THE BOER WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11581, 20 February 1901, Page 5

THE BOER WAR.

DE WET'S RAID.

HIS MOBILITY INFERIOR TO

THE BRITISH.

HIS COMMANDO MUTINOUS,

PROTEST AGAINST FLOGGING,,

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright!*

London, February 19. Zand Drift was the only drift across;' the Orange River where mines were not laid.

De Wet was purposely drawri thither, the country having been de« nuded of horses. The mobility ol the British now exceeds that of the enemy.

The Daily Mail states that De Wet headed off between Strydenburg, 40 1 miles north-west of Houtkrall, and' Hopetown.

Half the force at De Wet's cams met, and protested against india* criminate flogging, chiefly of lag* gards. They resolved to fight independently.

THE BOERS AND PEACE.

MUST HAVE INDEPENDENCE. London, February 18.

Mr. A. D. Wolmarans, the Boer), peace envoy who is visiting Holland,, says the Boers will accept nothing) short of independence. The pro-* posals put forward by Sir Edward! Clarke, one of the British pro-Boeii leaders, would not r he said, be ae-« ceptable if they contained a vestige*; of British control over the Boers.. i

Mr. Andreas Daniel W. Wolmarans wad * a, member of tho First Volksraad in the Transvaal, and has Keen described as being more rabid even than -President Kruger, Ho is unreliable and tricky, and an ardent follower of Ooia Paid. He is 43 years ol age.

INVASION OF CAPE COLONY,

OCCUPATION OF CARNARVON* * London, February 18. Colonel De Lisle has occupiedl Carnarvon.

THE INVADERS AND THE LATE} QUEEN. London, February 18.. ; Reuter's correspondent states th&M, when Hertzog's commando at Caki •vinia heard of the death of thai Queen they trampled upon, her pox-* traits, which they had covered with? ribald and filthy remarks.

MR. WINSTON CHURCHILL 02$ THE WAR.

London, February 19. In the House of Commons, in the,, debate on the Adress-in-Reply, Mr.' Winston Churchill made his maiden speech. He justified the South African war, and said it was conducted with unusual humanity* Whatever Britain had lost in doubtful friends at the Cape we gained ten, and twentyfold in Canada and Aus-. tralasia.

DR. LEYDS' MISSING HANDBAG.

London, February 18. Dr. Leyds complains of the theft of his handbag at Brussels, containing diplomatic documents. COLONIAL CASUALTIES. V--'. London, February 19. , Several Australian Bushmen were', wounded in the fighting at Grasfon-j tein, including the following Queens-, landers:— Sergeant Strong, fatally;!) Lieutenant Killaway, severely. Atf' Bichwartzkopje, Corporal Buchanan was severely wounded, and Privates' Rawson, Wilson and Holmes were captured. All are Queensland Bushmen.

THE SEVENTH CONTINGENT,.

MEN TO BE SELECTED AT ONCE. The officer commanding the Auckland Volunteer District (Lieutenant-Colonel White) has received instructions to at onca select 65 men as Auckland's section of iha Seventh Contingent. The men will b&. put through the necessary tests as early as possible, as they may have to leave in about a month.

A distinct ordered has been issue! notifying that volunteers ot Aucklanddistrict, who have given in their names at the Brigade Office, offering themselves for service in the Seventh Contingent will assemble at the Drill Hall to-morrow even-. . ing, at seven, when selection will be' made. Volunteers in this district will be given preference, but we understand selection will be made from other men after volunteers have been first considered. Oi' TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Tuesday. Numerous applications are coming in for enrolment io. the Seventh Contingent for South Africa, and the military authorities feel confident of their ability 'to"despatch the. first 300 before the middle of March

Lateb. Iho Defence Department has been instructed to prepare for the despatch of 300 men to South Africa. The men are to be taken proportionately from each district* The date of the departure of the draft has not yet been fixed.

BACK FROM THE WAR. [Bt telegraph.— association.] Wellington, Tuesday. Veterinary-Lieutenant Young, of the Fourth Contingent, arrived from the Cape by tho Rimutaka, to-night. Gunner R. Searle, of Oamaru, of the Fifth Contingent, who was landed from the Karamea at Hobart, and left in the hospital there, also arrived by tho Rimutaka. He has not quite recovered from the effects of enteric fever. He reports that when ha left Hobart Sergeant Challice, of Invercargill (Fourth Contingent), was in the hospital there in a very critical condition, suffering from typhoid fever, and a complication of other complaints. The following New Zealanders also re* turned by the Rimutaka: —-Corporal W„ Allen, of Dunedin (Fourth Contingent), on leave on account of death in his family; Corporal Fulton, of Auckland (Third Contingent), invalided Trooper Saxby, ol Hawke's Bay (Third Contingent), invalided Trooper C. C. Roberts, of Ashburton (Third Contingent), invalided; Trooper Wilson, of Wanganui (Third Contingent), invalided; Bugler Orr, of Wellington (Fifth Contingent), invalided; Trooper Jamieson, of, Thomeycroft's Mounted Infantry, time, expired. ■■■;:■.'■■ ■!.::■'■■:■■