The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 10 February 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal.

WITH LORD METHUEN.

It is stated by the "Standard's" correspondent at Modder river thaf 4 Major-General Hector Macdouald'a Highland Brigade, supported by a field battery of artillery and the Ninth Lancers, have occupied a nnmber^at/H kopjes to the northwest of Spyfonteinl r The position taken up by the column which was occupied after scarcely any opposition on the part of ihe enemy, is an important one, as it commands the roads to Kimberley, Hopetown and Douglas, The movement has prevented the junction of two large Boer con> mandoes. ADVANCING ON LADYSMnS&» The War Office now confirms the tt&vs previously received of G«a«ra( Buller s forces having again crossed the Tugela river. It is officially stated that the army tiolds a good position, and is now advancing; towards Ladysmith. From the available details of the operations and movements of the Relieving army, it appears that Gemipl Boiler evidently made a feint to croili the Tugela at two places. The Boers, imagining that the actual • intention was to cross at both pokkts r claim a vicitory. At Nolan Drift, where the actual passage of the river took place, the ; cannonading is described as having : beetf ihe fiercest of the war. ;

Before making a forward movement a hundred additional stretcher-beaters were ordered from Durban. ~

ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

The War Office has be«n informed that Genefal Sutler's army crossed th« Tugela on Monday, and is now ad- ! vancing towards the beleagoered garrison under Sir George White.

A despatch trom Reuter's corrtspQn* < dent at Spearman's Camp states' that the Naval Brigade opened fire on the enemy's entrenchments at 7 o'clock on Monday morning, thre* battalions ol j infantry, with six batt«rie3 of artillery, making a feint attack from four poni- i tions towards Brakfontein.

At 11 o'clock the Boers commenced shelling the infantry, who retired at >| noon; but In the meantime Genisral ; ( Buller directed a vigorous attquok oa i the extreme right. „ Jp A pontoon bridge had prisons]? ! been constructed by the engineers, and ! while this was beiog placed in portion ] the Boer position was heavily bom* barded by gans bidden among the trees on Swartzkop. Ultimately, everything being ready for advance., the infantry crossed the river, completely surprising,theen«ny, and capturing Krantskloofnjßa tqe : - Brakfontein range. The operations for the attack were excellently timed and carried out. i On Tuesday morning the bombardI ment was resumed by the artillery Uttd^ ; replied to by the enemy, who worked IlflP j disappearing gun on Doornktoor! : heights, to the north-eastward. j During the artillery duel, however, j this weapoa was disabled, and the j magazine attached to it exploded, by ! the bursting shells from the British guns. In the meanwhile an intermittent " musketry fire was maintained. During the afternoon the Boers made a determined effort to recapture the hills, but the reinforcements which arrived advanced with cheers and repulsed the enemy. > The British forces then continued to advance along the ridges. I AROUND MAGER^ONTEIN. I Major-General Hector Maodomtld has now entrenched the HieUand . Brigade at Koodoosberg, On both sides of the Reit river. . . , , His troops are posted strongly^M) the left bank, and the entrenchw»St6 command a drift over i^he stream. The Boers, who Mrerem strong force, fell back before the British advance.

IMPORTANT MOVEMENTS. There is every indication that a groat movement on the j)art of the British troops in South Africa is pending* M the result of the accumulation of rdu> forc«-ment& and of the new plan of operations devised since th« advent of toe new Commander io-Chief.

Field-Marshal Lord .Roberts and Ms Chief-of- Staff (General Kitchener), who have hitherto made Capetown their headquarters, have just left foifldMjl| front. In what particular dir*.|?l!sii they have gone is not, however, divulged.

On the side of the Boere, also, pr«- . parations for the decisive straggle went manifest. President Kroner has sent i ninety additional pieces of artillery -; to?---the front*, tlwwgh- he had to domicfcrn Pretoria of ordnance fn ordeMqi^iMtt:- j The- Cape Argus is responsiWW finr the statement that President Kragi* has denuded Pretoria of guns. GENERAL GATACRE. The mounted forces of Lieutenant- ; General Gatacre's army division, Wblcji. is operating on the eastern railway off Cape Colony/ are now in regular touch with Lieutenant-General Kelly- Kenay'fl division at Thebus, the railway stttfLoi; on the cross-country railway latallp recovered from the Boers by the British.

" LOOK AT THE GUNS." President Kruger and Steya have lately been complaining that Geaeril Joubert, Commander-in-^hfof of the Boer army, does not show sufficient activity in pushing his operations. To this the General has replied % inviting them to come and look for themselves at General Buller's fttias. HEALTH OF ; THE COLONIALS.

Colonel Wi D. C. Williams, head of the New South Wales Army Medical Corps, now in South Africa report!! that the health of the whole Australian troops compares more Ithaci favourably with the condition of th« Imperial soldiers, who suffer from the prevailing heat. The efficiency of the corps under; Colonel Williams has been highly

praised by Imperial officers, and has been largely availed of for the British wounded.