EXCESSIVE EATING AND DRINKING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2391, 28 December 1899, Page 27

EXCESSIVE EATING AND DRINKING.

Wo all eat too much flesh food and drinic too much tea.

The former militates against working energy, and the tannic acid and other deleterious properties to be found in tea lower the spirits and injure the health. The body, in fact, is a working engine, and as such it must be treated. The waste of tissue which daily goes on can only be replaced by the proper assimilation of food. It cannot be done with medicine. Science, however, has again come to the rescue, and it cannot be too widely known thai tone and vigour can be promoted, and the rosy cheeks natural to health restored by the vitalising and restorative properties of a most valuable discovery. The evidence of medical men and the public is conclusive on this point. It proves that Dr Tibbles's Vi-Cocoa as ii I cod-beverage possesses nutriment, restorative, and vitalising properties, which havo hitherto been non-existent. It aids the digestive powers, and is invaluable to tired men and delicate women and children. It has the refreshing properties of fine tea, the nourishment of tho best cocoas, and a tonic and recuperative force possessed by neither, and can be used in all cases where tea and coffee are prohibited. It is not a medicine, but a unique and wonderful food beverage. Dr Tibbles's Vi-Cocoa, in B£d packets and Is Id and 2s 2d tins, can be obtained from all Grocers, Chemists, and Stores, or from Dr Tibbles's . Vi-Cocoa (Limited), 269 George street, Sydney. As an unparalleled test of merit, a daintysample tin of Dr Tibbles's Vi-Cocoa will bo sent post free on application to any address, if when writing (a postcard will do) the readec will name the Qtasto Witaaau

Engaged at the battle of Grass Pan as follows : — " Midshipman Huddart, of the cruiser Doris, and 10 sailors andjtnarines were killed, and 13 petty-officers and seamen and 76 noncommissioned officers and men of the marines were wounded. Total casualties, 105."

The outlook in Cape Colony is dark for the British. That General Gatacre has no easy task is proved by the late3t despatches from Queenstown and elsewhere, showing that a majority of the population on the frontier have openly declarad themselves on the side of the Boera. Bandß of Boers are doing immense damage over a wide area, and they have now appeared south of Stormberg. General Gatacre, however, moves to the front to-day, so it is hoped "oy the British the invasion will soon be stemmed.

The War Office has received the following despatch from General Buller. dated Pietermaritzburg, Sunday. November 26: — " Hildyard, from Estcourt, made a successful attack on November 25, with three battalions, one field battery, a naval gun, and 700 mounted troops on the enemy occupying Beacon Hill, which dominated Willow Grange, and interrupted his communications. 'As a result \>f the operations, the enemy is retiring, and the railway and telegraph lines have been restored between Estcourt :tnd SVeston. Our loss was about 14 killed, and 50 wounded. Hildyard has advanced to a,position near Frere. as he hopes to cut off the snemy, believed to be retiring on C<Jlenso, via Weenen. Barton^ from Weston, Las advanced to Estcourt. As soon as communication is restored I will telegraph particulars. So far ac I can make out, the operation is one for which Hudyard and the troops' deserve much, credit. The railway is now open to Frere."

