of the river b^ Lieu-tenant-General Warren's Jolumn was covered by artillery/ The enemy fled after some iesultory firing. A pontoon bridge was subsequently thrown acres the Tugela. T General Warren is advancing towards Spienkop and places situated in the vdley that leads to Ladysmith. A telegraph line is being erected as he goes, to keep up communication -with his base. The General reports that the troops are in high spirits. "The Timess," in discussing General Buller's movements, considers that the Boers hold no continuous line of defence, but mainly occupy two positions. The enemy's divisions are thought to be com- i paratively isolated, one being in ' front of each British camp. The numbers of the Boers are unknown. The press generally applauds the boldness of General Buller's strategy and the skill with which he has executed tbe different movements of his army. "The Times" estimates that Sir Charles Warren has a force of 12,000 infantry, 1500 cavalry, thirty field guns and six howitzers, General Buller has 7000 infantry, with eighteen field guns and howitzers, besides naval guns. The brigade under General Clery has remained at Colenso. ! It is expected that the forces under Generals Buller and Warren will unite near Blaauwbank, eight miles from Ladysmith. i This movement threatens all the enemy's lines of communication to the south of the besieged town. TRAITORS ON TRIAL. Thirty.five settlers in the vicinity of Sunnyside, who were captured in Lieutenant-Colonel Pilcher's recent expedition into the district to the north-west of Belmont, are now being tried for treason. Captain R. Dowse of the Queensland Contingent, testified that he commanded- the Queenslanders in the Sunnyside engagement, and was withing eighty yards of the prisoners. Private McLeod, of witness's company, was killed during the engagement receiving two bullet wounds. The trial has been adjourned. ENGLAND'S ARTILLERY. A great controversy is going on in 'the British press on the question of the strength of the British artillery. The Times, which was one of the foremost critics of the ordnance equipment, now admits that the British field guns are equal to those of any Continental Power. SEIZURE OF STEAMERS. The cargo of the German steamer Bundesrath, which was lately seized by a British warship off the east coast of Africa, has been found not to be intended for the enemy. The vessel will shortly be released and Britain offers satisfactory guarantees that seizures will not be made in future without adequate grounds. NEAR LADYSMITH. Lord Roberts has cabled to the War Office an account of the progress made by the columns now advancing to the relief of Ladysmith. His report shows that Lieut.-General Sir Charles Warren's division is adv. ncing northward from the Tugela river (which he crossed at Trichard's Drift) in the direction of Spionkop and Dewdrop. The Boers, it is known, hold a strongly entrenched position five miles ahead of the place from which Sir Charles was last heard of. This position the General will endeavour to turn, and he had strong hopes of being able to do so. Before starting upon the present expedition General Buller made a spirited appeal to the men of the relief columns. It was, he declared, intended to relieve Ladysmith. Once on the way there would be no turning ' back. At the same time he warned , the troops to beware of the treachery ; of the Boers, especially in regard to J the abuse of the white flag. I A later report states that the British troops crossed the river practically ' ( without opposition. j Lieut.-General Warren's artillery , shelled the trenches of the opposing \ Boers all day on Thursday, and j succeeded in making a breach in a , sand-bag emplacement, which they had thrown up to protect their guns. The enemy did not respond to the fire. The success which had attended the J British advance so far has put the l troops in good heart, and are all now j full of confidence. . ( Lor 4, Dundonald's mounted troops „ were engaged in action to the west- t ward of Acton Homes. During the r engagement Cornet Hellbron and t twenty of the Boers were killed and r wounded, fifteen being also taken I

The enemy had been forced to destroy a bridge they were building seven miles west of Potgieter's Drift by which it had been intended to outflank General Buller's army. The bulk of the Boers in Natal are hastening to repel General Buller's advance. Ten thousand of the enemy arrived at the front on the nth inst, and feverishly commenced to construct formidable entrenchments. The main position of the Boer afmy extends for six miles in a westerly direction along the kopjes opposite Potgier's Drift where the river follows a tortuous course. T h eirn ricl n^B trong - nblst§ p ioilkD } 18 the highest hill on the river, and Is used as a base. The enemy's entrenchments extend backwards for miles, but they are compelled to defend the whole line of front from Colenso to Acton Homes, a distance of twenty six miles. The Transvaalers sullenly endured the bombardment of the British guns from Mount Alice in silence. At one point they refused General Lyttelton's challenge to touch the British who came within rifle fire of their trenches. Mr Bennett Burleigh, the correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" considers that Lord Dundonald's success seems to control an easy en* trance into Ladysmith and interrupts the retreat of the enemy westward into the Orange Free State. The capture of the cable boat at Potgieter's Drift was made by a party of South African Light Infantry, who had to swim the Tugela river under a heavy fire. It was one of the pluckiest incidents of the advance. The heavy rains which have fallen lately in Natal have turned the roads into quagmires, the result being that the British transport difficulties are j terrible. j The troops under Lord Dundonald have captured one of President Kruger's grandsons. I general Buller's transport facilities include 5000 vehicles. By the use of a balloon much valuable information was gained by the British while engaged in shelling the Boer trenches near Swartzkop. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr G. W. Steevens, one of the j " Daily Mail's " special correspondents is reported to have died of fever at Ladysmith. The Boers have undermined Johannesburg and the fort above the town with a view to destroying the place. Reuter's correspondent at Capetown states that moderate Cape estimates of the losses suffered by the Boers during the war place the number at 6425. GENERAL GATACRE. General Gatacre has pushed his troops on from Bushman's Hoelr, in the vicinity of Sterkstroom, to Lopersberg. GENERAL CLERY DRIVES BACK THE ENEMY. General Sir Redvers Buller has cabled to the War Office an account of a protracted engagement fought in the course of the march towards Ladysmith. The report states that Lieut.General Clery, with part of Lieut.Warren's force which is advancing from Trichart's Drift, had thirteen hours of hard fighting with the enemy on 2 1st. By the judicious use of artillery the General fought his way steadily forward capturing ridge after ridge for a distance of three miles, and finally bivouacking upon the ground captured from the enemy. The main position taken up by the Boers, however, is still in front^of the British vanguard. The casualties on the British side are stated not to have been heavy, but 100 wounded had been brought in by an early hour in the evening. The number killed has not yet been ascertained. The British artillery is continuously shelling the Boer trenches. The latest report in reference to Major-General Lyttelton's column as to its advance from Potgieter's Drift (five miles below Trichart's Drift) shows that he has occupied a kopje within two thousand yards of the Boers' position at Brakfontein. One company of General Lyttelton's mounted riflemen, with a balloon section, encountered a heavy fire* The enemy's trenches were shelled and the grass set on fire. The garrison and inhabitants of Ladysmith can hear the guns of the advancing column, and are jubilant at the prospect of an early relief.