The Transvaal.
O ' I London, February 17. Four thousand horses have been commandeered at Harrismith, and 2000 at Standerton for the purpose of remounting the British Irregula.'s. The raiders possess splendid maps of Cape Colony, which were provided by ex-President Steyn before the war. Captain Berry, of the Queensland Bushmen, and Lieutenant Lewin, of the New Zealand Hough Riders, have been discharged from the hospital, and have resumed duty. While 100 Boers were conveying forage through Giringspoort they were ambushed by a detachment of the recently formed Cape Cyclists' corps. Seventeen were killed.
AH male inhabitants of. Gasfontein have been arrested on a charge of assisting the invaders. Three Boers were killed and seventeen wounded while attempting to cut the railway at Bank station, near Johannesburg. February 18.
Details of recent encounters with De Wet show that Colonel Piumer's force of Australian and New Zealand Bushmen followed sections of De Wet's commando from Phillipstown to Houtkcaal until darkness stopped them. Friends and foes were both exhausted, and the hordes wtre knee deep in mud. De Wet and Steyn, with between 2000 and 3000 men, crossed the railway between Houtkraal and before daybreak on February 15. Colonel Crabbe left Houtkraal in pursuit at daybreak, using two 15pounders, shells frequently scattering the enemy. De Wet did not attempt to use his gons. He was surprised by an armoured train, which arrived from the north, and opened with two naval 12-pounders. This facilitated the capture of practically the whole of De Wet's convoy, including an ambulance waggon laden with ammunition, 19 other waggons, 600 shells, and half a million cartridges. Fifty Boers were captured, mostly ragged and bootless, and 100 horses. De Wet lost 65 killed and wounded. The Boers broke into sections and fled, sniping occasionally, towards Britstown. Colonels Plumer and Crabbe are pursuing him. General Knox and Bruce-Hamilton and Colonel White have joined in the chase. General Bruce-Hamilton by zigzag marches followed -De Wet for three weeks. De Wet, who at the moment was invading Cape Colony, forbade his followers to loot. The Dutch received him unwillingly, declaring that he had only come to ruin them. Many of his followers have f'nio deserted De Wet, whose horses are badly fed, and his force is mainly armed with Lee-Metfords, and are now gVeatly harassed. Kruitzinger's, Hertzog's and other commandoes are being prevented from functioning with De Wet.
General French is still driving all Botha's force before him, excepting the Carolina commando, which broke through westwaids, and has since become disorganised. General De Lisle has occupied Carnarvon.
Reuter's correspondent states that whea Hertzog's commando at Calvinia heard of the death of the Queen tbey trampled upon her portraits, with ribald, filthy remarks.
Wolmarans, a peace envoy visiting Holland, says the Boers will accept nothing short of independence. The proposals put forward by Sir Edward Clarke, one of the British pro-Boer leaders, would not be acceptable if they contained a vestige of British control over the Boers. W. E. Cremer, member for the Hoggerston Division, Shoreditch, speaking at Peterborough, declared that Mr Chamberlain grossly deceived the Queen respecting the war, causing her death. Mr Chamberlain asserts that there is not a word of truth in the statement. February 19. Zand Drift was the only drift across the Orange River where mines were not laid, and De Wet was purposely drawn thither. - The country having been denuded of horses, the mobility of the Biitish exceeds- that of the enemy. The Daily Mail states that De Wet wa3 headed off between Strydenburg, 40 miles north-west of Houtkraal, and Hopetown. Half of the force of De Wet's camp met, and protested against the indiscriminate fogging, chiefly of laggards, and resolved to fight independently. Albany, Feb. 18. After coaling, the Cornwall sailed for Cape Town on Saturday. Wellington, February 19. The Defence Department have been instructed to prepare for the despatch of 800 men to South Africa. The men are to .be tak,en proportionately from each district, The date of the departure o! the draft has not yet been fixed. ' -
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Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 111, 21 February 1901, Page 3
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672The Transvaal. Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 111, 21 February 1901, Page 3
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