Durban, Natal. November 27. — Latest reports of General Hildyard's losse3 at Beacon Hill engagement show that 15 men were killed and 72 wounded. The West Yorkshire Regiment suffered heavily. Major Hobbs "was captured, and several men are missing. Despatches from President Kruger and General Joubert, found on a Boer prisoner, said that the Boer losses at Belmont were 10 men killed, and 40 woundod. It was added that, in order to reassure the burghers, it ha-d been deemed necessary to fall back on Warrenton. A pigeon message from Colonels Hamilton and Duff at Ladysmith, undated, reports '* All well." Another naval contingent from the British cruißer Terrible, with two 4-2 in guns, started for the front last night. LONDON, November 25. — Advices from Belmont confirming the treacherous use of the .white flag by the Boers are arousing indignation. Tho troop 3 engaged are bitterly complaining, and it is feared the result will be a refusal to give the Boers quarter. A simi'or incident to the one which occurred at the battle of Glencoe, when an officer was shot, l>v a wounded Boer, is reported by the London ".i'jme3's correspondent at Belmont, who says Lieutenant Blundell, of the Grenadier Guards,* •waa shot by a wounded Boer, whom he was r Such statements appear incredible, rut are confirmed officially by the protest of < General Melhuen, who ha-s sent a message io 'the Boer commander, saying : — " I must ;,sk you to warn your wounded not to shoot our officers. I must warn you not to usa tlnm-dum bullets or uso the flag of truce treacherously. Such action is cowardly in me extreme, and I cannot countenance W All the accounts confirm the splendid <":arging of the British Infantry, and the Scots Guards entering the fight with drums "beating and fifes playing. The second ridge was the strongest position. The Boers there vere sheltered behind a rampart of boulders. Nevertheles3,_ the Guards advanced steadily, jnany of them cooly smoking. E. F. Knight, the well-known war correspondent, who went, to Havanna during 1 t've Spanish-American var, was wounded in the arm by a dumdum bullet. The hospital train arrived at Uie Orange River in the nick of time from Capotown, and was sent to Belmont. The train was constructed on the corridor system, with beds ranged in tiers on ea«h side. On its return to the Orange River with the wounded it was found' that a number of them were able to walk, but there were many stretcher needed. The troops in camp lined the route from the station to the hospital. The wounded were cheerful, and as they limped along, supported by the medical orderlies, exchanged ohaff with the soldiers in the crowd. I "Got any loot?" asked a soldier. "Yes," .■was the grim reply from a maimed man; "in my blooming leg." The conclusion must be nccepted, however reluctantly, that the Boers are deliberate in their misuse.of the white flag. On the top of General Methuen's warning and other evidence comes the statement of Correspondent Knight, who has arrived at Capetown wounded. He says he was with a detachment of the Northampton Regiment, when a # force of Boers 300 yards distant displayed the white flag. The officer commanding the Northamptons then ordered his men to tiho, • when the Boers deliberately volleyed, wounding Knight and others.

All Euroxje. it seems, is privately assisting the Boers. It is estimated that at least 100 expeditions to the Transvaal are in the course of preparation in various European countries. It is to prevent the execution of these secret plans that Great Britain was forced to take the position regarded in diplomatic circles as somewhat humiliating in view of the past contention tliat only a rebellion was in progress in South Africa. It may be stated that during the past 10 days Lord Pauncefote addressed two notes to the State department, urging the United States to exercise great watchfulness to prevent the sailing of filibustering expeditions from these chores.

London, November 24. — The Secretary for War received the following despatch through General Forestier - Walker from General Methuen, dated Balmont, November 23: — " Attacked the enemy _at daybreak this morning. He was in a strong position, and two ridges were carried in succession, the last attack being: prefaced by shrapnel fire. The infantry behaved snlendidly, and received support from the Naval Brigade and artillery. Tho enemy fought with courage and skill. Had I attacked later I should have tustained heavy loss. Our victory was complete. We have taken 40 prisoners. Am burying a good number of Beers, but the greater part of the enemy's killed and wounded were removed by their comrades. .We have captured a largre number of horses Dad cattle, and destroyed a quantity of ammunition. Brigadier - general Featherstoniiiuigh was severely wounded in the shoulder., ••V<id Lieutenant-colonel O'Noil Crabbe, Grena<i£e. Guards, is reported as wounded.

London, November 24. — The ]jathetip Fosnes which marked the day following the engagement between the British and Boers at Glencoe and Nicholson's Nek found counterpart at the War Office here to-day. Long before the doors oponed troubled and anxious women and men in all station? of life were assembled there, and when inquirers were fina'ly admitted anxious questions showed they feared that yesterday evening's official bulletin, though black enough, had not recorded the full story of the British losses at Belmont. Vj) to noon the Government officials had is-

