THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12423, 12 February 1901, Page 5

THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

RAIDERS RETIRING. A BOER FLIGHT. DE WET'S BARBARITY. INDIGNATION OEORANGE RIVER BURGHERS. THE CAPETOWN GUARDS. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, Feb. 10. Kruitzinger is still retiring 1 north-east. Two hundred Boers, at Oatlandis Station, south of Graafreinet, fled on the approach of the British'and abandoned many horses, saddles and rifles. The burghers in the Orange River Colony are everywhere indignant at the barbarity of De Wet im shooting tine envoys of the Peace Committee. Sir Alfred Milner and Lieutenant-Gene-ral Forestier-Walker inspected 7500 Cap© Town City Guards, including artillery, cavalry and cyclists, and warmly complimenitedl tha Guards on their appearance. Colonel R. H. Davies,'of New Zealand, feas recovered and resumed duty. A LOYAL DUTCHMAN. BRITISH PRECAUTIONS. LONDON, Feb. 10. Field-Cornet Steynberg, a loyalist of the Graafreinet district, offers to bring fifty land-owners to join the defence force to resist the invading Boers. Before evacuating Petrusburg the British destroyed the supplies in the town and collected 3500 horses and cattle, and took them to Kimberley. THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL. ROUT OF BOTHA'S FORCES. AN OUTRAGEOUS PROCLAMATION. (Received Feb. 11, 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 11. Louis Botha, with 2000 men, at daybreak, on Feb. 6, attacked General SmitkDorien, at Bothwell. Twenty-four British were killed and 53 wounded. The Boers left 20 dead on the field, including General Spruit and two field-cornets. Many were severely wounded, including General Raademeyer, " su The Boers have wrecked three more trains on the Natal-Johannesburg line. Lord Kitchener reports that the British movement in the Eastern Transvaal thoroughly upset the Boers calculations,- and created a regular panic.; Botha, with 7000 men, 800 waggons and very large numbers of stock, is going east. Be Wet and 1 Steyn have issued a proclamation to the effect that they intend to enter Cape Colony and give the farmers a taste of the sufferings of war. "LORD!"ROBERTS'S DESPATCHES." (Received Feb. 11, 9.28 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 11. In a despatch of March 18, Lord Roberta singled out Colonel Byron, of Queensland, and Major Fiaschi,of the New South. Wales Medical Corps,, for-special praise. He would have also h&ve'selected Colonel. Umphelby, of Victoria, and 1 Lieutenant G. J. Grieve, of New South Wales, for reward, if they had not been killed. Writing m January last, Lord Roberts deeply i-egretted' the departure of the First Australian and Canadian Contingents, which materially impaired the mobility and efficiency of the anny; but it was impossible to disregard the urgency of the reasons for their return. He recognised in the colonials many soldierly qualities. They were self-sacrificing- and uncomplaining. No episode of the war was more praiseworthy than Mafeking. ■ (Received 1 Feb. 11, 9.28 p.m.) Among the despatches published by the War Office 1 i§ one dated March 18, in which Lord Roberts drew special attention to the good services and splendid efficiency of the colonial troops who had taken a distinguished share in the advance in tho Orange* Free State. All vied with one another in sharing the hardships and dangers in a manner that won 'the respect and admiration of everyone. ANOTHER APPEAL TO DE WET, (Received Feb. 11, 10.38 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 11. Piet De Wet has appealed to Christian De Wet to use his common-sensa and recognise that the struggle is bopeiess, and that it would be better for all to yield and be loyal and try to win responsible Government. Otherwise, the Boers will be impoverished and degraded to the condition of a mere working class. He is convinced that the ■other 'Transvaal generals would, submit if Christian De Wet did. ti \ A PERILOUS OPERATION. A wide flanking movement, admirably executed by the New South, Wa'es Mounted Rifles, commanded by Captain Bennett, compelled the Boers to evacuate the Regge-, veld Range, enabling Colonel JJe Lisle to secure the pass leading on to Calvinia. Captain Bennett crossed), country hitherto cosidered impassable. Several horses of the force- rolled*over the precipices two thousand feet deep, and ten mem ascended the precipitous iface of the mountain five thousand feet high. DE WET'S MOVEMENTS. (Received Feb. 12, 12.12- a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 11. De Wet, failing to cross the Orange River east of Bethulie, suddenly turned west under cover of a detached commando, and crossed the line south of the Jageis-

fimtein, Road' am Fefo sr,«frd«s| .jppj British, columns. ~ ,-. | Coloned De Lisle 'nfls* «rapfedKSS£gflfc; the Boers retiring towards Kenihardt,'j;t"

