NOTES ON THE WAK.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10738, 18 August 1900, Page 8

NOTES ON THE WAX.

(By an- ex-Member, of the Intei_igexc_

Branch, South Afeica.)

Colonel Hoare and his command are reported to be still resisting the Beers, although it was otliciaily reported that General Carrington had been beaten back on the Groot Marico river, and liad retired from that, point on Zeerust, being unable to re•sist tlie Boer forces opposed to fail—, Still .latter we were.infoiuved that Generals BatlenPowell and lan Hamilton had gone to Colonel Hoare's assistance, but arrived too lato to rescue him, as he had surrendered to De.La Rev before the two last named had left Rustenburg. It naturally comes as a surprise to be informed that the whole story about his capture was incorrect, and that Hoare was still gallantly holding out on the 10th inst., although the enemy's oombardment of his position/ was terrific. Now comes the news that General Hamilton has been ordered to leave the pursuit of General He Wet to the other commands engaged in it. and go to the__r_stanoe of Colonel Hoare, who has 1000 men, with a convoy of waggons, eutrenohed somewhere in the vicinity of tbe Elands river. We are left in the dark .*— to what part of the river liis camp is located at, so an opinion cannot be formed as to the time it will take General' Hamilton to march near enough to be of any assistance to Hoare's command, as the distance—ram Blaa-awbaaik may be 40 miles, or, if Colonel Hoare is anywhere near the great band -tows«*__, Ptella. it may mean a march af.over.Bo miles. This is no light task with h-*L**-«_-4b»._h_.ve been kept going as hard as they can stand for over two weeks, since General Hamilton marched from the east of Pretoria to tbe refief of General BadenPowell at Ruste—burg. Como——d«u-. 4_robela»r, we are informed, is marclmig towards Mafeking, which is now an import—at m__tarv base for the British troops operating in the western part of the TransvaaL Grobelaar probably means to try to destroy the Brit—_ stores at that point, and" by doing so cripple the British Operations, in tbe-west u_til _ reorganisa—on is effected. The re.:h*__-_nt from R_-ten-burg and the retreat of-General C_r_ringfeon on Zeerust has no doubt given the Boers a new lease of life in the west, and it is just possible that the Boer foroes in the west may attract more attention in the near future than at any time since the relief of Mafeking. Unless General De Web's commando is derfeated or captured, livery times may be looked for, and if De La Rey -forms a junction with De Wet, the prospects of peace will be conaiderably di_un_shed.