DISCOVERY OF SOME STRANGE DOCUMENTS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4176, 22 July 1901, Page 2

DISCOVERY OF SOME STRANGE DOCUMENTS.

London, July" 19. — Soma important letters wero found in Steyn's baggage at Reitz. Writing to Steyn on May 20, the Tranavaal Government, namely Botha, Yiljoen and Smuts, considered it advisable to ask his permission to communicate with Kruger owing to the continual surrenders. Another big fight was impossible owing to the exhaustion of ammunition and the difficulty of feeding the commandoes as Government was becoming weakened and disorganised ; therefore it was necessary to obtain a definite assurance from the European deputation regarding the prospects of intervention. It was impossible to continue to drift $ the time had come to take a final step. Steyn replied, on May 25, that the letter was a great blow to him. He felt deeply hurt -at their deciding, without consulting him ; despite the reverses they had not yet came to the last ■ extremity, if the officers surrendered the Orange Burghers would still resist ; they ought to continue to rely on God, when the two small republics declared war on mighty England, they trusted in God, and foreign intervention. ' Late European papers,' he adds,* have convinced me of early beneficial European complications ; the deputation in Europe would not allow us to struggle on if intervention were hopeless. If vie wish to remain a Nation now is th& time to struggle. Milter- and Kitchener are unable to pull together, Milner has gone home because he waa not allowed ajiree hand, '