The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 26 May 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal.

ANOTHER AMBUSH.

The following official information has been furnished by the War Office :—

General Buller when at Dundee ordered Colonel Bethune, with five hundred men, to proceed to Ngtu, in Zululand, which was reported to have been evacuated by the Boers, instructing him to then return to Newcastle. While marching on Newcastle on the 20th inst. a squadron of Colonel Bethune's cavalry was ambushed by a party of Boers six miles south-west of Vryheid. The casualties to the force, including those captured, numbered sixty. Earl De la Warr, a correspondent of the " Globe," was slightly injured in the leg. Colonel Bethune returned to Ngtu for supplies. " The Times," commenting on the occurrence, says that the orders which Colonel Bethune received did not justify his advance into the Transvaal. BRITISH PRISONERS. The '-New York Herald" states that President. Kruger is considering the advisability of sending the British prisoners of war now held by the Boers across the borders of the Republic. KRUGER'S MILLIONS. The Delagoa Bay correspondent of the Times states that President Kruger has transferred the bulk of his fortune to the names of various friends fearing its" confiscation at the close of the war. DREAD OF INVASION. Mr Adrian Hofmeyer, a Capetown journalist, who was captured by the Boers and imprisoned at Pretoria for some time but was recently released by order of Mr Reitz, the Chief Secretary, has reached British territory again. He says he was informed by a high Transvaal officer that President Kruger dreads an invasion of the Republic from the west, where he has insufficient troops, whereas he would be able to check the British advance from the south or east. The Transvaalers says Mr Hofmeyer have a superstitions dread of MajorGeneral Baden- Powell on account of his prolonged stand against heavy odds at Mafeking. Mr Hofmeyer also brings word that it is the intention of the Transvaal Executive to protect the British prisoners of war, but they fear the rabble following to the federal army, especially the Irish and other foreignlegions. RELIEF OF MAFEKING. Reuter's correspondent with the Mafeking relief column reports that the Boer leader Eloff was captured by Colonel Hore, with the Protectorate Regiment and the Mounted Police, after a desperate combat at short range. On seeing that the day was lost, -many of Eloffs men took to flight. Thereupon their leader fired upon them in disgust, and then surrendered with the remainder of his force to Colonel Hore. Altogether, according to this correspondent, 120 Boer prisoners were taken including the Count de Bremnot, a French officer, and a German named Von Weiss. Colonel Mahon's column had with it twenty waggon loads of supplies for the garrison and inhabitants of the town. The official report states that Golonel Mahon entered Mafeking at 4 o'clock on the morning of the 18th inst. (Friday last). On the previous ' day it had encountered a force of fifteen hundred Boers, who had taken up a strong position nine miles from Mafeking. The engagement that ensued lasted for more than five hours. The Boers offered a stubborn resistance, but ultimately were driven from their trenches. A detachment ot Canadian artillery by means of forced marches, arrived on the scene in time to give valuable assistance in the achievement of the British triumph. LEAVING PRETORIA. Mrs Reitz (wife of the Chief Secretary of the Transvaal) with her family, and the families of other

officials, have left Pretoria and gone to Delagoa Bay. President Kruger, Mr Reitz, the Chief Secretary, and some Hollander officials now run the Government of the Transvaal. ' THANKS FROM THE QUEEN. The Governor has received the following communication from the Colonial Secretary :— Her Majesty commands me to convey I. yoi her thanks to the people of New "Zealand fe tor their congratulations on the relief of Mafeking, vHer Majesty's Government rejoices that the feeling at Home is so fully shared by a colony. LORD ROBERTS ADVANCING.

Lord Roberts's infantry, whi.h has been halting at Kroonstad for the last ten days, has resumed its march, and is now at Honning Spruit, eighteen miles north ot Kroonstad.

Seven thousand of the enemy are reported to be entrenched in the position at Rhenoster river, about forty miles north o[ Kroonsfad, where the preparatious were lately made tor the next stand against Lord Roberts. .

This force is well provided with artillery, including several hundredpounders and Creusot quick-firing guns,

There is also a strong commando at Haramonea.. with ten guns.

BOERS IN RETREAT. The speed, strategy and strength of Lord Roberts's forces are overwhelming and demoralising the Boers. The Field-Marshal, telegraphing to the War Office from the south bank of the Rhenoster, says that the enemy, finding their rear threatened, during the night abandoned their stronglyentrenched position on the north bank.

Before retiring, the commandoes destroyed a bridge across the river, and several-railway culverts, together with several miles of the permanent way. Lieut.-General French's cavalry crossed the Rbenoster to the northwest of Honning Spruit. The passage of the mounted men was stoutly disputed by the enemy, and they might have lost heavily but for a concerted plan of action which had been arranged whereby MajorGeneral Smith -Dorrien's force opportunely attacked the Boers' flank.

SIGNS OF SURRENDER. It is affirmed in Capetown that Mr Fischer, leader of the Boer peace mission to Europe and America, has', advised President Kruger to surrender on the best terms available.

