The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 8 February 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal.

NEAR LADYSMITH.

Definite statements have been cabled from Durban that General Buller's army has again crossed the Tugela river.

It is stated in some of the messages that the troops have gone towards Action Homes, while others assert that the movement is towards Zwartskop. [The latter place is on tho south side of main river, but east of the Little Tugela — is, in fact, on the fork of country formed by the junction of both streams.]

"The Times," however, declares that these statements are premature. The War Office maintains silence with regard to General Buller's movements.

In a cable message to the " Daily Mail " Mr Watson Churchill declares that all will be staked on the coming battle. The spirits of the troops were, he declared, never higher. A heliograph message has been flashed from Ladysmith saying— "We were elated on Saturday at hearing General Buller's guns actively booming. The enemy are massing near the town, bringing guns on to Surprise Hill. We are quite ready if attacked, and are all well. There are a few Boers to the north-east of the town."

Two people who succeeded in ia&k-

ing their escape through the Boer lines from Ladysmith have arrived at Pietermaritzburg. They report that there are sufficient provisions in the town for a considerable time. Fresh meat is being supplied to the garrison daily. " The Times " announces that the garrison and civilians at Ladysmith are resigned but determined. It is stated by the " Daily Mail " that large numbers of Boer reinforcements are coming down from the north, and are being detrained before Ladysmith. Information has been received ' u "t all the roads leading to Lady- j »-— "^ 'me of the British smith along tn© .— " —"lies, advance have been dugwitH nrenv— .. ' THE ASSAULT ON SPIONKOP. Colonel Thorneycroft, who succeeded to the command of the British troops on Spionkop after Major-General Woodgate has been disabled, and subsequently ordered the retreat, reports that when the first line of entrenchments were surprised, a native who was observed to bs attempting to waken a, Boer picket was bayoneted. The injury received by MajorGeneral Woodgate during the assault ou Spionkop consists of a wound over one of his eyes, caused by fragment from a bursting shell. Native deserters from the Boers forces, who have come into the British camps, report that the Boers lost heavily in the recent fighting on and around Spionkop and are in consequence very despondent. The total casualties in these engagements, according to the natives, numbered about iooo, while seven guns.ivere disabled by the return fire of the British artillery. The officers killed included five field-cornets, LORD METHUEN. It is stated that General Cronje is in command of 20,000 men between Modder river and Kimberley. The Boers at Dordrecht, on the branch line of railway running east frpm Sterkstroom to the Indwe coal mines, have been reinforced by 800 rebels from Barkley East. The Boer forces at Bordrecht now total 2200. There are 1000 Boers at Jamestown about forty miles north of Stormberg, in the same district. The force ofthe enemy at Stormberg nnmbers 5600. GENERAL FRENCH. • The New Zealand Mounted Infantry with a detachment of Rimington's and a squadron of the Life Guards, have swept the hills on Lieut.-Qeneral French's extreme right flank, and occupied soveral positions. In one engagement the New Zealanders alone rushed a kopje, expelling the enemy. With regard to the operations of General French's army in Northern Cape Colony, it appears that his forces have enclosed seven thousand Boers in the hills around Colesberg. The lack of naval guns is severely felt by the British troops. General French has despatched an overwhelming force towards the Orange river for the purpose of seizing Norval,s Point. This movement, besides being designed for the purpose of capturing one of the principal points of entry into the Free State will, if successful, cut off the retreat of the 7000 Boers who are enclosed by the British troops in the hills around Colesberg. Reinforcements are being sent rapidly forward to support the movement. A body of cavalry supported by the New Zealand Mounted Infantry cleared the way for the advance. WHAT PRESIDENT KRUGER HOPED. It is stated by the Daily Telegraph that had Ladysmith fallen during the attack made on the town on Januaiy 6th, President Kruger would have visited Europe to petition the Powers to save the Republic. OFFER OF RELEASE. Shortly after his arrival at Capetown Field- Marshal Lord Roberts wrote to General Joubert, the Boer commander-in-chief, offering to release Commandant Pretorius, who had been wounded and captured at the battle of Elands Laagte and subsequently had to have one of his legs amputated. In his letter Lord Roberts described Commandant Pretorius as a brave soldier. In reply to this communication the Commandant's wife has written to Lord Roberts thanking him, and asking that her husband should be sent to Magersfontein, the scene of the recent sanguinary battle, where General Cronje, with his entrenched army, has resisted the advance ot Lord Methuen's forces to Kimberley. REINFORCEMENTS. The Fourth Cavalry Brigade, now under orders to proceed to South Africa, consists of 2528 men, with six field guns and five machine guns. The battery of Hotchkill' guns presented by Lord Armstrong's firm to the New Zealand Government for used in South Africa has been shipped to Cape j town. CONDEMNATION OF LOOTING. Presidents Kruger and Steyn have sent a protest to Lord Roberts against the destruction of farmhouses by British troops. Lord Roberts has replied that the charges are vague and unsatisfactory, Wanton destruction, says the FieldMarshal, is contrary to British practices. BRITAIN'S ARTILLERY. During the course of a speech in the House of Commons., the Hon. G. Wyodham, Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office, stated that the artillery of the British army was equal to the Continental standard. BOER RAIDERS. An expedition of Boers from the Vryheld district, in the south-eastern corner of the Transvaal, has made a raid on the town of Ugtu, in Zululand, and captured the British represen- ! tative stationed here.

The prisoners consist of the Magistrate, and eleven white, and thirtyfour coloured policemen, with their horses. Some 340 rifles and a quantity of ammunition were seized by the raiders. LORD ARMSTRONG'S GIFT. The Durban correspondent of the •' Standard " states that in November last the Armstrong-Elswick Company offered to lend the Natal Government a number of Hotchkiss guns. The Government was tardy in its consideration of the offer, but ultimately agreed to accept it. By that time the company had presented to the New Zealand Government the guns, which have * now been shipped to South Africa, to be manned by the gunners now on thrir way to Capetown with New Zealand's second ::. ntiD S eQt -