NEWS BY THE NINEVEH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2387, 30 November 1899, Page 68

NEWS BY THE NINEVEH.

MELBOURNE, November 24.

News by the Nineveh states that thousands of pounds' worth of British property at Johannesburg has been commandeered. Other nationalities had similar treatment, but nothing like to the extent of the British.

The Nineveh has** several refugees f on •board. One, who was formerly connected with the labour movement in Broken Hill, has decidedly pro-Boer sympathies. He says the Transvaal under Boer rale was essentially a poor man's land. It is doubtful if it will continue so when Great Britain gets hold of it. He asserts that the franchise is not regarded seriously" by the Uitlanders, though a good enough pretext for a quarrel. A majority of the Uitlanders did not want the vote. They regarded the Transvaal as merely a placs iin which to make

money, which they could spend in England or Australia. The Boers promise to make it warm for volunteer fighters. They express sorrow for Tommy Atkins, who fights because he is paid, but to volunteers, who preferred to battle against them, they would show no mercy.

The battle- of Ladysmith, where the Bi'ifr ish lost the lOtb. Mountain Battery and portions of the Gloucestershire Regiment and Royal Irish Fusiliers, was an exciting one. It is estimated 20,000 Boers took part. General Joubort having effected a junction with the Free State commando, some 10,000 men were thus at his disposal. This combined force was in a half-circle, embracing Ladysmith. They occupied a radius of at least 14 miles. The right flank was within two miles and a-half of Ladysmith, the left flank resting on, and being protected by, a very strong position, some seven miles from -the town. Ha<l it been possible far General White to, have disposed of his forces so that he could outflank the enemy and driven him -on to his centre, there would have been a different story to relate. Once driven in upon his position the enemy would have had to stand a bayonet charge, as at Elandslaagfce, with cavalry in readrness to cut off his retreat by Dundee way. The details of the Boer position were, however, too extended and ramified through physical advantage, and our forces were too few to bring about a decisive engagement. General White effected all that could possibly be done with the means at his disposal. The strength and accuracy of the enemy's shell fire and overwhelming numbers would possibly hayo meant tha decimation of our infantry if we" had charged tho main position. Thera was nothing left but to fall back on Lady-. «jftith A a movement which, waji carried qs£

■with perfect coolness, notwithstanding a galling fire from the enemy's guns. Had the quality of their shells been the same as ours, our loss would have been much greater than it was. 'As a matter of fact, however, few of their shells burst properly, and beyond a few casualties caused during the retreat a most trying march bacii to -camp was made wholly successfully.

The battle opened at daybreak and raged till 3in the afternoon. Three columns were engaged — one working in driving the enemy on the left, one operating on the right, while a third, under General White, engaged the Boer centre.

The Royal Irish, Gloucesters, and 10th Battery were detailed on Sunday evening to clear the left, so that the Boers should not slip past and get on to Ladysmith. Shortly before 3 in the morning stragglers from the Gloucesters and 10th Battery were coming in, while the mules with the re-

mains of the battery were moving past, some in charge of Cape boys, others leaderless. What had happened was something like this :

'_ Shortly after midnight the leading mules of the battery became suddenly frightened' by some shots, swerved round, and bolted, stampeding the entire battery. The mules broke through the Gloucesters and created confusion.

The two battalions, however, must have remained intact, and afterwards gave a good account of themselves, as from the central position incessant firing could be heard all the morning on the left showing that the Gloucesters and Fusiliers were heavily engaging the enemy there.

At this point the message breaks off. several hundred words descriptive of the reverse having apparently been cut out by the press censor, as it was possibly in conflict with the official statement afterwards made.

Until well on in the forenoon the Boers' main body was inactive, awaiting the result of the artillery duel. The guns kept up an incessant fire. Although our guns must have done considerable execution, the superior range of the "enemy's ordnance ana their accurate practice enabkri them to hold their own.

Meanwhile our force on the Boer , right; flank became hotly engaged. A Maxim fire was .continually heard. Some of the enemy's sharp-shooters also threatened us. The Devons were sent to protect the line there, and the Light Horse moved to protect the rear, directly over Ladysmith, on the right of our position.

By noon General White brought up the Gordons and Manchesters to support the Devons. The -infantry advanced, and it was hoped it would be possible to charge the Boors, but the latter, who had evidenly held some of their big guns in reserve, kept up a terrific fire, and, as our right was overwhelmingly opposed, it was determined to retire to Ladj'smith. With this object a strong body of Hussars and Lancers were directed to ride round the rear side of Lombard's Kop, advance up the valley on to the plain at the head of which a strong Boer stronghold was situated, and there protect the retreating infantry. The cavalry speedily acted, but so hot was the fire to which they were exposed that they had to change their position. Their retreat, however, was coolly carried out, the cavalry doing the work nimbly and taking the hottest part of a very hot afternoon's work.

The Boers followed up the retreat with a hail of shells, missiles bursting repeatedly amongst our men, but happily for the most part ineffectively. The accuracy of the fire may be gauged by the fact that tl»e Manchesters, when they had gained a plateau opposite the Ladysmith abattoir, had shells sent repeatedly into their midst, while nearer the road into the town the enemy's Long Tom landed shell after shell on to the strings of the retreating waggons as they came into view. /

General White remained in the field lo the last conducting the retiring movements, and the whole force arrived safely at Ladysmith.