THE WAR.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4103, 16 July 1900, Page 7

THE WAR.

I-: RECENT FIGHTING.

ANOTHER DISASTER. UNPLEA SA NT OGLU H RENCE NEAR i'll El OKI A. LONDON, July 13. A (hive or Brit isir troops lifts fallen into the hands of the cm orny atNitral’s Nek, within eighteen miles of Pretoria. At. dawn on Wednesday last five com. ■panics of tho Lincolnshire Regiment, ■with two guns, ami a sf)iiadron of the Scots Greys, with two guns, were sent to form Iho garrison of tho position at the nek. It wfis soon found that tho enemy, in ■nr.in hors superior to the garrison, field Iho hills commanding tho nek. From these positions they directed a ■converging lire upon tho British troops and tho engagement that ensued lasted throughout the day. Early in the course of tho morning Lord Roberts sent from Pretoria a. force of (lie Scottish Border Regiment to the relief of i heir comrades,. hut before they sirrived the garrison had been overpowered. 'Che greater part of the squadron of Scots Greys and ninety men of tho Lincolnshire .Regiment were captured, and most of the horses attached to tho force were .shot.

Lord Roberts states, in his report to tho *»ar Office, that he hears the casual., ties’ wore heavy.

. FURTHER PARTICULARS. THIRTY MKN RETURN. (Received Julv 15, 0.35 p.m.) Loina:-:, July u. L’-iter purl iruliirs that have cbmo to ba.'.ul slimy (lint three- companies of tho JLTit<■(>lti.-i oeeupit-H Kitral Pass. Two of tho companies encamped on Hie plain, (he guns, with an escort of Scots Greys, forming the advance and main body. in the fighting which ensued nearly every gunner ami trooper was killed or wounded. .Seven volunteers gallantly saved the Maxims. Tho Lincolns, though surrounded, did not waver, but lircd steadily/ and economically. ■Quo body of fifteen men and one officer charged tho enemy, but fourteen of tho number wore killed or wounded. _ By nightfall the supply of ammunition was exhausted, and the men fixed bayonets, awaiting an attack. Thirty eventually struggled back to camp. “ Armed natives assisted tho Boers. 'VARIOUS LOSS OF OFFICERS.

DE LA REY AG ALT IN ACTION. STRAGGLERS aiTLL COMING IN. (Received July 10, 0.50 a.m.) LONDON, July 15. General Botha’s attack was a desperate effort to relievo General Do Wet, the commandant in Orange River Colony, who was wedged in a small area which adjoins the Drakensbergs, near Basutoland. i* It ivas a commando of 2000 Boers, with four guns, under General Do la Rey, which surprised Nitral’s Nek. The Scots cirevs and gunners lost forty men in trying to- hold the hill. The Lincolns' lost five officers out of ten, including Colonel Roberts, who was wounded and captured. Tho total number captured is still unknown, as stragglers are still returning. SURPRISE OF A BATTERY. GALLANT AUSTRALIAN BUSHMEN. (Received 'Juiv 10, 0.30 a.m.) LONDON, - July 15. Nows comes to hand from Orange River Colony that a force of . Boors, creeping through a. menlie field, surpris- . eel the 38th Battery of Artillery, which was marching to Bathlehom, to the west of Kroonstad. :

Two officers of the battery were killed mW eighteen men were wounded-/ .T'ho.enemy captured one of tiro guns, but a party of Australian Bushmen, by a superb charge, recaptured the gun and drove off the Boers with severe loss. REPULSE OF A BOER ATTACK. A LAMENTABLE MISTAKE. LONDON, July 13. Simultaneously with, the, engagement at Nitral’s Nek an attack was made by the Boers upon tho outposts of the British camp at Derdepoort. It was, however, checked by the Seventh Dragoon Guards. One troop of tho Guards suffered loss through mistaking a. number of Boers, who were seen in hiding in tho bush, for British soldiers. ENGAGEMENT TO THE SOUTH. THE ENEMY DEFEATED. LONDON, July 13. An engagement took place on Wednesday at Krugersdorp, twenty miles west of Johannesburg, and famous as tho .scene of the fight between tho Boers and the Jameson raiders. Tho British troops comprised tho Nineteenth Brigade, under Major-General Smith-Dorrien, anti they defeated the cnomy with heavy loss. CLEARING THE RAILWAY LINE. LONDON, July 13. Boor positions at Reitfonteiu—between Johannesburg and Pretoria—have been captured by clashing action on the part of tho brigades under Lient.-Gene-ral French, tho famous cavalry commander. and Major-General Mason. Tho enemy fled before the British a’dvance, and contrary to thoir .usual custom, had to leave their dead behind them. BOER AND NATIVE. (Received July 1 15. 7.28 p.m.) LONDODN, July 14. The native chief Sccconeoni severely defeated a force of marauding Boers on his territory.

MESSAGE FROM THE AGE-KT-GBNEEAL. Til© Premier has received the following cablegram from the Agent-Genera!, dated London, July 13th. 7 p.ra.:—For relief of pressure on Do Wet the Boers attacked Roberts’s detachments at fonr points, to the south-west of, to tho west of, to the north of and to tho south-east, of Pretoria. South-west and south-east attacks repulsed. To tho west successful attacks, with rather serious disaster. Deaths from sickness for fivo weeks in South Africa about the average of 73 per week.