Botha’s Position.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 119, 24 October 1901, Page 3

Botha’s Position.

0 A correspondant of the Otago Daily Times, who takes a keen interest in the South African war, sends the following communications, in which be gives his opinion that Botha cannot hold out much longer : —“The position of General Botha and his force becomes one of intense interest and assumes the biggest importance. It- is now evident that what may be termed the centre of resistance has shifted to the South-eastern Transvaal. For reasons prooably connected with effectual British occupation, Botha, has for some time located his main forces—which are very large—below the Drakenbergs; this practically implies that he cannot now return to the plateau above. He has moved for some time in the neighbourhood of Vreyheid, and is now westward of that position. There seems to be ample British forces north and sbuth of him, and the Drakenbergs hold him on the west. He hjjts been surrounded, but has..escaped the inner cOtdon,' snd Is either on Bevaan river or nearer the Indian Ocean. In any case, our troops seem capable of holding him within narrow limits. To escape, he must move parallel with the sea. It is, of coarse, possible that he may enter the native State of Swaziland and escape to neutral Portugese territory. On the whole, we think that the ontlook is favourable. Without renewing his stores, Botha cannot hold out in that country, and in a mountainous district the facilities lor slipping away after De WetV manner are not so great as in the plains. It is true that such, a force may disband and scatter, but in such case many would be captured by the successive cordons. The attack _on Forts Italia and Prospect looked like a desperate attempt to break the toils, and it failed completely. I have a strong impression that the next few weeks wil ( exhibit developments which will be some reward for the untold > exertion? of our troops in that quarter.'*