THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12403, 17 January 1901, Page 5

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

THE BELFAST EIGHT, BRITISH MISSING. ATTACKS ON CONVOYS, RAIDERS NEAR JOHANNESBURG. HONOURS TO ROBERTS POSTPONED. RUSTENBURG REPRQVISIONED. A GALLANT BRITISH lORCE. Uaitecl Pmb9 Association—By Ekwfkio Telegraph—'Copyiig'Siii. LONDON, Jan. 15. After the engagement at Belfast on J&o. 7 seventy-two men belonging to the- Royal Irish Fusiliers and the Shropshire Ligihfr Infantry, -were missing. A determined attack made on- a coaaroy proceeding to Vryheid, -was repulsed at Blood River. The Boers are raiding farms-five miles from Johannesburg. Lord Roberts has Indefinitely postponed Mb reception of the freedom of London, owing to the present unhappy circumstances connected with the war. Two hundred raiders at Damslaagte attacked a convoy and were repulsed. The Cape Cyclist Corps is fighting like mounted infantry, and is a most useful force. Rustenburg has been re-provisioned after the garrison had been on short rations' for a month. THE ZAURFONTEIN AFFAIR. ARREST OF SUSPECTS. DESTITUTE FOREIGNERS AT DURBAN. LONDON, Jan. 15. A Kaffir led the Boers to the only entrance in the* wire entanglements round Zaurfontein. Nine hundred suspects have been arrested at Vryburg and removed to Kimberley. Many destitute foreigners from the Transvaal are appealing to the Durban police for food and shelter. Their respective Consiuls decline to help them. A BRITISH PARTY SURROUNDED. DESPERATE FIGHTING AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS. A MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY OF BRAVERY. THE FORGE RESCUED. LONDON, Jan. 15. Colonel White, on Jan. 3, sent Captadn Laing with 150 members of Lord Kitchener's Body Guard, attached to General Knox's column, towards Reitz. ' While ascending a valley the men experienced showers of explosive bullets from kopjes six hundred yards on their right and left. The Boers numbered one thousand. The British on retiring, and "meeting five hundred Boers galloped into a donga and fought from cover desperately. Captain Laing was "shot through the heart, and the enemy surrounded the small force. The British maintained <a dogged resistance till the Boers thmitened to kill the survivors. Then Lieutenant Bateson galloped through the Boers and mformed Colonel White, and reinforcements were sent. The latter shelled the disappearing enemy, and killed seventeen at one ssci.

BOER "REFUGEES. REGENT FIGHTING. NEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES. (deceived Jan. 17, 12.37 a.m.) " LONDON, Jan. 16. A thousand Boer refugees are detained in eaihps at Pretoria, Krbonstad and Rhehbsterspruit. They -declare that they understood that Mr Kruger was still an the Transvaal, while De Wet was besieging Gape Town and General Bullet was driven back in. Natal. A squadron of Johannesburg Mounted Rifles ambushed a party of Boers at Halfontein on Sunday, killing five, including Commandant Vanderhever. A sharp fight occurred at Murraysburg on Jaii. 11. Six British were seventeen were wounded and five are missing, •chiefly South African Light Horse and Brabant's HorSe. Lieutenant Keddle, of the New Zealand Rough Riders, was severely wounded at Ventersdorp. Trooper M. Boyce, a New Zealand Rough Rider, died from enteric at Pretoria. Surgeon Godfray, of the New Zealand Mounted Infantry, has returned'to duty. THE AUSTRALIAN REINFORCE.MENTS: ■_-•. MEN VOLUNTEERING FREELY. : SYDNEY, Jan. 16. ■ Fifteen hundred applications have been re-ceive-d for the new contingent for South Africa. Captain Cox, who has just returned by the Orient, has offered hife services. The Victorian force will consist of 504 officers and men. Colonel Torn Price has again offered his services for South Africa. The South Australian Contingent will comprise 245 officers and men. TULtIBARDINE'S SCOTCH HORSE. MELBOURNE, Jan. 16. The Government ihas cabled, that one hundred* young men have offered to join the Marquis of Tullibardine's Scotch Horse. The Government will take no responsibility