SOUTH AFRICAN NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 145, 19 June 1894, Page 2

SOUTH AFRICAN NEWS.

THE LATEST WAR.

EXCITBMENT IN THE TRANSVAAL.

Rkpoets received from Capetown by the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Ruabine (from London) to-day state that at the time of tho steamer leaving there was great excitement in th« Transvaal over the approaching war between the Boers and a native chief and his nation in the north of the Transvaal.

A recent telegram from Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal, Btated : " The all-absorbing topic bere is the disturbances in the North. Young fellows, some holding responsible positions, are being commandered from almost) every office and •tore* Theeo young men are nob burghers and naturally grumble at having to throw up appointments for service in the field. The particular hardship is that they have to provide their own horse, Baddle, kit and rations for ten days, after which the Government provides. No pay will be offered or compensation." According to fcho latest cables this campaign is now practically over. SMALL-POX IN SOUTH AFRICA. Small-pox has been raging in South Africa, and at the latest advices it was spreading at a somewhat alarming rate, no fewer than nin w caseß being reported recently. " > uncomfortable feature about the new cases " (Bays a labe Johannesburg paper) " is that two of these are ia the Coolie location, in which the disease worked much havoc last year. So many of the inhabitants of this quarter of the town being hawkers, tho danger of the disease being carried to other districts is very great. The two coolies, as well as a Ruapecb from the same neighbourhood, have bean removed to Hospital Hill lazaretto. The T6tßeT dales' embrace five from the Roodepoort district), one from Maraisburg, and one from Johannesburg Hospital—all Kaffirs. Inr addition two suspects have been brought from Roodepoorb and sent with the others to Hospital Hill lazaretto, which is again filling up rapidly. In view of the gravity of the situation, the apathy of the Government is much to be deplored. No provision has yet been made by the Pretoria authorities for dealing with what is already a serious outbreak, and will doubtless become more serious as the winter advances." A BIG ROBBERY.—£6,OOO STOLEN. A late Capetown paper says: "A box of specie containing £6,000 in gold, was consigned by the Bank of Africa to ifcu branch at Jagersfontein in the Free State. The box, which was of deal and strongly made, and weighed about 1201bs, was handed over to the railway authorities at Cape Town for conveyance by train, and its contents were well-known, for the clerk in charge of the box obtained the customary receipt. In the ordinary course the box would have reached Jagersfontein Road Station, would have travelled by the mail cart thence to Jagersfonfeetn and its arrival at the bank there would have been at once wired to the head office at Cape Town. Not receiving the tolegram the Bank telegraphed to Jagersfontein and inquired if the gold had arrived. Upon receiving a reply in the negative, they immediately put themselves into communication with the Railway Department, only to discover that the box had been missed for two days, and that inquiries were on foot to discover what had become of the missing gold. The box was put into the*parcels van, and with scarcely more precaution than if it had been a box of old metal. The guard was apprised of the fact that it was there, but upon the face of it does not seem to have even looked at the box until the train reached Touws River, where it was found to be missing. An investigation was commenced, but the result of this inquiry is nil so far as discovering the whereabouts ot the gold is concerned."