LATE WAR NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 32

LATE WAR NEWS

LONDON, February 4. Seven British columns have begun an advance from stations on the Pretoria-Johanties-burg-De 1 agon Bay railway with a view of covering and clearing the Eastern Transvaal. Commandant Hertzog stole two thousand horses and mules, and terrorised tho inhabitants of the Sutherland district, 160 miles north-east of Capetown, threatening even women and children with death.

A patrol of the Diamond Fields Horse, racing the Boers, seized the *Langkloof Pass, thus preventing Hertzog’s advance over the Nieuwveld Mountains. The cruiser Doris and two gunboats are watching Mossel Bay, in the south of Cape Colony, and within forty miles of Oudtshoorn, where raiders belonging to. the Boers’ eastern commando were twice repulsed a week ago. The Portuguese authorities at Delagoa Bay have decided to send to Madeira any Boers in Portuguese territory who do not surrender to the British.

Thirty Boers have’ consequently surrendered at Koomatipoort, on the Transvaal frontier. Colonel Blake, commander of the Irish Brigade in the Boer service in the early stages of the war, is invading the Delagoa Bay territory with a force of 2000 in the hope of releasing the Boers who are threatened with transportation.

General Botha would not allow Mr Pretorius, an envoy from the Kroonstad Peace Committee, to come within his laager, informing him that the British must make any proposal for peace through the Boer head-quarters in writ-

ingGeneral Botha has ordered that hereafter peace emissaries shall be shot. A Queensland privatel named Clark was shot in the groin during a skirmish in. the Clanwilliam district. He rejoined Major General Delisle’s camp, but succumbed to his injury. The man’s death is attributed to the enemy cruelly taking his hcrse and compelling him to walk. The Boers attacked the scouts who were preceding a convoy journeying in a north-westerly direction from Koffeyfonteia to Modder river. Three Cape boys were wounded. Suddenly a body of Denniston’s Scouts and Yeomanry, charging the Boers, Jellied seventeen and wounded many. The charge was covered by a fifteen-pounder and two pom-poms. The enemy broke and filed.

A body of Australians, with two gmis, some irregular police and Welsh Militia dislodged 400 raiders in the vicinity of Vryburgv north of Kimberley, on Saturday, killing two and capturing two. Hie

British losses were one killed and three wounded.

It- is officially reported that the Boers captured the British garrison at Modderfontein, south-west of Krugersdorp. The garrison was released, and has arrived at Vereeniging. on the Vaal river, south of Johannesburg. Reuter’s correspondent reports that General De Wet has passed Thabanchu, and is proceeding in the direction of Cape Colony. A British force numbering 3000 has been despatched to intercept De Wet’s commando. LONDON, February i. Colonel Campbell’s column defeated 400 Boers south of Middleburg, on the Delagoa Bay railway east of Pretoria. The British casualties numbered nineteen. General French expelled the Boers from a position east of Bethel, fifty miles south of Middleburg. The Boers captured and detained four ambulance drivers who had teen released by General De Wet south of Dewet,sdorp, south-east of Bloemfoutein. LONDON, February 4. Thai raiders are encamped at Caivinia, north-north-east of Capetown, at Lady Grey, east of Aliwal North, and in the Knysna district, on the south coast, near Mossel Bay, where several warships are stationed. They refuse to fight, and scatter wncu attacked. Sir Alfred Milner, in a proclamation, anticipates a considei’able invasion of Cape Colony, and calls on everyone to assist the authorities, and not to comply with the raiders’ orders for commandeering. * SYDNEY, February 4. Sir William Lyne has received a cable message stating that transports for two thousand men and horses are leaving the C-Pm e. This is presumed to signify that the offer of the Premier to increase the strength of the South African contingent to 2000, to which no definite reply had previously been sent, has been accepted. About 800 more men are required to make tip the 2000. The steamer Argus, which takes the Victorian Contingent, has arrived at Sydney.

* ZEa-aND CONTINGENTS

TWO DEATHS REPORTED

The Acting-Premier (Hon J. G. Ward) has received a cablegram from the High Commissioner at the Cape informing him that Sergeant Henderson, of Picton, of the Second Contingent, died of wounds at Pretoria, on 27th January, that Private Parkinson, of Kaituna. Little River, and Private Gibson, of Ktunara, are dangerously ill at- Pretoria, and that Private C. W. Smith (Wellington section of Fifth Contingent) died at Mafeking of dysentery on 19th January.

The Acting-Premier has received a cable from the High Commissioner at Capetown, stating that- the Principal Medical Officer at Pretoria had telegraphed that- Private W T . Paul, Second Contingent, who is suffering from gunshot wounds in the abdomen, was progressing favourably on the 30 th January, and that Corporal Seavill, of the Second Contingent, suffering from gunshot wounds in the thigh, was doing well on the 31st. Paul hails from Palmerston South, and Seavill from Waingaro, Auckland.

An up-country editor who has been informing his readers each clay for the past six months that General De Wet is “ about to be captured ” has now arrived at the conclusion that the . redoubtable raider “is a bloodthirsty scoundrel, who ought to be banged 1”