NOTES ON THE WAR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11808, 10 August 1900, Page 5

NOTES ON THE WAR.

Br Ma.tob Kennedy.

Elands River, where General Carrington's Bushmen are operating, rises near Doornanoort, 60 miles due east of Mafeking, and runs north until it crosses the road leading west from Rustenburg to Palla, 55. miles from the former town. At Palla the road .turns to the south-west, and' runs to Zeerust, and thence south to Jacobsdul and Ottoshoop, where it. connects- with the road leading west to Mafekiiig. After crossing the Rustenburg-Palla road, some 15 miles east of Palla, the river flows to the east, and, passing about 20 miles north of Rustenburg, continues the same course until it is augumented by the waters of the Hex River, directly north of Bethany, a small dorp (i.e., village) on the north of the Magaliesberg Mountains, two miles east of the junction of the Elands and Hex Rivers. The waters of these streams join .the waters of the mighty Crocodile River. The information contained in the cables does not give any idea as to the position occupied by the garrison on the bank of the river, or as to its strength, and it is almost as indefinite regarding the actual result of General Carrington's operations. The news that General Kitchener has been reinforced, and is gradually forcing General De Wet into a corner is encouraging. De Wet's chance of escape is much les'« than it would be if he were east of the railway; in fact, there seems to be less .chance for him to escape than'at any time during the last three months. The country between Vredefort and Parry's offers considerable cover for the enemy, but the surroundings are too, open to give General De Wet much advantage over his pursuers in an endeavour to get clear by a night's march through the British lines.

The Boers are said to be offering verylittle resistance east of Middelburg, and .another British column is reported to be advancing from the south in the direction of Machadodorp, 50 miles east of Middelburg. This column must be a portion of General Buller's army corps, which is matching from Volksrust in an endeavour to gain possession of the Delagoa Ba.y railway east of the waggon road which leads from Machadodorp to Lydenburg, so as to to cut off supplies reaching the enemy over that line. It will be necessary to occupy Komatipoort before supplies can be altogether stopped entering the Transvaal through Portuguese territory, as a good road leads from Korhsprong, 18 miles west of Komatipoort, to Lydenburg, and until British troops control'the railway east of Kornsprong supplies are bound to reach the enemy from beyond the frontier. The change of customs officers, and the appointment of Portuguese army officers in their place, will not stop the smuggling from Delagoa Bay, as Portuguese army officers are too poorly paid, and are too low in morals to refuse a bribe of Kruger's gold whenever offered. Given enough gold coin to bribe with, and Portuguese army officers will become blind to the doings of Kruger's agents as .the most willing tools that were to be found in the Portuguese custom house.

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