A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER. ~~ (Received' Feb. 11, 9.45 p.m.) ' : LONDON, Feb:-11. ' Colonel Pilcher audi Major Crewe «m posite sides of the Tabascberg range, «p| gaged a large force of Boers', commande* by De Wet, on Jan. 31.- Colonel KWbrifi lyddite shells dispersed) the Boers, -wflw,; streaming down the range, • *noonntesej# Major Crewe's force of sevensdndre<l> vSi! 5 three fifteen pounders and a pompom!. Tib*. Boers, numbering at least 2500* »ttiacfc«i(|( both flank and rear. The Pom-Pom Tsecaasej; jammed, and' was lost despite despexatej efforts to save it. Major Crewe brillianliyi: seized the 1 , rising ground l , justi forestallingj the Boers, who charged. Tie British fought a rearguard action against * terribly. severe rifle fire, until their ammunition) fail-! ing, they retired to laagers of waggons/de*] fending them until nightfall. Tnougfo tleij attack was renewed at dayforeak Majofi, Crewe and 1 the convoy joined and both regained Bloeitifonteinv' RETURNING INVALIDS, HOBART, Feb'. It The Karaimeai brought a number, of "anH valided soldiers of various colonies, iiK&njlpijp the following New Zealanders-:—•ColoaMiJt ■ Newall, Sergeants OhaUis ss&escxs:s&)j Ross and! Gregg and thirty-one imeH. Ser-j geant iChalijs and Gunner Searle <Oaja*ru>i have been taken to the Habaacb Hospital suffering froon the effects of fevov THE QUEENSLAND REINFORCEMENTS. BRISBANE, E**. It . Lord Kitchener lias accepted tihe offer ol the Queensland! Government to araisa«!tfoft Contingent to five 'hundred men. RETURNING NEW ZEALANDERS., [Peb Peess Association.] WELLINGTON, F*fc. 11. _ ; The following New Zealamders axe w-'j turning by the steamer Chicago, xvMchi left Cape Town on Feb. 6:—Farrier-Sergeaffltij Spain (Fourth Contingent), Otago; Private* Spencer (Third Contingent), Kadkoura.; J-: Warren (Fifth Contingent), Duncdinj MV Dignan (Reserve), Auckland); J. M?Kay, : (Fifth Contingent), Clinton; C. Wys«; i (Fourth Contingent), Otago Central; C. _.Wj Brown (Fourth Contingent), Tcrauk*j;A«i | Woolward (Fifth Contingent), Dunedin. ; Jh' Matson (First Contingent), Cambridge; Farrell (Reserve), Kihikihi; C. W. Watt (Fifth Contingent), Dunedin; F. W. Jones (Fifth Contingent), Wangamui; A.-,Jk JVallace (Fourth Contingent), Shannon.' ■ FURTHER REINFORCEMENTS... A SEVENTH CONTINGENT: TO BB BENT. [Pes Peess Association.] WELLINGTON, Feb. If. • _ The Ministers-have decided to send mora troops to relieve those who have aireadyi served for the period for which they wra enlisted. The first draft, numbering about' 300 men, will be despatched in a month,' and will be followed by others as Eoc-n. aa" they can be igot amdy. Another medical'man -will also be sent, [Per Psess Association.] AUCKLAND, Feb. lL ; 1 Trooper Sullivan, who is in the is recovering from his recent accident* SECOND AND THIRD CONTINGENTS.) The Premier has received the following; cablegram from the Officer Commanding ati Cape Town: —"Second and Third Contin-: gents moving from iNaauwpoort,, tion unknown." ~~Z>sgrs THE FIF I'll COX UNDENT. WEIAMSOME J ~. Sergeant Higiht, of the New Zealand Fifth! Contingent, writing from Vryburg, on the' railway south of Mafeking, oini Dec. 31, toj a friend in Sheffield, says:—" We nave ibieew three months in Tuli, and now we -have been! sßifted down here. We are in the midst off the Boers, and expect to have a fight, but! we have not seen a Boer yet. The traini! , - that passed last night was fired! on twenty; miles from here by, about twenty Boers, but* they did not do any damage. . . . W» spent our Christmas at Bulawayo, amdi (had »■ lib pudding grfeni to eachi man. We also' had military sports. While wo were in Tuli? two men were wounded. One was a< doctor,j a, Victorian. The bullet went in on- the right) side and camo out on the left, but he was' walking about three days after. He IhaSj been sent to England to have the X-rays out, - him, as the doctors say. the bullet-most ihaveJ gone through ibis heart. The other man was; a New Zealander, shot while on guard. Ho! was (having a drink out of his water-bottle.! and went through the bottle an&fi his arm. . . '.. Mafeking is no Eize,j

about as big as All' round is suj plain perfectly bare, and there) was nothing.) sn the world to keep the Boers out. All. 1 they did was to stand a long way off amd? ■ s4iell the place. Two men and a boy could have held it, aind the garriEOit ihad plentyj to eat. There is no fuss about the tmiatterj here at all. The people outside 'df Africa! seem to know more about and make morejefj the siege than the people who were in. it.; .We have teen here eight months,; and have not done a blooming thing except} feed and' water our horses. We expect *o{ move from here in a day or so, as -soon aaj cur horses get over the train joumsy. JAHj. the Malvern boys are in perfect health. ' I; clnn't. know who is in command) of us.j Methuen we left in Vryburg." He is ai fine; man to look after his men. The first thing!' he asked ■was if we had plenty of rations;. then who we were." Sergeant Eight for-j warded a- letter sent by Colonel Wood! to the; C. Squadron of the Fifth 1 Contingent, whiehif read as follows:—"To the N.C.O.'s and] men of C.' Squadron, Fifth New Zealand!' Regiment. I write M wish yon all everyj good 'fortune and safe return to your 'homes 1 at the conclusion of the war. I have never; seen better behaved men nor jbetter Shorse-j men, and I know you will all credit! on yourselves a ndi the country to which y»u| belong.—(Mamners F. Wcodj R.F.F." :

