The Transvaal.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 106, 8 February 1900, Page 3

The Transvaal.

-o Durban, Feb. 5. Colonel Thorneycroft reports that vhen SpioQ Kop was suipiised, a lative, who was warning the Boer ricket to waken, was bayonetted. The roads leading to Ladys-Bith, ilong the line of British advance have joon dug with trenches. A Ladysimth heliograph message itates : " Elated on Saturday at hear ng General Buller's guns actively ) O °oming. The enemy are masking tear the town, and are bringing guns, n to Surprise Hill. We are quite eddy if attacked. All are well. There ,re a few Boers at the north-east of ihe town." Two inhabitants escapee! from Laclyunith, and have arris ed at Maiitz>urg. They reported that fcheie wat. ufficient provisions in the town for a onsiderable time. Fresh meat is sup>hed daily. Native deserters report that five ield comets were killed in the recent ighting on the Tugela. The enemy's asualties totalled 1000 while seven uus were disabled. The Boeis aie cry despondent. Boers from Vryheid captured the agistrate at Ngtu, Zululaud, with 11 bite and 34 coloured police, their >rses and 340 rifles and ammunition. General Buller has prepared an rniense convoy of stores for Ladyaith.

IPeb. 6. The new 4.7 naval gun is being tried Colenso. The battery of artillery lich was sent from India has arrived Durban.

London, Fob. 4. The Hotchkiss Battery presented by ird Armstrong to New Zealand has shipped to Capetown. Sir Edward Clarke recommends Mr tamberlain to resign the Colonial jpartinent in favour of Lord Salisbury fl that Lord Bosebory replace Sir fred M liner. The fourth Cavalry Biigade which proceeding to South Africa, consists 2523 men, with six field and five achine guns. The Daily Telegraph shilling relief id totals £115,000.

Feb. 5. Definite statements have been made Durban that General Buller has )ssed the Tugela. Some allege that has gone in the direction of Acton jmes, and others that he has gone to sfc Zwartskop. The Times declares it these statements are premature. Ie War Office is silent in regaid to moral Buller's movements. Bwinston Churchill declares that all 81l be staked on the coming battle. Re spirits of the troops were never Hfrhe Times announces that the Ladygarrison is resigned but deterDaily News says that large Boer are being detrained beLadysmith daily. Urhe Telegraph declares that had |Rdysmith fallen during the attack on 6th, Ivruger would have Europe to petition the Powers B save the Bepublic. Brhe War Office does not confirm the Hws of General Buller's advance. Brhe Standard's correspondent at Barban states that the Armstrong Bs-wiek Company, in November last Bfored to send the Natal Government Brminber of Hotchkiss guns. The offer 818B 18 tardily accepted, and the guns in meanwhile have been presented to Be New Zealand contingent.

Feb. G. | Tno news of General Eullei's tal j '.• i ' .-. -.till u>; confirmed. I . '« iluu,e of Coimoo'i-. -\Ta \r)iidliau) hUued that the I'jhCjmi urtillcry at the fiont was equal to the continental standaid. The ]3ritish Govtaiinent has placed I ovdeis at Birmingham for the pioduc- j tion of 1200 Log En'ielcl rifles week!/.

CtU'LTOWN. Feb. 4. j The New Zeakiiders and litmuiylorn Gui'jc"=, a'.'T ' "ipi'JiTi citiK Fi'jncli'b cxavin" iv: l A l\~>iA. an! ocL'ijpicil sevcirl r J jio K-jv. ; ZoaLaidors ru;Lci a. kopje cv^eiJ:. l, the enoiny.

Feb. 5. General French's troops enclose 7000 Boris in the Inlls aiound Colob bmg. His hick of Naval guns is se^ erely felt. The Australian mounted troops at Modder Paver ore dt'bcnbed as likely to be invaluable in leconnoitung. There are 20.C30 Boeis between M odder and KimberJey. Plight liundrcd rebels from Biilvley E i&t have remfoiced Dordiccht, v/heio the J3oor fo.ceb total 2200, and 1000 at Jamestov/u, and 5000 at Stoim berg. Lord Roberts wrote to Jonbert proifuiing to release Comrmuit'aiit Pieconous, who was wounded and captnied at Elands.laT.gte, and had lii& log subsequently amputated. JLoiu lloberts deocribed him as a brave soldioi*. Conim.iud.iut Prefcorioiis' wife, in thanking Loid lloberts, asked that her hubbkiid should bo dent to Magersfontem. Feb. 6.

Kimberley heliographs that the Boers burned a homestead at Plat lontem. The New South Wales " A " Batter) has amvocl here. Kruger and bteyn sent Lord Roberts a protest against the destruction of faimhouses. Lord llobeits replied that the chtuges are vague and unsubstantiated, and that destruction was contra^ to British practices. Geneial Fiauch has despatched an oveiwheluunj; foice to seize Norval'b Point, atid tlms tut otf the retieat ot 7000 Uoijis v.horn his forces enclo-w m tue hilL iou.id Colesbuig. lieinforcenaoutj lcii/nlly buppoit the movement. A bouy ot cavaJw and New Zealaiideis cleaied the wa^ foi the advance to Norvals.

Melbourne, Feb. 5. The lire at the Wilhauiston wharf ib i suspected to be the work of a Boor sympathiser. The hie destroyed six trucks of eompiessed hay for South i Africa, and a bhed continuing 500 tons i ot haj . The damage is estimated al £oOOQ. The Go\ erninpiit has chartered the ! Suryalub to take the Bushmen's con- i dugout, oil her leturn fioin the Cape. The Imperial Government is pa.vmg expenbes.

