THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 7166, 18 February 1901, Page 2

THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

THE CAPE RAID.

(Press Association.—Copyright.) London, February 15. Three hundred and fifty men of General De Wet's commando on the 12th inst., occupied Philinstown, thirtyfive miles north-east of De Aar junction. The small garrison of Yeomanry defended tbe gaol, while Lieutenant Henniker and sixty of the Victorian Imperial Bushmen rushed and occupied a kopje commanding the town. The firing continued all day. A force under Major Granville Smith and two squadrons of Victorians under :tfajor L. E. Clarke arrived in the evening, and the Boers retired to the northeast.

February 16. Commandants Haasbroek and Woeßt, commanding a portion of De Wet's force, with two hundred vehicles, crossed tbe Orange river by the Zand Drift, sixty-five miles north of De Aar, west.of Philippolis, on the 9th. They were repulsed at Philipstown aud Petrasville, 35 miles within Cape Colony, on the 12th. There was brisk fighting on. the 12th and 13th.

The enemy used a 15 pounder captured from the British, the shrapnel bursting splendidly. Subsequently Colonel Plumer's force of Australian Bushmen arrived with a pompom, and extricated _ foroe of 200 Imperial and South African Light Horse, who were hard-pressed by Commandant Hpasbroek twenty m?les west of Colesburg.

The British casualties were light ; the enemy's heavier. In pursuing the Boers westward Colonel Pluoier captured a Maxim gun and a great portion of De Wet's ammunition train.

The Da:'!y Mail states that on Thursday General De Wet and Steyn crossed the railway between Houtkraal and' Potfontein. twenty-seven miles west of Philipstown, and about a similar distance nonh of De Aar, and destroyed two culverts.

, Colonel Crabbe, following De Wet, captured fourteen waggons and some prisoners.

Major-General De Lisle's force of Australian Bushmen was accorded a frenzied welcome at Calvinia, where Boer cruelty, vindictive exactions and wanton destruction of property recalled the worst scenes of the early campaign in Natal.

The Boers who lately evacuated Calvinia are splendidly mounted, and are travelling north-eastward in tbe direction of Kenhardt at the rate of 60 miles a day.

General De Wet's action in shooting the envoys from the Boer Peace Delegation, and the action of the raiders in looting their friends' homesteads in Cape Colony, is having the effect of alienating Dutch sympathy from the Boer cause.

Before the Boers left Calvinia they flogged several officials for not revealing arms. They also flogged a Magistrate named Buk, and shot native drivers. A number of native drivers were \ captured and shot elsewhere. \ In the House of Commons, Mr Balfour 3 said the Government intended to appoint a committee of both Homes to enquire into the question of pensions for the widows and orphans of soldiers who had lost their lives in the war in South Africa.

General French has captured a mini' ber of Boers, including General Botha _ secretary.

Mr Potts consul for tbe Netherlands' at Delagoa Bay, Whose exequatur was recently withdrawn, returns to DelagoaBay ?n a private capacity. Major-General SmithsDorrien has: occupied Amsterdam, near the Swaziland border, and thirty miles north of Piet Retief.

An armoured train with a Maxim killed ns_etefcn Boers who were trying to destroy the railway duiing the night at Edenburg, 50 m:\es south of Bloemfontem. The' Australian Bushmen peiibrmed most of the fight? _g during the march of Lord Methuen's column from Kuvuman, in Bechuanda.d, to tbe Transvaal border. They captured severafconvoys, butl, had much difficulty in capturing onewhich was entrusted to the care ot expert women drivers. Uolonel Aytoun (Queensland) a__. Colonel K-aight (New South Wales) Wales) have been discharged from; hospital, and have resv_te_ duty. Sydney, February 17. Sir Wrl'lam Lyne has j-formed thfl Imperial authorities that the Government could not agree to the proposal to recuit a thousand constabulary for South Africa. Victoria has sent. » similar reply. The Queensland Go-era-ment saw no objection to a quota being raised in that State. .