THE LAST DAYS OF THE WAR.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10784, 11 October 1900, Page 2

THE LAST DAYS OF THE WAR.

FIGHTINd'THE IRRECONCILABIES.

THE BRITISH ADVANCE

(FROM OT/K SPECIAX corhespondext at th_ CAPK.) . CAPETOWN, September 11. Altogether without being too optimistic, it may be said that the end of the war appears to be fairly in sight. But it would be a mistake to suppose thai; with the surrender of <_<>_amandant General Botha, hostilities will entirely cease. Theron and DeWet are both irreconcilable. The former is hovering in the neighbourhood of Johannesburg, while the latter is supposed to be attempting to raise men in the Free State. Even if definite peace is concluded, there will always be a certain amount of men who will continue fighting until the bitter end, receiving overt sympathy from farmers and others. The Boer losses since the occupation of Pretoria are very considerable. i Small skirmishes have been more disastrous to the Boers than to us. j It appears that the number of dead Boers actiially found on the field since the occupation of Pretoria amount to 411. The Boers hive now abindoned all attempts of giving official returns of their dead, but the lawyers anticipate, a,.vast-,amount of litigation in order to prove titles to farms. Already 500 are unaccounted; for, in .he Orange River Colony and Transvaal,' where the relatives seek proof of" "Boers now admit 70 killed in the Be'rgendale fighting, and it is known that nearly a hundred wounded

were removed. General Buller is making marvellous progress in his march northwards. On the 30th, the column marched to Welteoraden, overlooking Nooitgedacht Station, with the object, if possible, of outflanking tbe Boers, and accelerating the release of tho prisoners. The severe Boer reverse at Bergendale, General Buller's rapid movements, and the thoroughness of the work of the column in sweeping the countryside, _ad the effect of precipitating the enemy's retreat. Converging south from the Lydenburg road, our force got into fearful country above Eland Valley. General Buller, reconnoitring, learned that the enemy had moved on en masse down the valley, and by road and train to Nelspruit. Presently tne mist which shrouded the hills and valley lifted, revealing the railway track, and the prisoners in one unending stream, proceeding to Watervalonder. The Boers were obliged to let . them go in order to save themselves. A STRAIN ON THE RAILWAY RESOURCES. When General Buller occupies Waterval Boven, gaining a considerable length of the railway line, the strain on the railway engineers will be excessive, running over 1100 | miles of line, with only ninety-eight en- j gines. The Netherlands Railway ran half the distance with 350 engines. It is only owing to the splendid support of the Cape railways that the military authorities are enabled to cope with the enormous pressure. It is further stated that the Natal railways contribute liftle. This, however, hardly' agrees with the fact that Lord Roberts last week expressed satisfaction with what the department was doing, and asked the Governor' to convey his thanks to the management of the Natal Railways which repaired the line behind Sir Redvers Buller right to | Vlaklaagte, and organised and staffed the line, under the Imperial authorities. General Buller frequently expressed his appreciation of the work of the Natal Railway. DE WET REFUSES TO SURRENDER. Steyn, who is still with Kruger, has per- "■ suaded him not to surrender while there is hope of favourable development from De Wet's movements. De Wet is opposed to Kruger serffc De Wet a let"ter. advising him to abandon his hopeless task, but De Wet treated the messenger with scant courtesy, and turned him out of the camp.

