The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 21 July 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal.

FIGHTING NEAR PRETORIA.

Lord Roberts has cabled to the War Office that on Monday last repeated and determined attacks were made by the enemy upon a position near Pretoria, held by Major-General R. PoleCarew, commander of the Third Division. These attacks were gallantly repulsed by the Royal Irish Rifles, West Australians and New Zealanders. During the engagement Lieutenant Borden, son of the Canadian Minister for Defence, who has twice been mentioned in despatches for his intrepidity was killled. Lieutenant John Findlay, of the New Zealand Mounted Infantry (second contigent), was severely wounded. Captain H. L. Bourne and Lieutenant John Cameron, New Zealand also (third contingent), are amongst the missing. There were seven killed during the fight, and twenty Irish Rifles and others are missing. During an engagement at Hannan's Kraal> twenty-six of Lieut.-General lan HamiltonXtroops were wounded. CAMPAIGNING IN THE SOUTH. Three hundred South Australian Bushmen took a brilliant part in the recent fighting around Bethlehem, which resulted in the capture of the town. The Yorkshire Light Infantry, the Munster Fusiliers, and the Royal Irish Regiment were also conspicuous with bayonet feats. The Royal Irish carried one of the main Boer position, and captured a fifteen pounder. DE WET'S COMMANDOES. Lord Roberts reports to the War Office that a commando of 1500 Boers with five guns, have broken through the cordon drawn by LieutenantGeneral Hunter's and Major-General Rundle's divisions around Bethlehem, in Orange River Colony. The commando travelled in a northwesterly direction towards Lindley closly pursued by the mounted forces i of Major-General Broadwood and Major-General Ridley. LORD ROBERTS'S OPERATIONS. Lord Roberts has again assumed the aggressive, after his protracted halt at Pretoria. The columns of cavalry and mounted infantry commanded by LieutenantGeneral French and LieutenantGeneral lan Hamilton and BrigadierGeneral Hickman, are moving eastward from the city and forcing the Boers under General Louis Botha before them, in the direction Middleburg, some ninety miles from the late Boer capital. BOERS AT VARIANCE. President Kruger, according to the latest reports, is greatly discouraged by the surrender of Rnstenburg, the town sixty miles west of Pretoria, now in British hands. General Louis Botha, Commander-in-Chief of the Boer forces, is discontented because President Kruger is retaining heavy artillery at Machadodorp, on the railway line 130 miles east ot Pretoria. MISCELLANEOUS. The British authorities have arrested 380 vagrant foreigners at Pretoria, on suspicion that they intend (o raise a riot. The " Daily Chronicle " states that some Australian Bushmen discovered j quantities of rifles, ammunition and shells buried with Cronje's dead at Paardeberg. The country west of Pretoria between Krugersdorp and Rustenburg is being cleared by Lord Methuen and Major-General Smith- Dorrien.