There are indications, which are interpreted to mean that when Lord Roberts crosses the Vaal river into the Transvaal he will announce that if the burghers will return to their homes their property will be .respected. It is believed that the majority are willing to accept the proposition.

HAMILTON'S BRIGADE. Lieutenant-General lan Hamilton's mounted force, which was last reported as having occupied Lindley. :-y> forty-five miles east of Kroonstad (until then the Free State capital) has nince pushed forward northward, still keeping its outlying position.

The Boer commandoes retreated before the British advance, but offered battle in a series of rearguard engagements, which resulted in seventy-five casualties on the British side.

At latest advices General Hamilton had reached and occupied Heilbron, another of the late retreats of President Steyn, situated forty miles north r>{ Lindley, and twenty-four miles east of the point whflre the railway crosses the Rhenoster riveis

Commandant Christopher De Wet had been in occupation of the town with four thousand Boers, who retired before the British advance.

Prior to the occupation of Helbron, Major-General Broadwood's troops captured fifteen waggons and a number of prisoners in the vicinity, and ilso took possession of a branch rail•vay connecting with the main line.

THE RAND MINES. President Kruger has abandoned thq idea of the destruction of the Johannesburg mines owing to the strenuous opposition offered to the proposal by General Louis Botha, the Transvaal Commander-in-Chief. General Botha,- who has been persistent in his resistance to the schemei - threatened at last that if the President attempted to carry out his purpose hiscommandoes would defend Johannes- < burg against the Government. Such . .vanton destruction of property would, he said, be an act of barbarism. LAING'S NEKJ Five thousand Boers have returned ' t~> Laing's Nek, in the northern corner if Natal, which they were yesterday reported as having abandoned, and entrenchments are being formed at both ends of the nek. SMART PATROL, WORK. News has been received that a Brl tish patrol finding no troops at Ficksburg, on the Basutoland border of the Free State, nearly dne^east of Winburg, entered the town and took the landdrost and others prisoners. SIR CHARLES WARREN. - Lieut.-General Sir Charles Warren, Military Governor of Bechuanaland, with two composite columns, captured a Boer laager and three waggons containing ammunition and food near Douglas, north-west qi Kimberley. A force of Canadi?n Artillery participated in the fight. RELIEF OF MAFEKING. A portion of Sir Frederick Carrington's Colonial Bushmen, consisting of Canadians and Queenslanders, took part in the relief of Mafeking. The colonials were all dismounted, and marched admirably, covering long ; . distances through heavy sand and accompanying Colonel Plumer's column to Jan Massibis, twenty-five miles west of Mafeking. On the 15th instant (Tuesday of last week) Colonel Plumer's force entered the place from the north, while the Hon. Maurice Gifford, Colonel Rhodes, the Duke of Teck, and Sir John Willoughby entered from the south, hay- „ ing pushed forward in advance of th€"\] Kimberley relief column that had coflie — from that direction. Colonel Mahon's main body soon afterwards followed, and the united forces advanced eastward over the twenty-five miles which then separated

them from Mafeking.

On the 17th instant (last Thursday) Boer forces were encountered, and an engperornent fought, in which the British i: ,-0 cere victorious, but sustained ' '•;/ casualties, while the enemy's I-?js was heavy. When the relief colun;u Lad r.vrived at Mafeking and joined forces with f':e garrison, Major -General Baden-Powell attacked and captured the Boers' head laager, securing one gun, a flag, and much ammunition.

General Snyman, the Boer commander, just managed to escape. There were three British killed and twenty-two wounded. The Secretary of State tor the Colonies has officially congratulated Canada upon the good work done by the Canadian troops. Major Karri Davis, formerly of West Australia, who has of. late fought with the Natal local forces, accompanied Colonel Mahon's column.

In the encounter in the bush in which Colonel Mahon's relief column took part on the 13th instant, the enemy occupied some hills to the south-west of Mariteani, the railway station twenty miles south of Mafeking. Colonel Mahon's forces had just previously turned a position which was occupied by five hundred Boers with three guns which they had withdrawn from Koodoosrand Nek and the trenches before Kimberley.

One of the British Maxim guns was nearly lost, the native drivers bolting when under file. A party of troopers, however, gallantly effected a rescue. Several interesting battle incidents are related.

A bullet smashed the watch of Major Baden-Powell, brother of the Mafeking commander, although he himself escaped unhurt. A corporal of a Cape corps, when under heavy fire, disengaged a dead mule and harnessed another animal to the ammunition cart to which he was attached, thus enabling the team to be rescued.

Later advices from Mafeking with regard to the last attempt made by the Boers to storm the town show that when the Boers rushed the fort held by the Protectorate Regiment, MajorGeneral BadenrPowell swiftly improvised a fresh line of defence.

A stone cattle shed and a kopje sheltered parties of the enemy, but the garrison, from well screened positions, gradually;; drew the cordon tighter around the assailants, and sub-divided the latter into sections.

Eighty of the Boers who were in front deserted General Eloff owing to the deadly accuracy of the British rifle fire.

The Queensland Bushmen who took part in the fighting before Mafeking behaved with- magnificent recklessness. They came through scathless.