THE TRANSVAAL WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4311, 21 March 1901, Page 7

THE TRANSVAAL WAR

CABLE NEWS.

BNJTISD P2ES3 ASSOCIATION• —BY ELECTBIO TBLEOBAPH.—OOFYBIOHT.

NEC!OTIATIONS FOE PEACE. BOTHA BBFUSeFtO SURRENDER. . LONDON, March 10. Tlio negotiations for peace which had been in progress for some clays past between Lord Kitchdnor and General Louis Botha, tho Boor comma rider-in-chief, have ended fruitlessly. It is officially announced that General Botha inis refused to agree to tho terms of peace that the British representatives were ready to accept. DE WET AND HIS PURSUERS. FOURIB’S COMMANDO BROKEN. LONDON, March 19. Half of Commandant Fourio’s section, of General Do Wet's force has escaped from tho cordon with which tho British troops were endeavouring to hem them in in the Dowetsdcrp district, south-east of Bloemfontein. So far, however, tho fleeing Boers have been prevented from crossing the) Capo Colony-to-Pretoria railway line. . 'Commandant Fonrie himself, .who was reported yesterday to have quarrelled with General Do Wet, and) to bei willing to surrender, is still within the cordon, and has made inquiries as to the terms on which his capitulation would be accepted. The British forces in pursuit of Do Wot have captured 100,000 cattle, horses and sheep from his column in theKroonstad and Winburg districts. Major-General Do Lisle’s column is returning to Kroonstad. EXTENT OF TRAIN-WRECKING. LONDON, March 19. Twenty-one trains on the PretoriaDelagoa Bay railway have been wrecked by the Boers since the British took pcs--1 session of Komati Poort, tho station on tho boundary of tho Portuguese territory. DESTRUCTION OF GRAIN. (Received March 21, 1.11 a.m.) LONDON, March 20. Major-General Bruce Hamilton has cleared tho RouxvillesWepener district, in tho east of tha Orange River Colony, destroying thirty thousand bags of grain. SEVENTH CONTINGENT. CAMP NOTES. The total number of men under canvas at tha camp last night was 548, consisting of 513 privates, 23 lieutenants and o captains. Forty-live men from Canterbury arrived in camp yesterday. There wore forty names on the sick list yesterday. The general hetalth of the camp is, however, recorded as good. Tho men are now enjoying the privilege of having their letters franked. Tho concession is greatly appreciated, and there was an alarming run on Mr Faulkner’s stationery yesterday. On account of tho wretched weather, ‘the camp being literally a sea of mud, there was no. mounted drill yesterday. AH the men are now in uniform, with the exception of the latent batch of arrivals. Tho Canterbury and Nelson companies will probably go through mounted drill this morning. Tho pay sheets, tho drafting of which involved a considerable amount cf preparatory work, are well under way, and Impels mro entertained that the men will receive some money to-day or to-morrow;. "When Mr Seddon sang “Hard Times Come Again No Mere,” at the concert the other night, the appreciative silence which followed was broketn by a distant hut very distinct howl, the burthen of which ran—“Wo want our (pay.” The autoritios evidently authorities have evidently taken the hint. Tho Government has had under consideration tho question of allowing officers and men of tho First, Second, Third, fourth and Fifth Contingents to continue in active service in South Africa, and in accordance with tho decision of the Cabinet, the Premier has cablcu to Lord Kitchener that any member of these contingents will be permitted to servo for six months more if he is so diswosed.