THE BOER WAR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11937, 10 January 1901, Page 5

THE BOER WAR.

DEFEAT OF DE LA REY. >■■'-.■ ' '

J3OKRS LOSE HEAVILY. APPEAL BY A BOER PEACE COMMITTEE. IHE INVADERS OF THE CAPE. LOYAL DUTCH JOIN IN THE DEMNUE. THE HELVETIA DISASTER, fiess Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. f DE LA REY'S DEFEAT. . THE BOERS LOSE HEAVILY. LONDON, January 8. ■ (Received January 9, at 10.30 a.m.) De la Rey's and Steenkamp's commando?, numbering 500 Omen, arrived at Boshof after a successful cattle-raiding in the' Klip, Eiverberg, and Reifcfontein districts. They evaded Generals Clements and Paget's pu , -- .suit.by retiring to the Magaliesberg Range. Major-general Gordon, with a force of 1500 men, on the 6th inst., attacked De la Rey, who had 800 men with him, in an al-. most impregnable position at Naauwpoort, between Reitfontein and Krugersdorp. The British expelled him, our mounted troons acting with the greatest gallantry, and pursuing the 'enemy for fifteen miles. The Bders lost .heavily.. Colonel Barrington has expelled the Boers front the' Watersrand.

THE .HELVETIA DISASTER.

FORTY-FOUR MEN STILL MISS- • ING. ■ '.', ■''.'. LONDON, January 9. (Received January 10, at 0.33 a.m.) Twenty-three'' of the garrison artillery and twen'tyone Hussars, reported as missing when the Boers surprised Helvetia, are still missing. ■ The Liverpool Regiment had eleven killed fa the Helvetia fight.

THE HEIGHT OF EFFONTERY.

LONDON, January 8. (Received January 9, at 8.30 a.in.) The Afrikander members of the Cape Parliament are sending Mr J. X. Merrimar.. Mr J. W. Sauer (members of Mr Schreiner's late Cabinet), and Mr Jan Hofmeyer, to England to represent the situation of affairs to the House of Commons. ■ A BOER PEACE COMMITTEE. The burghers are forming an influential Boer, Peace Commission at Bloemfontein. Then: object is to explain to De Wet omd Steyn tie leniency of Lord Kitchener's terms of surrender.

. •) ._ THE PEACE COMMITTEE'S ADDRESS.

APPEAL TO CAPE DUTCH. LONDON, January 9.. (Received Jan. 10, at 0.11 a.m.) A Central Peace Committee has, been formed at Kroonstad, including W. D. De Wet, late assistant to the chief commandant, three members of the Orange Free State Volksraad, and two justices of the peace. They have addressed 4 an open letter to the Cape Dutch, which states:—"The moment las arrived when the inhabitants of the Orange River Co'.ony should strive to avert further desolation. The country is a wilderness, farmers and their families have had to take refuge in towns. The ruin is due to a small, obstinate minority. We have done our 'best. We fought to get tie Afrikanders one flag, hut werp beaten. Our duty is to accept England's irrevocable terms. Meetings such as me recent Afrikander Bond .Congress at Worcester do much harm in- encouraging invasion. It is nnbrotherly of you to raise false hopes. We appeal to you to deputationise Steyn, and De Wet, they being the only obstacles to peace. Mr Kruger and the late Transvaal Government are twice willing to accept. British terms. Mr Steyn's refusing to accept has encouraged the burghers to lope for intervention. It is your duty to assist in showing the hopelessness of this."

THE CALVINIA INVADERS.

THE CAPE DUTCH MAY JOIN. • ■•' LONDON, January 9. (Received Jan. 10, at 0.25 a.m.) "• Reuter's correspondent states, that the invaders in the Calvinia district are freely receiving horses, food, and good wishes.' They* profess themselves a big patrol preparatory to De Wet's appearance. If he comes into the district there is every likelihood of the Dutch joining him, provided he can supply <i sufficiency of arms arid ammunition. Only _ the more educated realise the hopelessness of the struggle. ' Other advices state that the British preparedness and the significant arming of the loyalists has genuinely impressed the Dutcb;

LORD KITCHENER'S PRECAUTIONS.

THE LOYAL DUTCH ENROLLING. < /."■:■ LONDON, January 9. (Received January 10. at 0.25 a.ni.) ■ The newspaper (the Advertiser) published at Worcester, , in Cape Colony, has been suppressed. !' .; Every preparation has been made for Piquetberg and Prieska to resist the invaders. ' ■ There are fifteen hundred Boers near Sutherland,.and others near Jamestown. .(Received January 10, at 0.33 a.m.) The .Times .Capetown correspondent , states 'that many Afrikanders are joining the forces , enrolling for the defence of Cape Colonv. They declare that it is their plain duty! to repel the invaders. The Dutch settlers much resent the pillaging of the invaders.

.NATIVES OFFER ASSISTANCE.

' LONDON, January 8. .(Received January 9, at 8.50 a.m.) J... deputation, representing 100,000 Natives in the western provinces of Cape Colony, Lave assured Sir A. Hiker that they are anxious to assist in repelling the Cape' raiders. > Sip A. Milner replied'sympathetically, and "promising protection.- He indicated that there were ways of assisting the British without recourse to arms, especially by affording information to the military. ' HONOURS FOR HEROES. (Received January 9, at 8.46 a.m.) • The freedom of the town of Dumbarton, has been conferred upon Lieutenant-com-mander Colquhoun (Victorian), who won the Distinguished Service Order in South Africa,; and upon Surgeon-major Babtie, winner of the Victoria Cross at the battle of Colen'sb; THE'AUSTRALIAN CONTINGENT. BRISBANE, January ST. (Received January 9, at 11.6 p.m.) . Queensland's proportion of the new Noiith African contingent will be three hundred,