The Transvaal.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 59, 16 October 1900, Page 3

The Transvaal.

London, October 12. Lord Tiobtrfcs reports that De Wes has boea driven north ol Ih6 Vaal node VentGi-stro jru. The Boer leader has pors deluded his fol'owers by declaring that Europe will stop the war on the 10th. All able-bodied Britishers on the Band will be liable for service. Sir A. Miinor advises refugees who are nofc willing to take service in th« town guard to postpone their return. A hundred and seventy invalided Colonial soldiers are in England ; many are in financial difiiculiies through from £25 to £115 o£ pay dua, being in arrears?. The Lord Mayor has arranged weekly loans from the discretionary fund which includes many Australian subscriptions. Lord Oarrington is secretary of the committee. Ib is understood that Lord Kitchener takes supreme Coniinand in South Africa to settle matters. The Standard states that Viljoen's commandoes are completely hemmed in, and his only alternatives are to starve or surrender. A French Deputy is arranging with Madagascar to grant a concession of land to the Boers who may desire to migrate there.

1 Mrs Grahams has again courteously placed a letter sbe ha.~ received from her: son, Trooper Charley Grahame, at oue disposal. J The lottcr is dated " Pretoria, 29uh August, " and is very interesting. Trooper GnhaniB says *' tVe chased De Wet from Commander's Nek to Krugersdorp, then to Eland's Kivor, then to Oiiphaut's Nek back to Rustenburg, back to Crocodile ; theu away north fco Warmbatiis, where the whole army indulged in a hot bath at nature's expanse; then he got orders to reSL and proceed north to Xomati Poort after Botha We had very little fi jilting whilst after. Da Wet. He is a real good bit of stun this De Vet. There are about ton columns after him and not ono uau corner hiiii. " Troo^c Uraname th,'n gives details oi the aoibush they rode )^lo u.t Gamble's Dn£c — " Aly word, wo d d got it hot. There wore 19 of us ; we rode up to a kopje that commanded the ford over the Crocodile quite unsuspecting that Joe wab aboat until we got ! to ihe foot of the bally place — tnen they opsaect oa us, hundreds ot thorn, at about 50 yards. Lake Perham fell dead at oaco, the top of hi 3 head beiag biowm off with an ex.plo.sivG buiiel ; he was also hit in the groia and leg. Jack Hoasley was hifc la three places, aud Lieutenant Bradbutne was shot in the stomach, hand and leg. He managGa to gallop back to a farmhouse about 600 yards away and dismounted. I went to him and picked him up, but he begged hard to be let alone, and for us (Ryan had aiso come up) to go away that we left him, as we were only drawing fire, and he was hit in the leg as we were near. We buried him next morning. My hor^e was shot at the first volley, as also was Lusk's horse, and we had to leg it. Lord ! how the bullets whistled round and how those beastiy explosives cracked as I ran. I could see the bullets striking the ground in front and around mo, like rain on dust. We were clean dona at 150 yards, and had to walk. Frank Ryan ought to have got the V.CJ. for his behaviour. He saw us running, galloped away, caught one of the horses, and held them till we came up. got up behind Ryan, and I mounted the led horse, and we cantered oil., bullet 3 still whizzing about, but the fire, had slackened. Ryan was mentioned in despatches, and I was complimented by Colonel Pileher." Trooper Grahame closes his letter by remarking that Trooper Jack King is - well and again on duty after his enforced spell at the " bas& " and that Troopers Bowie and Strachan were doing well and looking well. — Timaru Herald,