THE WAR.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 222044, 1 February 1900, Page 2

THE WAR.

HILDYARD THREATENS TO DIVIDE THE BOER FORCES. Durban, January 23. General Hildyard threatens to act as a pair -of shears, and cut the Boar forces in two. BOER CUNNING. London, January 29. Dr Loyds states that false secret information supplied io the British authorities caused the seizure of the Bundersrath and other v- ssels, with a view to embroiling Britain. BRITISH SERVICE TO CIVILISATION. Bkkne, January 29. An influential meeting of Swiss scientist- 3 , at Zurich, urged the Press to remember Britain’s services to civilisation and refrain from ill-founded abuse. THE POSITION GRAVE. Wellington, Jan. 30. The Agent - General cables under date of London, January 29, that the gravity of the position in South Africa is. undoubted. CAPTURE OF AN ADVANCE POST. BRITISH LOSSES NINETY. Wellington, January 30. The Agent General cables that nothing decisive has taken place yet. General Warren, with Generals Clery, Hart, Dund-nald, Woodgate, and Hildyard ou our extreme loft, appear to be'working to the eastward and in a north easterly direction, so as to get the Boers 1 right wing between two fires. General Hart captured an 'advance post <m Sunday.

Our loss was 90. . General Warren has been reinforced, and has now five brigades. General Lyttelton, at Potgieters Drift, is stationary. . About 110. deaths from diseaso have occurred at Ladysmith since January Ist.

FURTHER DEI AILS OF SPIONKOP. London, January 30. Further details of Spionkop show that desperate fighting took place throughout the whole of tho day. Much of the conflict was waged in a thick mist. Tho Boer riflemen defended the edge of the plateau which was concealed.

Further back on the tabloland was a very sttong defensive positiou. The enemy’s guns commanded the who’e of the ground which the British must traverse.*

Possessing the exact range, they p >ured in a fearful fire upon the British regiments. The scene was a perfect infprno. The battle surged backwards and forwards all day. though Mr Bennett Burleigh, tho correspondent, of the Jel graph, declared thuc at th * close chi Peru.-h had- secured tho whole commssiunig position, and commenced to -.tioffgiv c-uiroach, iheumelvt-s.

LETTER FROM MAJOR ROBIN. Whiting t>> the Premier, Major Robin COiiiir.i.ti the statement its lo the stripping of the uniforms of the brass buttons and the ■ ffic'rs cnr.ying carb:n s. Eve ytliing bright is painted. The kharlvgo and havers icks are dyed biovn. Although ‘some sickness occurred among the horses, still they had 250 available. Other corps lost more heavi y. They had some tr uib'e with the s .ddles and bouts, which were not g >od, and s me we’e worn out already. He mentions the lik-lihond of their having to get helm°ts through the colonial troops being mistaken for the enemy. He speaks highly of the work d< no by officers and sergeants, and also by the shooing smiths. The latter are now shooing mule teams.

WAR ITEMS. As an instance of the interest which Te Aroha has in the struggle now going on in the Transvaal, it may be mentioned there are no less than four Te Aroha ‘boj-s’ now serving their Qiieen and country there, and doing their part in nobly upholding the credit of New Zealand. The names of ‘our boys’ now at the front are C. McLean, J. Strange, E. Smith, and F. Pope, all of whom had passed through the hands of our Lite sclio 1 teacher at Te Aroha (now at Thames) Mr W. H. P. Marsden. The Boer nickname for General Sir Red vers B uller is ‘ Rooi-veis,’ or ‘Red Heifer.’

When General Buller, long ng •, had liis foitune told by a gypsy, she predicted that he would ‘ sit beside princi s’ before the century was out. Not at all unlikely, as he will probably be made a peer before 1900 is over.

The Boers stationed on the Crocodile River, opposite Tuli, are s ated to be without doubt the best shots in the Transvaal, owing to the fact that the Z utpansberg district is still a great hunting country, whore game is both numerous and varied. The Law Timos calls attention to the fact that a soldier may make his will on the butth-field by a word of mouth, even though ho be a minor. Witnesses are unnecessary.

1 The Modder Riv- r,’ writes Mr Dicey in the Pall Mall G zett-, ‘at one time looks like a churchyard filled with unLewn stun- s, interspersed with scant pools, but twelve hours after it may be 3. deep raging torrent. The lion secretary of the war fund announces that up to date 65 cases of mothers, widows, or near relations of soldiers, sailors, and marines killed in Sourh Africa have been dealt with at a cost of £589.

The Boers resident in Kimberley gave a warm rocepMon to the Boer prisoners who were brought into the town, spitting ia their faces and shouting, ‘ You are no Dutchmen, wrecking our homes with yonr shells!’ It is claimed fur the Methuens, says the Edinburgh Despatch, that their auces or came over fmm Hungary with Edgar Atheling, and fled to Scotland, where he was hospitably received by Malcolm Canmore.

Naaupoorf, Sunday, Dec. 1899

Mr and Mrs E. J. McFarland. Dear Friends, —I had almost forgotten my promise to write ; a fellow so little quietness in camp that letfor writing is almost impossible, but today I have the opportunity, as I am one of a party of four who compose a Cossack post, on a copjie about 8£ miles ont of camp. lam writing this on the butt of my carbine, which is lying across my knees loaded, in case of accidents. lam in first rate health and not very yet, but it will require a very strong temptation to keep me in this couutry after the war is over. I have travelled SGO miles by rail from Capetown, and seen nothing but barren "hills and desert, on part of which exist goats, sheep, a few cattle, and ostriches; they live on herbs from Gin. to about 4ft. in height, and tufts of dry grass which grows in dry river beds. Cue blessing there is plenty of water to be obtained by sinking in this queer country, so we are well supplied with tea and cuifee to wash down our tucker, which consists of dry bread twice a day and beef once; but when we advance from hero wo will bo fortunate if we got dry biscuits mado from oatmeal ; however, I took it all into considerfttion before I left Te Amha. The sun is very strong during the middle of the day, but as it nears its setting we enj >y quite a temperate climate, and at night the air is very cold. Three weeks ago the water had ice on it in the uioi ning, aud in the middle of the day it would be too warm to be pleasant drinking—rather extremes, don’t you think. lam enjoying my-, self in spite of little vexations, etc., which we experience; but I am glad I am not a genuine ‘Tommy Atkins,’ whose life is the life of a dog under some officers, and a disgrace to any nation. Most of our fellows are in first rare health and spirits, and do what they can to make things pieasant for all. Our officers are all that could be desired, and take every care of us. I must wish you good-bye for the present, aud also wish you and all friends a happy Xmas and a prosperous New Year. Theie’s no place like home, but were rny lot tWrCe as hard I would still be satisfied I ha i done the right. i:nd best- thing ia coining.— Your*, utc.,

John Strange