THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4293, 28 February 1901, Page 7

THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

MISCELLANEOUS. . LONDON, February 20. On Sunday, Brigadier-General Sir Charles Parsons engaged a section of the Capo invaders under the command of Piet Schoepcrs, near Willovvmore, eighty miles south-east of Beaufort West. The Boors wore shelled out of a strongly entrenched position with heavy loss. Commandant Hortzog, with the western column of raiders and fifteen hundred remounts for Do Wot, is moving cast towards Xylkhult, in the Prieska district.

Major-General. Do Lisle reached Vosbur", forty-four miles west of Aar, on. the 22nd. Since leaving the railway a' Piquet herg road, within fifty miles of Capetown, his force has travelled five hundred miles through country despoiled ef provisions and forage animals by the invading Boors, and the column has patrolled a front of sixty miles. During Major-General Do Lisle’s march the P'Hi February, the anniversary of the landing of the New South Wales Second Contingent in South. Africa, was cedehra.ted by a. concert in camp._ Addressing the men, General Do Lisle declared that ho was proud of the Australians, whom ho regarded as his personal friends. New .South Wales had every reason to he proud of her gallant troops, who had done more hard work, and done it hotter, than any other body of- men engaged in the campaign.

Tho following casualties are reported; -■-Lieutenants .Mahon, and Code, Corporal Irvine, mid Private Young, Victorian Bushmen, wounded at Philipstown.

A nine 'Honk which has boon publish, oil, In. answer to pro-Boer critics, show* I hat General Botha in .Turn- asked for an armistice'to consider Lord,Roberts’s terms of surrender. Lord Heberts promised not to move eu.'.t .or north if General Botha, did not move south or west, but the Boer General refused to give the promise. English visitors to Alcntono, the French health resort on the Mediterranean coast, are sending -10,000 lemons to the British troops in South Africa. ABBIVAi. OF THE MAPLE-MORE. (Received February 2S, 0.41 a.m.) SYDNEY, February 27. The I mopship Maplemoro has arrived from, the Cape, amt will leave with the lirst hatch ni r the contingent on Wednesday. PROMOTION FOR A WELLINGTON! AN. News has been received in Wellington that Ml- Frank Hume (late of the I) Battery, Wellington), who went to South Africa as a senior lieutenant of the West Australian Bushmen's Contingent, has been promoted to be adjutant of that corps. SEVENTH CONTINGENT. DUNEDIN, February 27. The Otago and Southland section of the Seventh Contingent left by the Northern express this morning to catch the Zealandia at Lyttelton to-night. Captain Hislop is in charge as far as Wellington. Two of the selected men did not turn up. and their places were filled by William Lockheud. of Mornington, and James Stewart, formerly of Melbourne, but now of Dunedin. Sergeant Dobson, of the Waikari Rifles has been appointed noncommissioned officer in charge of the Otago section, and Sergeant Mtinro is in charge of the Southland section. CHRISTCHURCH, February 27. Seventy men for the Seventh Contingent left by the at earner Zealhndia for Wellington.

The Auckland division of 63 non-com-missioned officers and men arrived by the steamer Rotoiti yesterday morning and at once proceeded to camp at Newtown Park. Lieutenant Atkin-Connell accompanied the men. The men now under canvas are drawn from tho Wellington, Taranaki and Auckland districts. The Otago and Southland divisions are expected to arrive to-night or early to-morrow morning. Tho men in camp were yesterday exercised in squad-drill, manual exercise, aud extending movements on foot, under R.S.M. Macdonald. There is a large sprinkling of uniforms among tho men now in camp, betokening previous volunteer training on the part dl tho wearers. Tho men as a whole are sturdy-lnoking and well set-up and compare well with members of previous contingents. Last night's parado-stato of the camp showed tho Wellington district (inclusive of Tarauaka) to muster 76 men and tho Auckland district 63. It is a. generally-honoured custom in the Imperial Army for each regiment to have a pot animal, aud it is a further fact that one Welsh regiment has a pet goat which draws pay under a characteristic Welsh name as a foll-bl Own private. In recognition of this custom, tho Aucklanders in camp have adopted a small dog as Iho company’s pot, and have bestowed upon it Hie name of Ladysmith. Captain Smith, of tho Permanent staff, yesterday afternoon took over tho command of the camp from Lieutenant-Colo-uol Messenger, who returns to his duties a in barracks. Lieutenant Atkin-Connell who is likely to be appointed to be a. subaltern of the contingent, will be the third member of his family to volunteer for active service. One of his brothers was killed in action during tho war. and yet another is still doing service for tho flag on the veldt.