REJOICINGS IN KIMBERLEY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 64, 16 March 1900, Page 2

REJOICINGS IN KIMBERLEY.

JUXU X . MODDER RIVER, (Monday), February 19. —Although the rapid march of General French's division was! marked by a number of conflicts the entry to Kimberley was unopposed. When the British were still eight miles off the signaling- corps intercepted a heliograph message from the beleaguered garrison to Modder River, saying:—"The Boers ore shelling the town." The advance column replied: "This is General French coming to the relief of Kimberley." The garrison was incredulous and thoughti the message was a Boer ruse, and flashed the query, "What regiment are you?" The reply satisfied the defenders of Kimberley that the anxiously awaited succour was at hand. A few hours latei* General French, at the head of a column, made a triumphant entry into the place, the people surrounding the troops and cheeringwildly, grasping the soldiers' hands, waving flogs, hats and handkerchiefs, ! and exhibiting in a. hundred ways the intensity of their joy. The inhabitants had been on short rations for some time, eating horse flesh and living in burrows under heaps of mine refuse. Diminishing rations were served daily at 11 o'clock in the market square, under the Bhell fire of the enemy, whose guns opened on the square whenever the inhabitants assembled. No horse food was left. Throughout the siege Cecil Rhodes provided the natives with work and food and thus kept them quiet. The miles of. convoy bearing provisions

for the relief of the column and the town slowly winding- its way 'across the plain in the direction of Kimberley. was the gladdest sight which greeted the eyes of the besieged for four months. General French's march was so rapid and the heat so intense that many of his horses died of exhaustion. At the crossing- of the Modeler River the Boers bolted, leaving- their tents, guns, oxen, waggons and large quantities of ammunition in the hands ol the British. .Moving northwurd the Boers again attempted to stem the advance." but General French turned their flank and reached his goal with insignificant losses, seven men killed and thirty-live wounded during three days from Wednesday, February 14th, to Friday, February Kith. After a night's resi at Kimberley General French's column pursued the Boers to Urontveld, surrounded the kopjes on which they were camped and' shelled them till nightfall, when the Boers fled, leaving many dead. General t'ronje left a gun. his tents, food and clothes at Magersfontein.