sued no further despatches, and so the nervous distrust of the public remains unaleviated. General -Methuen's message leaves a great, deal t-j be explained. According to all previous facts obtainable as to the relative strength of the forces, the Boers must have been in a decided minority, yet the total British loss of 220 killed, wounded, and missing proves the effectiveness of the resistance, and, amply justifies General Methuen's tribute to the courage and skill with which th 3 burghers fought. The fact that no guns and only 40 prisoners wore ca-ptured by the victors, and that the Beers carried off dead and wounded, shows they retired in an orderly manner, without precipitation or confusion, and probably the Boor casualties were not numerous, owing to the strength of their position. The destruction of Boer ammunition captured is taken as an indication that General Methuen occupied the captured position at Belmont, and destroyed the JBoer supplies in order not to hamper the immediate advance of his column, whioh is marching in the lightest order. The road is now presumably open to the Boer position on the Modder River, where the Guards, "who, apparently, bore the brunt of \ e^lerday's fighting, will in all j)robability neve another chance to get at elore quarters ' with the bayonet. Lieutenant Blundell, of the Grenadier Guards, who was dangerously wounded at t\\? battle of Belmont yesterday, has since died of the wounds.

The Government of Natal has forwarded the following despatch to the Colonial Dffice :

— " Tugela Drift was attacked during the morning of Thursday, November 25. by from 250 to 300 Boers, who are believed to have advanced from Helpmakaar and Umvati. The Mounted RifieSj under Major Loucbars, and a small body of Natal police, totalling 140 man, posted south of the river bank, forced the Boers to retire? after two hours' fighting. Our loss was a sergeant-major wounded. The Tugela rose during the day. and is now reported impassablo except by "ooats."

After the battle of Belmont Lord Methuen, addressing his troops, said: — "Comrades, I congratulate you on the complete success aeliieved by you this morning. The ground over which we had to fight presents exceptional difficulties, and we had as an enemy one who is postmaster in the tactics ol mountain infantry. With troops ench as you, your commander can have no fear of the result. There is a sad side to all this, and you and I are thinking as much of those who have died for the honour of the country and of those who are suffering as we are thinking of our victory." AX AMBULANCE MAN'S EXPERIENCES. (Cape Times, November 1A) The following are extracts from a letter received in Durban from one of the N.M.R. Ambulance Corps, who was present at ElandsJaagte, Modder Spruit, and the last battle at Lombard's Kop : —

"I must now take advantage of the Dutch to pencil a few lines, as we are having a bit of a rest. lam going along all well as yet. but for how long we don't know. We had 'the most terrible time I ever saw in my life yesterday (Monday). There are swarms of Dutch all round Ladysmith, but they are giving us a rest to-day; I mean to tay, we aic giving them a rest. By jove, didn't we give them ' what for ' on Monday ! We simply massacred them. There was the 42nd Royal Artillery standing about 50 yards from our ambulance waggon, a-nd they cut up three detachments of Boer.* in lass than half an hour, a3 they came over the ridge of the hill where they ™ere stationed. Our men Jcnccked them down as they came over, at a small guess about 200 of them. That was only a fleabite. Then the infantry gave them ' what for' next. Then the Lancers gave them a little bit of a reminder. They have as many guns as we have, and they stick in the rooks and will not move. Our men are right in the open veldt. We have to go out, as they get in those rocks and will not come to the front. I must say some of the Dutch are brave men, but they build stone walls all round, and the only thing for us to do is to shell them out { Of it and charge them, the same as we always have to do. This was the commencemitit of the battle on Monday (30ih). The Dutch opened fire at 5 o'clock. They sent seven shells into the town, and frightened the townspeople out of their wits. The women and children began to think we wore beaten, but we soon put an end to that. Our artillery took up position, and made it regularly warm for them, I tell you. We silenced them for a time. They have a 40pounder with them that they brought from Dundee.