News has been received by cable-o! ilw death of Corporal Campbell Parkinson froiaj enteric fever at Pretoria. Corporal Parkin*; .son v.ms the yoiirge&t son of the late Mr T.s H. Parkinson, oAvailuM', and left Christ-: church as a trooper in the Third l Contingent.' H-9 had 'been for some considerable -time a* member of the Canterbury Yeomaniyj < Cavalry, and while in camp at •\vith the Cotttingtct worn the prize snbscrib-i ed for by the children of the Spreydomj School' for the best rider in-itli© corps. HaJ - was only just over twenty-one years of ago) at tho time of bis death, and it was oaJyu! ■few weeks ago that the necessary papers| were received from Mm to allow of Ma) claiming his share under liis father's \viH,| which Avas a considerable amount. Hlsi mother took part in the gathering of Old!; Colonists at Canterbury's Jubilee,- aiodU?til& (resides in. the -vicinity of Kaitana..- s! .j BOER APPEAL TO BGEES-"^^ 15 ! An urgent appeal, signed by Catlveraw Johanna Tossel, four of whoso brothers are] still in arms against I hi British, is beivigl circulated in Cape Colony. Tie WTit«r-< lifter referring to the recent speeches «f 3fr ( - 1 ; -i

an effect these useless and criminal efforts are having in still keeping my countrymen ia the field," describes the straggle us " utterly hopeless," owl only carried on " in order to benefit a few ui 'their wicked leaders and a number of rebels to their Queen and country." Proceeding, Mrs Tossel says: —" How can these colonial 'agitators know •what we Boers desire? My father, with seven sons, was in 1899. We have to sit still <md be patient when sleek, well-fed politicians, with ehimerahaunted minds, coolly assist in prolonging our niise~v. Wo have no wish to. be again governed "by a Kruger clique. Our rulers .wantonly and wickedly made this war. Louis Bofclu's wife and children have plenty ■of money and can live in comfort. He is? .only holding out in cr.br to gain some ifamo and kudos. It is not the real wish of W people that another shot should he 'fired. I only left the Transvaal in Sep-, ifcamber last, and know. What I .say here is '.the sentiment of my people still in the [Transvaal." CAPTIVES AT ST HELENA. The St Helena authorities are turning (their Boer prisoners to good account. ■Forty have been employed for some time 'by the colonial Government in the construc,tion of a road round the cliffs en 'the seajface, and a number have been engaged in [the erection of a crane. There are some jskilful workers among them (the majority lare Scandinavians), and in. a few weeks [they have successfully completed, under the [direction cf Baron Fagerskjold, a part of ithe work that had been vainly attempted jfor nKsny weeks previously. There is some (difficulty dn supplying" the men with Imeat.. Of the last shipment of cattle !to Sb Helena nineteen died from beat apo[plexy after crossing the line. Although a (large number of cattle are bred on the [island there are not nearly sufficient to keep 'pace with the demand. ; CAPE TOWN AND THE VOLUNTEERS. The Citizens' Volunteer Reception Comimititee of Cape Town has decided to pre'g€n6 to each member of the volunteer forces jwho hag assisted "In upholding the. authority of her Majeslv in South Africa 'during the recent troublous times, followling thß unprovoked invasion of: her Majesty's territory," a specially designed souivenir card, designed and printed in the colony, hearing this inscription*:—''Cape. Town joins with' the Empire in feelings of heartfelt thanks for tho signal services 'Which her Majesty's citizen soldiers have 'rendered in upholding the Imperial authority in South Afr.ca. The Empire is justly .proud of the gallant conduct of the 'Volunteer forces during the engagements the campaign, arid Cape Town [congratulates the volunteers,upon the consummation of a service which has resulted 'in the consolidation of the Empire, and cemented the ties cf affection between the colonies and the Mother Country. The citizens of Cape Town wi=h you a prosperous Voyage, and a happy home-coming, where cur hearts will join in the rejoicing welcomes which await you." The card contains ]a view of Table B.iy, nrd is inscribed with )the names of the mere prominent scenes* of the war. ; ' THE BAND. Writing to his relative.-; in Christchurch ■Corporal E. Witty, who joined the Johannesburg Mounted Rifle* at Durban, in order to get to the mining city, states that some of the mine managers have returned to the Rand, and most of the mines are pumping, tut only two or three men. are employed in each. Food is scarce, and dear in Johannesburg, and civilians can* only obtain a limited supply, as tho authorities fear large stores of provisions mi'Tht be a temptation for a Boer Taid. On New Year's morning the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles were turned out at three o'clock, and placed under ■arms, as tho Boer? were looting cattle), with-in-three miles of the city. Every civilian in Johannesburg, Corporal Witty says, has to join the Band Rifles or leave the colony.