FIGHTING ALL ROUND

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11590, 17 July 1900, Page 3

FIGHTING ALL ROUND

DB WET COfiNBEED. LEETTWSPRtTIT BRIDGE DESTROYED. BBITISS |>JciiT CAPTUEED. Received July 16, 9 a.m. London, July 15. The official report of the fighting at Mitral Nek states that the Boers lost heavily during their attack. During the fighting at Krugersdorp, when Colonel Smith-Dorrien defeated the Boers with heavy loss, the brunt of the attack fell upon the Gqidon Highlanders and the artillery, and the British casualties were ohiefly among them. It is annowfted that Lord Roberts has ■deoided . tt> send further Boer prisoners captured to Ceylon. Private W. Goodland, of Taranaki, New -Zealand, died at Kroonstad from enteric 'fever. Commandant De Wet is strongly posted at BetieE's Nek, close to the Basutoland border. A British force is advancing from Natal by way of Van Keenan's Pass, and it is presumed that it is to operate against De Wet's commando. The mounted force under Lord Dundonald surprised and captured a camp of Boers who had previously destroyed tho Leenwsprnit bridge, on the Pretoria main railway line. Major-General Bundle has occupied Wilkop, a position south-weat of Harrismith. A party of Boers dressed in kharki uniforms succeeded in surprising a picket of 25 men of the Yorkshire Regiment a f Lindley. The infantrymen fought doggedly, and held their position until reinforced. - When help arrived it was found Ahat 18 of the 25 Yorkshires had been •Trilled ot wounded. A Router's message says that Mr iScteeiner, Premier of Cape Colony, who Tscantly announced his conviction that the two Boer Republics should be aninexed, now holds that they ought to be allowed to retain some measure of independence.