"We knocked one of the wheels off the gun, but they managed to stand it up again ; but M-e knocked it over next time by our 45-pounder fiat the Xavals brought from Durban. They are the boys for them. We have still a much larger gun than that we are fixing up. and won't we give them a rough time to-morrow! Both sides have ceased fighting for 24 hours, so as to bury the dead. "Well, T saw some of the most horrible j sights on Monday, and this is my third battle. I There was one of the officers brought in by our raon on a gun carriage, and he died while they were bringing him (, o our ambulance waggon. Ho had his head half blown oft, and his nght leg just hanging with about an inch of skm to his hip. just like a piece of liver lnen a. gunner came in— lost his leg and his inside ban pine; out. and he was just as sensible as you or I, but the pain he could not stand • any longer. That is what he said to the doctor. The priest was on the field, and whispered 111 his ear. He lay down ior a while then tried to sit up, and called the doctor and asked him to poison hirr— tho pain Mas too great to bear; so you Bee what we haie to put up with. It almost makes one sickto look at them and other casualties. We had any amount shot in the arms, legs, chest, an j neck. You could not realise what a battleiield is i.Ke. I will now tell you my experience of j-e^terday. "We came in"in the afternoon: the fight was finished about 3 o'clock. Then we went out looking for tho wounded. We rot about seven miles out, and thon the Dutch pickets stopped us and wanted to know what we wanted; but as soon as they saw the red cross rhey let us go right tlmuigh. We went into t,icir camp. There were about 500 >f them, and a leader asked me if we had many woundad, m> just to ' square ' him I told him wo had p. lot; so they alPsmiled. Thoy asked us to have borne tea. We had a little • then they wished 11s good-bye. One of them asked my officpr when U:e war would be finished. He paid he had had enough. We had to keep a keen eye on them, and show a bold face. Then we came back to Ladysmith. and, thank God. we arc safe. We all shook hands with ourselves to think how they let vu go There were only 11 ( f u--, and all the troorw were in town. We had simply nothing to dp fend our3"lve3 with— only * bandages and stretchers." A LADY'S LETTEtTfROM MARITZBFRG. &. lftdy in Maritzburg write* to her mother

