THE TRANSVAAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 7694, 11 December 1899, Page 3

THE TRANSVAAL.

By lilijECTKio Telegraph Copyright.

I'Kll UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. Rocolvod Docembor 11, at 8.43 a.m. Duriian, Dooombor 10. General Hunter, with 500 Natal voluntoora and 100 Imporial Lighb Horse, on [Thursday Burprisod Lotnbardskop, doa'.royIng a 6-inoh gun and howitzor and capturing a Maxim. Ho lost ono killed and had ono woundod. ... Tho 19th Hussars tho same night raided Popworth Hall, near Hesters, burning the Boprs* laagora, and outbiug tho barbod wire proboebing thom. London, December 10. Moro pro-Boor Magistrates in Ireland havo boon romoved from tho roll. Reoolved Dooombor 11, at 8.58 a.m. Capetown, Dccomber 10. Captain G. L. Holdsworth, of the 7th HusHara, with 85 mountod polico, brilliantly surprised a laagor at Sekwain, in tho '£ransvaal, a township on tho Marioo Rivor, woundiug 28. Tho attacking foreo roturnod Bafoly to Moohudi. Bechuanaland, having riddon 100 miles in 23 hours. Duiujan, December 11. Train loads of gaily dressed Pretoria ladies weokly viaib tlio hills round Laclysmith to watch tho bombard mont. SOME INCIDENTS OF THE B'JER WAR OF ISBI.

Tn view of tho prosonb crisis it may nob be unintoroating (says tho London Globe military correspondent) to recall somo experiences of tho Boor war of ISSI. Ab Laing's Nok tho Boors wero without artillory, but all mountod and well aimed, and amply suppliod with ammunition. They numbered about 2000, fought under excollenb cover, and thoir firo was most effective. Sir Georgo C'olloy'a foreo numborod 1200 of till ranks, with nino gunß ; our main attaok was uphill, wub fully oxposod, and uignally failed with hoavy loas. Ab tho action of tho Ingogo wo occupied a small plateau, roughly triangular In ehapo, forming part of the main ridge with which it was connected by necks slightly lower than the plateau wo hold. Tho Boors attack on our position commenced about 12 o'olook, and was carried on pluckily. Towards 3 it began to slacken, and thoy app:\rontly abandoned tho idea of trying to win tho position; at sundown their fire slackonod, and thoy withdrew and concentrated thoir forcoa in the valloys on our right. Wo withdrew from our position during tho night, uiul gained nothing. Tho Boors advuncod in a skirmishing lino, with four supports of from 50 to GO men each. They took every advantage of cover, and directed a hoavy and very accurate firo on our guns and skirmishers. Our horsos and artillery wero oxcoaed on tho level top of the plateau, and sufforod very heavily. Tho Boors numborod about 1000, and thoir loss was slight. Oura amounted to 1-1G killed and wounded. Our crowning disaster was ab Majuba Hoighb, which wo occupied after a badly conducted night march. Tho position could easily havo boon rendered an impregnable ono ; bub no attempt w.vs niado to entrench or construct rodoubta, and our man wero oxtondod all along tho brow showing on tho aky-lino. Tho Boers attacked with great gallantry, and workod up skilfully under covor within GOO yards from the brow, and then kopt up u rapid lire on us. Up tho steeper slopes they advanced rapidly and Bplondidly, firing quickly and accurately, and driving our inon like sheep oil tho top, though wo doubled them in point of numbers. It is impossible to withhold admiration For the pluck and skill displayed by tho Boora in tho war of 18S1, but there were unfortunato incidents in their conduct of tho lighting which reflected very unfavorably on their oharaotor, and should sorvo as warnings in tho presont day. Prior to tho attack on tho 04th ab Bronkhursb Spruit, mounted unarmed KoerfJ rode alongside our men, uhatting friendlly with them, all the time gaining information as to thoir routo. These very Boora woro tho first to fire on our msa whon tho attack commenced two days lator. Though the Boer 'ire did nob actually commono whilo tho white thv4 was up, their mon woro lying down in position with rides Bighted and pointed at our olli -ers and men, and directly tho boaror of the flag commoncod to withdraw thoir firo opened. It may bo repliod that all is fair in lovo and war; but Ido not think British soldiers would havo acted similarly. Ab tho Ingogo action tho Boors fired on our ambulanccß, which bore the Geneva Gross, and which were sonL to remove tho woundod from tho tulvaneod positions. One waggon had alt the mules killed, aud it was ridtllod with bullota. At Majuba thoy actually fired on our wounded; and this rooallß a splendid act of bravory performed in connection therowith by a man who, I boliove (says the writer), is still living. Corporal Fanner, of the Army Hospital Corps, hold a whito flag over the wouuded, and whon tho arm holding tho Hag was shot through, ho callod that he had 14 anothor." then raised tho fl ig with lho other arm, and continued to hold it until that also was piorcod with a bullet. On another occasion, near Weasolstroom, I think, one of our men waß badly wounded, and in trying to rise and crawl undor covor was again fired at by the Boora and hib. PRESS regulations. Ab soon as Sir Rcdvors liullor's headquarters are established on tho frontier (writos the London correspondent of tho Manchester Guardian), a very stringent code of regulations will be put in force as regards tho correspondents of newspapers and news agoncioß at tho front. The number of these iH, I hoar, unprecedented—except perhaps in tho rocont campaign in Cuba. Already notice haa boon given to tho Gonoral Post Office by ovor 200 correspondents of their intention to hand in telegraphic messages describing the operations. Tho ollicinln of the Post Office had, I hoar, a conference with representatives of tho Capo Government and tho Eastorn holograph Company, and it has been decided that tho number of words to bo gent in any ono message by a correspondent shall bo strictly limltod, and that every correspondent shall bo pub on equal terms in this respect, , . This restriction will materially limit the .opportunities of tho correspondents at the fri.mt, but with only two cablos available Bomo Bueh regulation is said to be unavoidable. .Lator, tho numbor of correspondents ullowed at each coutro of operations will bo rigorously out down by Sir Redvers Buller, und nono will bo recognised who has not tho lioenao of tho War Office. Over and above thoso regulations there will bo a strict conHorahip. The correspondent who succeeds in gotting a fairly dotailod description of any ovont through this maas of rod tape will be moro than ordinarily clover.