The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 3 February 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal.

GENERAL BULLER. The Capetown correspondent of th e " Daily Mail " cables to his paper that on Monday General Buller read to the troops of Lieutenant-General Warren's division, who had been engaged in the expedition to the north of the Tugela river, now abandoned, a message from the Queen expressing admiration of the behaviour of the troops during the trials ot the past week, and also of their accomplishment of the rearward march. To this the general added that the men ought not to think that because they had retired from Spionkop all the work they had done was of no avail. In his opinion they ha3 gained the key of the road to Ladysmith, and he hoped that they would be in the town within a week. Cheers for her Majesty called for bv the general were heartily given by th< troops. LADYSMITH. A heliograph message received from Ladysmith states that the garrison are not now despondent, but are awaiting General Buller's next move. They still possess many weeks' supplies. It is reported from Delagoa Bay that the Boers are accumulating large quantities of timber and sand-bagf near Ladysmitb, wHh which they intend to dam the X!!p river, which flow? near the town, and thus flood the Bri tish lines. Their object is to by thi. means bring the garrison under shel 1 fire. LORD ROBERTS. Field- Marsh?! Lord R^iierts. Com. mander-in-Chief in South Africa, wno has been absent from Capetown, ha received an intimation which ha.caused him to return to the city. REINFORCEMENTS. Two transports, which arrived a< the Cape laden with artillery and cavalrv, have Been ordered to Durban. Lieutenant - General Kelly-Kenny, whose division (the sixth) lately arrived at Capetown, has taken up his headquarters at Rosmead Junction, sixteer miles south of Naaupoort. His forcp consists of 8600 men. Lieutenant General Gatacre, further east, has fivthousarid at Sterkstroom. The Fourth Cavalry Brigade is ' embark from London immediately f the front. SPIONKOP. Additional particulars continue tc arrive with regard to the recent battl in Natal. It appears that it waColonel Thorneycroft, who succeeded to the command of the attacking column after Major-General Woodg^* hid been seriously wounded, who urdered the retirement from the Spionkop heights. General Buller exonerates the colonel from any blame in the matter, and declares that he directed the defence with conspicuous courage and ability under a lqss of at least forty per cent, of the force. Colonel ThorneycroftV conduct throughout was admirable. During the fighting the Scottish Rifles made a brilliant charge in assist ing the Lancashire Brigade, and though checked by a withering rifle fire fron the enemy, carried two tiers o trenches. The Boers are reported to have again abused the white flag and fired a volley at Colonel Thornevcroft befor he was able to regain shelter. He hsr a marvellous escape. Other example* of treacherous trickery were record^ Lieutenant Winston Churchill, co--respondent for the Daily Mail, hcabled to his paper stating that t v army has entire confidence in Gener? Buller. The troops are exasperated a ( their reverses but are not despondent and are resolved to try again. It now transpires that in the flankinp movement on Spionkop the Britisl casualties amounted to 1379, including 204 killed, 552 wounded, and 8a missing. The Boers admit that they had 5? killed and 120 wo-.; uded. MISCELLANEOUS. Lord Roberts has assigned to th< colonial troops an important share i' the operations preparatory to the invasion of the Free State. Five hundred Canadians aiu. Australian 1 ?, have Ui ad a smnrt fight at Badonborst, expelling the rebels with out suffering loss. Particulars of the death of Troope j Harold Booth (Oarmrn) a member r. the New Zealand r 'ingent, are now to hand. Booth was acting as orderly tc Major-General Clements, and waholding the general's horse while tc the northward of Rensburg, when he was killed by the bursting of a shell.