in Melbourne, on November 4, as follows : — " Here we are still waiting for reinforcements, which come in by driblets, instead of pouring in all at onoe and frightening the Boers into a complete surrender. " We don't hjue military discipline amongst us here, though wo have martial law in full force. Everyone must be home now by 11 p.m., and no one must go out before 4 a.m. The public-houses are all closed at 10 o'clock. So we go to bed quite comfortably, without fear of burglars. I don't quite see how these ; arrangements are to help the authorities to j catch spies, but, of course, if they see it, ' that's enough. They have caught several - this wook. But they have allowed one, a ■ • woman, to eEcape. Her husband is in the j Transvaal somewhere, but she came down ' here_ for safety! She is young and pretty, | and in possession of plenty of Transvaal gold. Before the troops loft she was in the habit of having constant little suppers, with two or three favoured officers as guests. Flattery and champagne administered by a pretty woman proved strong enough to draw military news from our unsuspecting young officers, and Joubert soon knew as muoh as they I did. But one officer became suspicious, and | has proved too many for her. After supper, I in strict confidence, he poured into her ear a j wonderful story of troops landing and plans formed (pure fiction), which two days afterwards was to be seen in the Diggers' News. When Mrs — — found she was being watched > (wkich she heard to be the ca3e from some j other spy, they say) she disguised herr.elf as a j boy, and managed to elude the police here, ! but was caught at Capetown. j " Our gaol here is full of wounded Dutch. • Some of them ore very bndly wounded, and the gaol doctor told us to-day he had had splendid practice in the amputation of limbs. Our own wounded have all been moved from the camp hospital (the camp, the barracks, and Fort Napi6r are one and the same place), as it has to be cleared and prepared for the wounded who are to be sent down, in great j numbers we are afraid, from Ladysmith, as j soon as communication is re-established. We j are very nervous about our poor wounded at ' Lady-smith, many of -whom I know. At this"! time of year it is a fever-stricken place at best. Now. being very much over-crowded, j and short of water, what must its condition . be! I "If only General Buller were up at this ! ekle I feel perfectly convinced the Boers * would soon, retire. But they say the 'Rooi- J Bull ' is frightened to come, and that saems to give them more encouragement to attack. ! He may be on his way up for all we know. Tho censor keeps us very much in the dark. ; You know more than we do. I " I went up to the station yesterday to see the ' Emergency Corps ' leave for Weston. j They are men from Maritzbura: and neighbourhood, who have offered to find their own and horses, and go out fcouting for three days, x'hey are all men of good position, j and mostly middle-aged, M.L.A.'s. M.L.C.'s, j lawyers, etc., and their being called out shows I what dangers we are in, and how great ie the need of Buller and his corps. j "But our town is well fortified now. We have guns from H.M.S. Tartar and blue- ' ifokete in jslenty. Only they are not blue but khaki jackets now, and very funny they look with their big sailor hats and 'khaki coats. But they really ought to paint their , faces khaki too, for they are veritable ' rooinekke=.' i " Three guns are to be fired from the fort in rapid succession on the approach of the : enemy, and then we are to prepare for the ' worst. "The pessimists here have decided on " Tuesday, the 7th. for the siego of MarHzburaj to begin. Unfortunately those same pessi- ' mists are very much in the majority at pre- ' sent, and have succeeded in creating a scare in the town. Strange to cay the military ladies? were the first to run. Very mean of them ! and it has had a bad effect on the civilian ladie3. They were all 60 busy, and were doing such splendid work among the wounded ; it does seem disgraceful of them to run away. Mrs Gunning is almost the only one left, and she says she is not going, what- . ever happens. You remember her husband. Colonel Gunning, was killed on Talana. He and Symons were both much liked here. t 1 A MEMORABLE SCENE. MEETING OF LONDON CITIZENS IN ! THE GUILDHALL. j London, October 21. One of tfie memorable scenes in London which have signalised the outbreak of war was the great meeting of London citizens which was convened by the Lord Mayor, and ! held in the splendid and historic Guildhall. Only once before have those " grey walls and blazoned windows" looked down on so remarkable a scene, and that was 21 years ago, when, as now. the London citizens met to strengthen the hands of the British Government — as then against Russia — after storming the Cannon street Hotel and dispersing a peace meeting in progress there. j Last Monday's meeting is well described ' by an eye-witness. He says: — "An hour before the meeting a battalion of black hats went down Botunghall street, in patriotic chorus, flying the Union Jack and the Royal ' Standard. They were the members of the Stork Exchange, still bent upon the ' hammering ' of jSlr Kruger, and appropriately marshalled by Mr 'Charlie' Clarke. Ihe struggle of a large multitude to wedge itself into a limited interior began ; while the air resounded with the hyirns of the nation ' and the songs of the moment Shortly aiter ' the arrival of the stock brokers, and long be- ' fore the appearance of the Lord Mayor in state, the interior of the Guildhall was packed with a compressed mass of solid humanity, standing uptight, and jammed shoulder to shoulder. 'As the Lord Mayor looked down upon his audience he might easily have ' walked upon the clo^e, though uneven, pave- j , mont of their heads, where the long and the uhort were wedged together. In this dense ' presence all individuality was lost. The i meeting, for the moment, was liko one strange united creature, whose many voices and 1 1 myriad hands were moved by single impulse. I 1 It was too tight to surge or sway in (heordi- ! • nary manner, &o it cheered, shouted, and sang i [ without cessation. It was a meet-ing of in- ! \ credible animal spirits and of the most abso- ! < lute good humour. Considering the grave "intuie of the crisis, the good temper wan j inimitably Enclish, and meant nc luck of j ' -^solution. "ft ith, perhaps, the ringle exception of Westminster Hall, no interior in the ' Smpira «ould Tiave olfored bo picturesque a ' -etting for pueh a scene. 1 - "Tho speeehos were less remarkable than j •tie spectacle, though bcvoral were very worthy j ' of the occssion. As the Lord Mayor came • forward to address the audience the black j aat'^ waved ovor the Eea of upturned faces, ' < Uiupinatod by the gaseliers and the electric | I r«-i«3, gave the most sudden, vivid, and fan j •' .sue hrsprecsion of the oftcrnoon. The Lord i Mayor wished that the meeting could be I photographed, and a oopy Fent to >fr Kruger J It the meeting could have been photographed in v/01l n<- photographed, the result* would jeer- c ■\sanly be calculated to startle the simple r J

