The Transvaal.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 164, 11 February 1902, Page 1

The Transvaal.

London, Febr&ary fl<

Lord Salisbury, speaking at the Juaioir Constitutional 6lub, said he wa« utterly uaable to imagine th* precise objoot of the Dutch'Goveri£ meat. Possibly British pro-Bo.wp were at the bottom of the myst'epf. The struggle bad reached,-;» bsA> when suggestions of the ii*tell*|t ought to carry mote weight tn*& emotions. The Government woakf welcome with delight any neace proposals recognising t.ho Kiog'ji rights and providing for the aefiilmy of the Empire. They must outsider the South African loyaiifts, and obtain a peace streDgtbeniag the devotion of all the otloni'ta, which were growing every year.

The raids on De Wet's nftraaroHS stores of grain are a worse blew than the backhouses. The absence of ft 0,1 pre-'en i.s a prolonged concentration of the enemy. Mr Bonnet Burleigh states Chat recently General MethaWs force, in Blanching on a dark night,, indifferently led, moving in & circle and succeeded in capturing their own convoys.

Colonel K><kewich raports ffhat the Scottish Horse, commanded by viajor Leader, killed seven Boerg find captured 181 of De Le #ey's commando ihciuding Cajama/watfla Treal and Alberts, LandoosS Pofcgieter, and Cornet Jan Duplessis. I'ho British casualties w«w slight. February 7.

Louis Rotha degraded Tobfag Smuts for barring Bremetsdorp, Smuts retorted ttiafc Chris Botlft had similarly offended, and went un. punished. Moreover, Louis Botha ordered Boer women to be driven into concentration.-camps against their will.

Details of the fight aft Lieben-berg's-vlei show than &ix squadrons of the South African Light Horse and a squad of Yeomanry captured a convoy and 700 «att!e, dispersed seventy Boers, captured Steyja'a remount depot and twenty ©f mi splendid horses* At tfce same tims Garratt's Seventh New Zealandecs and the Sixth Queensland Bushmen defeated Commandant Mean's corn* mando, 800 strong. Theßqwshad a 15-pounds and two pom-poms. M. de Blowitz says tfa,at the opinion is gaining SfPuoA fudrn De Kuyper's note, ttrat he would be glad to rid Holland of the Boef delegates, whose agitation is disquieting.

Seventy Europeans recently joined Botha, coming through Zululand, and bringing a »ew heliograph. Mr Balfour states that Lord KitchoHer has? been asked to com* municate D.r Kuyp6r's and Sond Lansdowne's notes to the Boep leaders.

The total British lossas to the end oi January includa deaths from disease, 965 officers, and 24,840 men.

The capture of Albert's 131 vfan duo to a night march, the pom-pom and rifle fire stanpedlng the Boe* horses. The commando was aur. prised-, and scarcely resisted. Andres Cuonje'g protest against the prolongation os the war and announcing the formation of & burgher corps has annoyed De h replied curtly.

February 8. A scout has capfcurefd Commandant Ai arias near Laingsburg, Servage and Jjoeks, Boer officers who have been sent to Mr Ksuger, on being interviewed on landing at Marseilles, said tbat the Boers had implicit confidence in Mr Kruger, He has only to pronounce one wordf if he bids them aabmit they w*Hl obey.

Mr Chamber l sin has stated that Lord Milner will be associated wfrfe Lord Kitchener in considering if any overtures for peace shall ba entertained. The details of the Liebensbergg. vlei fight show that I*2o New Zealanders were pursuing Boer guns and a convoy when they charged the rear guard. Sixty men were strongly posted and others then galloj ed to the head of the convoy, I'ne enemy simultaneously collided with three of Colonel Garr&tfc't aeciio(p% who had been previously posted ahead. 7 They Chased the Boers for eight mile* westwards. The oily causalities were cue New Z.-alander killed and tao men wounded. While capti-ring the guns the New Zealatiders repulsed a bo'd attempt by De Wet to recap'u re a pom-pom at a depot three miles off. Dav Vet was hotly pursued and quhted the cart in which he was ruling and escaped on horseback, a small guard of bis men de* laying pursuit.