THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4467, 21 September 1901, Page 5

THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

FIGHTING WITH LOUIS BOTHA. REVERSE TO A BRITISH FORCE. THREE GUNS LOST. LONDON, September 19. Serious British reverses have been sustained at Utrecht, in the south-east of the Transvaal,. and at Elands River Poorfc. (Received September 20, 9.43 p.m.) LONDON, September 20. Lord Kitchener reports that on Tuesday evening three companies of mounted infantry, with three guns, under Major Gough, were reconnoitring soutn of Utrecht, near the Natal border, in the south-eastern Transvaal, in conjunction with the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles, under Colonel Stewart.

They sighted 300 Boers retiring from Scheepers Nek towards Blood River Poort, and Major Gough started tor a ridge overlooking the Poort, asking Stewart, who was marching an hour behind him, to co-operate. ■Hie Boer movement was evidently a trap. When Major Gough was within reach of his objective, the Boers suddenly appeared in considerable strength under cover of the Poort, and attacked hig front and right flank. After severe'fighting, the British were overpowered, losing the guns, although the sights and breechblocks, were first destroyed. Two officers and fourteen men were killed, and four officers and twenty men wounded.

Major Gough and another officer es. caped during the night to De Jagers Drift, on the Buffalo river. They report that the Boerg, who number 1000 men, are under General Louig Botha, the Boer Commandant. Ooloael Stewart wag unable to cooperate with Gough,, .and fell hack on De Jagers Drift. His patrolg are not in touch with the enemy. . »■ General Lyttelton, commanding m Natal, has sent reinforcements. . NATAL THREATENED. LONDON, September 20. A raid by the enemy into Natal is feared. The Natal Mounted Rifles and Field Artillery are bHing called out. ENGAGEMENT IN THE WEST. LONDON, September 19. Forty Hussars and Imperial Bugßinen while pursuing twenty Boers, were suddenly surrounded by' three hundred of' the enemy outride Klerksdorp, in the south-western Transvaal. A sharp fight at close quarters ensued, in which two of the British were wounded. Si* Boers were killed and a dozen wounded, MISCELLANEOUS. LONDON, September 19. There are about two thousand Boer prisoners at Durban, Natal, about to- be shipped. Some of them are to be shipped to India. Heavy rains have suspended operations in Southern Cape Colony, flooding the river beds, which often, constitute the only passes through the mountains. Despite the hardships entailed by the weather, the British columns keep in touch with the Boers.

Schoepers’s commando has., entered Barrydale, about a hundred and' fortymiles oast of Capetown. (Received September 21, 1.2 a.m.) MELBOURNE. September 20. It is understood that a parcel of oats has been contracted for by the War Office with a Melbourne firm, covering 5000 tons.

NEGLECT AND INCOMPETENCE.

A NEW ZEALANDER’S EXPERT. ENOES AND OPINIONS.

*A gentleman, writing from Norsewood, sends us extracts from a letter received from a recent- recruit from this country, wh o is how serving at the front. The writer, who, we are assured, is not .11 man who would complain without serious provocation, says:The hardships even to me have been terrible, and/ 5 what is worse, quite: needless.. The whole menage seems to he in the hands of young officers, mostly colonial, and quite innocent of even the rudiments of drill* To have succeeded ’"n recruiting twenty or thirty men gives you a star. When _ the requisite number of men is procured the officer’s interest in them is ended. Our fellows have had (myself included) to sleep night after nignt in up to' 10 degrees of frost, in open trucks or station platforms, and the open veldt, without blankets-—with only our great-coats, and perhaps a stolen sack or newspapers—often without even'that. Nothing I have ever seen requires inquiry into so much as this 'carelessness and sacrifice of men’s lives. Given blankets, with a proper 'daily ration (as the Imperial •troops are here), nothing else would be expected; but we are all dying on like flies—seven out of my twenty odd are in hospital; cause, exposure and starvation. I have seen muddle and privation, but nothing approaching that to which the young recruits from New etc., are needlessly exposed here . . ' . England will never conquer these colonies, and the war hero will be like the Acheen to the Dutch—a useless drain of : young blood. There are ‘ years of fighting ahead yet; but that is another matter. It is of the untrained aha use. less officers who hold the commands of such celonially-raised corps, as this one that we all complain.' > The Government of New Zealand should take steps to inquire into the disgraceful'waste of young lives and health—simply* the out* come of promotion according to recruiting success.