' Boer into a sense of his situation. The -president of the London Chamber of Commerce struck the note above all others that Ministers at war long to hear. 'We do not grudge the i expense,' said Mr Sandeman ; 'we will content to any taxation.' When the resolution j was put ' tendering to her Majesty's Governb meat the cordial and enthusiastic support of | the citizens of London.' a dense forest of 1 hands, hats, sticks, and umbrellas sprang into the air. The contrary was put. Amid j shouts of humorous indignation a solitary -disj Fentient stood upon a chair at the press table, desperately pale and nervous, but set upon ( protest. There was a colloquy which was ; over in a .second. 'Are you a citizen?' j 'I'm a Scotchman,' was the unexpected response. ' You're not ; you're a German/ was the retort, and thereupon a vigorous and irascible old gentleman, with a white moustaeha, fell upon him, and ho was hurtled out with tho most efficient celerity." When the Lord Mayor ref erred" to the Boor ultimatum as "dictating to her Majesty's Government that they should not move their own troops, in their own ships, in their own I ports, in their own co\intry," each comma j was emphasised by a defeaning outburst of i derisive laughter and blood-curdling "boo- ! ing." When Sir John Lubbock declared that Mr Chamberlain, in his negotiations with President Kruger, "Tiad combined the meekness ! of Moge3 with the patience of Job," tho dei light of those present reached its climax, and I tho ehouts of merriment, combined with a ! hurricane of cheering, mieht almost have I broinfht "down *that venerable roof. : "As another token of the London enthusiasm, T may mention that (he Lord Mayor fund for the aid of the Outlander refugees hp.3 ! Leached £120.000 in less than a week . " I (From Cape Exchanges.) POSITION AT KIMBERLEY. BOERS LOOTING RIGHT AND LEFT. : Kimberley. October 17. | The Boers are concentrated in consider- ', able force at Magersiontein. 14 miles south of Kimberley, where they have a plentiful water supply and cattle in latge nuinbere. Their horses are reported to be fat, -and capable of doing lots of work. The enemy's guns are cleavlv visible. The enemy is raiding cattle and looting store 3 and homesteads in all directions. The sensational rumours from Mafeking ar* discredited here. It ie believed that disloyal Dutchmen are sending their women and children into Kimberley. All schools are closed, and business is practically at a standstill. No one is allowed oul ttfter 9 o'clock in the evening without a tpecial permit. The demolition of the ,Mof.der River bridgo vai singularly complete. A PLUCKY BAND. THE KIMBERLEY REGIMENT. -■'URTHER DETAILS OF WEBSTER'S TRAIN. Early on Sunday morning Colonel Kelccwich ordered out F and G mounted companies of the Kimberley Regiment, under the conimand\ of Major T. Rodger, to reconnoitre along the line in the direction of Spytfontein, and ascertain, if possible, the position of the damaged train, ttlso whether or not the rails had been torn up. The mounted detachment lefb the camp at 2 a.m.. and proceeded past the racecourse to the railway line, supported by the armoured train, which left Kimberiej an hour later. The companies advanced cautiously, scouts being thrown out until just below cottage No. 123, four miles this side of Spylfontein, where they found the telegraph wire severed. Trooper Nicholatts, an electrician, expeclitiously and pluckily " swarmed " up the pold and took a look out, afterwards endeavouring, by means of a fence, to repair the wire. In the meanwhile the armoured train had passed, and had found tUat the rails on each side had been torn up between this and Spj rtfo^tein. Lieutenant Web'ter (North Lancashire Regiment), who was in charge of the train, got the rwen to work, and in a short space of timo relaid the rails. Lieutenant Webster then sent a despatch back to Major Rodger notifying that he had ■put the line in order, and was going on to Spytfontein, asking to be supported in a commanding kopje, from where communication with Kimberley was " found " with heliograph by Sergeant Davey and Trooper Draper, fol lowing the train for a couple of miles. Meanwhile the train had gone on to Spytfontein siding, where the blationmaster and his wife were taken on board. Immediately afterwards an advance party of the mounted contingent heard sounds of heavy firing, and in a few minutes thp armoured train was seen returning, having been under hot fire from shrapnels, and having been several time 3 hit, but with no damage beyond a few splinter*. Lieutenant Webster fired 1500 rounds from the .Maxim carried in the train, and he he- ' !ieve3 that he must have done a fair amount of damage. The object of the reconnaissance having been obtained, tho train and covering party turned l)aek. "Major Rodger disposing of liv little force to the best advantage. Tho men engaged deserve every credit for the smart and expeditious manner in which they performed thpir hazardous duties, whic'i necessitated their being in the saddle sevpn hours, besides which many of them had bprm on dut. for the best part of the preeed"".. 15 day. FIGHT. AT MAFEKING. BRILLIANT. VIGTORY. The Cape Times Kimberley corespondent Euorpeded in potting a message through by special despatch rider tc Orange River. Hr state 3 : — News has been received -here lht> c early on Saturday morning (October 14) an armoured train reconnoitred north of Mafeking. The enemy was discovered five miles out, numbering 500 strong. Heavy firing ensued on both sides The Boers suffered . \ery heavily, and moved away to the east. FitzClaronce's column of the Protectorate Regiment followed the enemy. The latter drew off, after suffering very heavy losses. A SPECIAL COURT" FOR THE TRIAL Ol< SPIES. • # ORANGE RIVER, October 19. li. i? definitely stated that the Modder Rivei bridge has been destroyed. A court has been specially constituted to riave mimmary jurisdiction for the trisl of »pie 3 this morning. Riverton was destroyed by the enemy c^rly sn Sunday moraing, October 15, the plucs oeing completely wrecked. KRUGER'S BACK DOOR. PROVISIONS AT DELAGOA BAY. Lorenzo Marquez, October 17. The branch of the National Bank here de •lines to cash their own note 3or rcceh'C Fi'tinavaal coin*