Feb. 6.* Detectives chsciecht the incendi.iriom theory of the YVilh<.unsDon fiie, and favour spontaneous combustion. The 3i,uyralus, with the Vidonan. second contingent, has vi lived tit Capetown. Berlin, Feb. 5. The Geirnan nmvspapeis A^o^siche / eitung and Berlin Post stiongly warn Germans that aa exhibition ot passionate hostility against Bijttain will onfy benefit liubdia and France. SitDN^Y, Feb. 5. The Imperial authorities have asked the Premier to place orders for 100 army service waggons, stipulating tqat they must pass inspection at Wool wick. The Typographical Society voted £20, as a first iastalnient for the relief oi distressed printers in South Afcica.

Feb. 6. The Herald's special, writing from Rensburg, say that our troops and the | Tommies do not fraternize much. They don't seem to take to each other. The general cry is " We want mor c colonials for- scouting work." The New Zealauders and New Souoh Wales Lancers are recognised as invaluable in their special work.

Gisbornb, Jan. 5. Up to the present, £753 has been collocted here for the War Fund. Ten men, selected from 80 volunteers, leave on Wednesday for Ohristchurch. Wellington, Feb. 5. Tha funds now amount to close on .-£2OOO. Eesides this, horses wall also be given, and some of the men are prepared to give money in addition.

Feb. 6. The contingent leaving by the Knight Templar will be composed of men from the following places : — Christchurch 106, Wanganui, Taranaki, and Fielding 70, Napier 40, Gisborno 10, Westland 30, Westport 6. Tlw> Wellington, Otago, \and other drafts will have to wait for the transport which the Government have asked the

Imperial authorities to provide. Tin Go\ eminent has mfouned the "Wellington coinnnUee thi'fc it ws nc^i latendad lo relieve them of 0,113 pan ci the picpaiAtion, and ihey must do a s other places have done. The Go\ua ment would pay the men at, soon as they got aboard the steamei. Owing to piessure ol business, it will be impossible io» the Defence ±)epaitment to answer ppphcations for omolmcm m the fouxth conunguV I !'<].■><-"] il .'ppication at rho vanous • ' "•■•. 1 (he cotiiPiutrf <■ ,'! > ' ■itollnij.; men, is advibed to all who j .m j aiix.iouj to bcr\«?. The time and \ 1 '. ici. te aticud will Le auuouiic«J b_> I Lac sevcL.tl committees. In reply to the loedl executive com unttee, the Piuimei t.ud that as re gaids a ti.^n^noit he di .. not tlnnk the .\\ r o]lugfon men could be leacfy 111 time to caleh the Knight Templai. The Und.inted was s.nh.ig a fortnight .Utciw.iid-a, c^nd he could pioimse tiie coimuittoo that the Go\ermuent would do.i.iy any expense thai might occur if the delay moie than a fortnight .it toe the dopartuie of the Knight Templar. It the committee insisted, some ot the ir,en might be sent by the Kn ght Tempi, 11, ut> othix distucts aie sending inovo than thea 1 proportion of j men. 'iho cost of the transport by the Undaunted v. ould be the same. The G o\ eminent was making no piofit on the Uan^aetion. They had asked the Impeiial Government to send a troopship, but if that request was acceded to, a vessel could not arine for a month or five weeks, and carnage by it would, of course, be tree. The Impeiial Go\ eminent had, 111 the fust instance, offered a transport for the thud contingent, but New Zealand ha\ing offered to land troops in South Afnci fiee of co^t to the Ln penal Government, did not caie to go back on its uiLi. The "Wellington committee have asked for space foi 50 men in the Knight Templ'ir.

KjiiW Plimouth, Feb. 5. A meeting of the M iyor and Chairof local bodies foimed an execuLne committee to send a Tarunaki quota if a fourth contingent is sent. Tv the meantime, Stiatfoid. li iwcva, and Kew VU mouth aie sending 18 men to the present contingent.

Hokitikv, Feb. 5. The ton men selected to represent WestLind in the Thud Contingent lea\o to dry, and intend to ride to Otira this evening. They will leaoh Spungfield on Wednesday in time to catch the tiam to Christchurch. Dlnbt)in, Feb. 5. Tlneo hospital nuiscs ha\e \olun. teered ; twe or thioe nioie are expected from the bouth.

Feb. 6. GoocT'progrePs has been made in the ptehuiuuivy work ot the iouuh contingent. Eoughly about 250 men have oii'ei(?cl their services, and possibly moie than 100 will bf sent. To-day over £<300 was received in cash, and in all, about 60 hordes have been promised, with the exception of the matter of the raen.s contributions oi! horses and money, are nearly al^ from Dunedin, as there has been no time for replies fiom the countiy.

Invercvrgill, Feb. 6. A meeting in the theatre to-night re Southland's contribution to the Otaco and Southland contingent was very enthusiastic. It was stated that 62 men had offered, about a doz^n with horses. It was resolved that dO men and S3 horses be Southland's contribution, and thit steps be taken to raise the loqjisite funds. It was announced that two niu&os from the Southland hospital had volunteered.

Auckland, Feb. 6. The Patiiotic Fund has now reached £6Qbl, and the More Men Fund .£1666.

Chrisi church, Fob, 6. The three brothers Macfarlane, Amun stafcionholders, have each conuibutfu .-£250 to the CanLeibury War Fund, nuking £730 in all. The utmost enthusiasm prevails regarding the Third Contingent, as it is recognised that the men's service in South Atricd will be invaluable. The Governor has accepted the Mayor's invitation to be present on the occabion of the departure of Third Contingent.