THE DRAGGING OF HOSTILITIES.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 9779, 14 January 1901, Page 4

THE DRAGGING OF HOSTILITIES.

JBMOUBIBB OF BRITISH tißHfe RALS. The following extract from the letter of an officer in South Africa has been sent to the London Times for publication, It is dated October 27, north of Bloemfontein; " Things run on mnoh the came here Bloemfonteia is in a small stats of siege, The Boers have held up the mail train, and, I presume, collared and destroyed our letters. They hare been playing around as for two months in parties and small commandos, all well mounted and equipped, They pass their time sniping at us, outting up the railway and telegraph wires, shooting at the sentries, capturing small detached posts and nnproteoted oonvoyßi I hare

jast returned with my company from a de« tachedpost a few miles noith ol onr oamp, where for a fortnight I spent rather an anxioni time. We stood to arms mott nights* and tried to deep in the day. Bat the heat in these bell tents is unendurable and the dust storms too anfal to desorlbe, and no shelter from either, I was alone, and to add to the discomfort we wore only allowed one pint of water per day. The enemy never attacked though we expected them

to at any moment. " Before we put'.an end to the [war there will have to be numerous phangea in our present military lyatem and raotios. Corps of mounted infantry must be raised, gay 200 or 300 slroiy, and eaoh oorpi given a district, and told to lire as much as possible on the country; two or more, guns to be given to eaoh corps; all the infantry to garrison the towns and plaoes of importano 8 Then, and not till then, will this brigandage oease, and paaoe be established, We ban go on till doomsday hunting these Boera with iefintry-tbey [only laugh at us, "These generals will, if given a free (Continued on page 1.)