CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

Manawatu Herald, 1 March 1902, Page 2

CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

The Transvaal. COST OF THE WAR. Lord Stanley, Junior Lord of the Treasury, stated in the House of Commons that to the end of December the war in South Africa had cost £131,081,000. The estimate to the end of March was £15,000,000 additional. BOER VOLUNTEERS. Mr Brodrick, Secretary of State for War, informed the House of Commons that the National Burgher Scouts received 5s per day. No pressure was used to induce them to enlist. MISCELLANEOUS. Lord Kitchener’s weekly report shows that 20 Boers were killed, 12 wounded and .379 taken prisoners; 104 surrendered. Commandant Malan, who with two hundred Boers was in the Fraserburg district, Western Cape Colony, has been driven eastward across the railwav.

Commandant Smit, with two hundred men, has been pursued towards Carvarvon. Another party of the enemy is south-west of Carnarvon. Colonel Mackenzie has captured Field Cornet Stephan us Grobelaar, The British columns between Strydpoort and Botha’s Pass, in the Drakensbergs, are pushing the Boers towards 'Harrismith, in the east of Orange River Colony. Major-General Eliott holds the line of the Wilge river, and Colonel Barker is supporting him. The sweeping movement in the Harrismith district is sixty-five miles wide. FIGHTING IN THE WEST.

A force of Boers from another district, suddenly appearing south-west of Klerksdorp, captured Colonel Von Donop’s empty convoy from Wolmarausttid, which was being escorted by the Fifth Battalion of Imperial Yeomanry and three companies of the Northumberland Fusiliers, with two guns. The fighting was severe. The enemy retired, with the British in pursuit.

NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION

Six hundred Boers, driving a herd of cattle, rushed the outposts at Bothasberg, south of Vrede, on Sunday night. A number of them escaped, abandoning everything. Fifteen were killed and six wounded.

The New Zealanders displayed the greatest gallantry on the occasion. Colonel Mackenzie surprised Hans Grobelaar’s laager. Hans fled, but Stephanas Grobelaar and Schalk Meyer, an influential Boar, were captured. A NIGHT ENGAGEMENT.

Some Boers tried to cross the blockhouse line eastwards of Tafelkop during the night. Heavy rain was falling. Some of the Boers succeeded in getting through, after a number of casualties. BEN VILJOEN. General Ben Viljoen has been sent to St. Helena. MISCELLANEOUS. General De Wet’s native cattledrivers are deserting wholesale. Lieutenant-General Sir Leslie Rundle is returning to England from South Africa. Up to the end of November the Cape had furnished 11,300 recruits for the Boers, Woodhouse (Hon J. X. Merriman’s seat) supplying 1027, Aliwal 2156, and Barkly East 945. The districts representing the Afrikander Bond averaged three rebels to every one representing progressives. Colonel Vilonel and his fifteen hundred National Scouts, actuated by a patriotic desire to end a criminal struggle, express determination to capture General De Wet and Mr Steyn.

Latest. SEVERE FIGHTING IN THE TRANSVAAL. HEAVY LOSSES OF THE NEW ZEALANDERS. REPULSE OF THE ENEMY. Reuter’s correspondent states that Alberts and Ross, two of General

Botha’s commandants, and some Transvaalers, totalling 700, attempted to cross Colonel Byng’s and Rimington’s columns, which were holding the Vrede-Bothasberg line in the north-east of Orange River Colony, to the northward. The brunt of the fighting fell on Colonel Garratt’s Seventh New Zealanders, who, by superb valour defeated the attempt, but lost two officers and eighteen men killed, and five officers and thirty-three men wounded. The Boers abandoned a hundred horses and six thousand cattle. The enemy first goaded a herd of cattle to a gallop, but the New Zealanders shot seventy of them, which had the effect of checking the rest. From behind the cover formed by dead cattle and horses the Boers maintained a heavy fire till they were repulsed. A tew of the enemy escaped. Hans Botha and Main Botha were among the most determined fighters* COLONEL PORTER’S REPORT. The Premier received to-day with much regret the following cablegram from Colonel Porter, officer commanding the Seventh Contingent, which was forwarded by Major Pilcher from Capetown : “ Regret have to report severe engagement with heavy loss to New Zealand Seventh Contingent, midnight, 33rd February. “Upwards of eight hundred Boers under H. Botha, Ross, and Albert broke through driving cordon and line of outposts at point held by a hundred of the left wing. “ Under cover of a thousand cattle the enemy rushed the position in overwhelming force, irresistible and bold. “ Our men in shelter trenches bravely and gallantly resisted. Onslaught evidenced by 59 (sic) casualties, all in trenches—killed 24, wounded 27. Our loss heavy. There were many instances of heroism and not one skulker reported. All fully maintained bravely the reputation of New Zealand soldiers, and that is the only consolation I can offer relatives. “ Particulars of casualties later.”