i THE SIEGE OF LADYBRAND. ► The little garrison at Ladybrand has at ' length been relieved. Great courage was > shown in the defence of the position, and notwithstanding the desperate attacks repeatedly made by the enemy, our casualties | were but five men wounded. When finding 1 themselves closely invested, our force destroyed by fire the stores which were piled ; on the Church Square, so that they should 1 not fall into the hands of the enemy. The Boers were going from farm to farm com- ' maudering all the able-bodied men they could ; find, and those refusing were threatened with the burning of their homesteads. Our forge : consisted of about I§o men. Our troops remained in the trenches with a large supply ' of food and water, and their determination did the rest. The strength of the Boers was ; considered to be from 2000 to 3000 strong, with nine cannon and one' pompom. . ! MAFEKIXG KNOCKED ABOUT BY A i STORM. A terrific herrieane swept over the town ! of Mafeking on the evening of the 23th August. Nothing similar lias ever been experienced there before, and in five minutes more devastation was caused than during , the seven months of the siege. The roof of the Dutch Church was blown clean off, and the English rectory completely collapsed. The roof of the library was shattered ; rail- , way workmen's barracks were .destroyed, and the "Mafeking Mail" premises, after braving the dangers of 94-pou.nders, have been wrecked. Shops, dwelling-houses, i stables, and verandahs were demolished wholesale. The military field hospital, containing a hundred patients, experienced a terrible time. The marquees and tents were ; totally wrecked. The unfortunate patients i who were drenched were conveyed through i the heavy rain to the civil hospital, while i others were put up at the railway station and billeted at private houses. Two Europeans were killed. In the native quarters numbers of huts were wrecked, and several ' natives killed. After the wind had abated, i a terrible thunderstorm burst over the i

locality, and rain fell heavily, flooding the town and causing great damage to stocks and goods which were exposed in consequence of the roofless and damaged state of the buildings..',. REPORTED DEATH OP DE LA REV. General L>e La Rey is .reported to have died o?;Wpiihd_ received at inlands River. The gallant and-skilful General always conducted • his operations in a most civilised nanner. .•GOD SCARCE IN" JOHANNESBURG. . Tue latest news from Johannesburg sliows what difficulties will iiave to be surmounted before it will be possible for any number of refugees to return, and keep from starvation. . The butchers say that it is impossible to get slaughter cattle, and all in the ( market is eagerly commandeered by the j military. Since Theron appsaredk, in tfie I district with his small commando, beef has become more scarce, while mutton is simply not to be procured. The few storekeepers left in the deserted city have almostsold out their stocks, and goods of all descriptions are getting to famine prices. Butter and cheese are not to be had for love or money; matches are still scarce, but there is plenty of tinned meat and fish. The strike among the bakers continues. They simply refuse to bake bread and sell it at the proclamation price, so the civilian has to go without. If one has a military friend a loaf now and again can be secured, but as a rule the home-made article, usually in the form of an Australian "damper," has to satisfy. With two railways open, it is strange that things should be in such a muddle. Fortunately vegetables are cheap, and easily procured in the market, but then the director of civil supplies cannot prevent the growth of vegetables along the Rand, and they are brought into town by cartloads every morning. Having about 10,000 niggers working on the new railway, it falls to the lot of the director of civil supplies to feed them; but the dealers have cornered all tbe mealies to be bad, and, consequently, things are mixed. It is not very

long ago snee flour was £50 a ton. Soma* body, however, found out that the Impend authorities were getting it at- £30, so'the' Governor reduced the price, the excuse -$ the. director being that the military weja entitled to profit. Every branch of the Government is much the same, and those civilians who are employed make no secret o£ their disgust. The" post and telegrap. offices are disorganised, and for the part week no civil or Press telegrams were allowed to be sent or received in Johannesburg. It is said that hundred*, bags of mail matter are lying along tfie line, principally at Bloemfontein, and everyone com, plains of delay and non-delivery. Everyday when the train leaves the Park Station; for Capetown, a crowd of people eagerly look for a friend or an acquaintance to take letters to the coast.. This conversion of passengers, especially "undesirables/ into postal carriers, is against the law. It is, in fact, misdemeanour, as ail correspondence must pass through the censors, but up to date the authorities are either ignorant of the practice, or wink at it.

HEROISM OP A RAILWAY MAN,' Particulars have been received of an incident wluch took place near Heidelber, on Monday, when the fireman of the 'mail train travelling along the line was shot dead by Boer snipers. The driver was wounded in five different places, but heroically stuck to his post, and though his arms were rendered useless, he succeeded in retaining control of the engine by the aid of his mouth, Un_the arrival of the train at Stauderton he fainted away. Fortunately, neither the guards nor any of the passengers were hit, although the guaras van, on its arrival! bore evidence of having been subjected to a hot fire, several bullets having pierced itTwo bullets passed through the driver's arms, one through his cheek, and another tlirougk his shoulder.