A representative of the Transvaal >ha* arrived, and is buying up all the provision* obtainable.

There is a continual arrival of British rofugee3, the average being 800 daily. One hundred and thirty prisoners from th” Barberton Gaol have been put over the Portv.guese border.

A DROPPING FIRE FROM BOER GUNS.

The A Squadron of the Natal Carbinoers have arrived in camp ail safe. Major Taunton and Lieutenant Rodwell had a most dangerous escapade. Both went forward to reconnoitre the enamy, and no sooner had Major Taunton got off his horse than volley after volley was fired at both officers. They ppeedily mounted and galloped over a mile for their lives under a dropping fire. Thoy escaped quite scathless, and the squad arrived all safe, having only exchanged shots with the enemy at slightly over 1000 yards.

An officiol notice posted for publication says cavalry patrols, 10 miles below Tintwa Pass, had come into aotion with a Free Statr commando. Tho Boers opened with artillery, but firing was ineffecti »'c. On the Lancer 3 advancing their guns wore limbered up, and they rotrtated. Major Adyo was in command of the patrols.

EARLY FIGHTING NEAR LADYSMITH.

":HE BORDER RIFLES AND CARBINEERS IN ACTION:

On Wednesday afternoon, October- 18, Border Mounted Rifled came into ■ action with the enemy in the neighbourhood of Acton Holme 3 and Bester'a station. The firing cemmorvtwd at Actoji Holiaes, 16 miles but. The Carbineers were engaged at Bester's, and hp.d six men wounded.

The Carbineers and B.M. Rifles, who were iv action with the enamy nearly nil day, returned to Ladysmith at 3 o'clock nest mnrning. They fell back fighting in face «f same 2000 of the enemy, and were several tunes reovly cut off, but the Maxims held the Boers in check. Natives coming through^ report 16 Boers killed. The enemy was* several timas within 400 yards, but their ohooting was bad. The Carbineers lost all their light kit. Lieutonant Gallway was missing; and one man was slightly wounded. The men spoke highly of tho conduct of their officers in action. NiunberJ of mounted Basutqs were seen amongst tho Boer*. The Carbineers and Borderers wcro three days and two nights in the saddle. The total number of Boers in action is fistimated at about 1000. The men returned in excellent spirits but gra.itly fatigued, and had been without food for 24 hours. The Maiims did signal fipvvieo in stopping the rushes -of the enem;'. The Border Mounted Rifles, who were m cbr.gpr of being cut off, made a detour, and got through. The Boers had a large waggon train and artillery.

" Several exciting incidents marked the courss of the fight, and many hairbreadth escapes are narrated. One man undertook to carry a messago to Maior Addison, and in order to do so had to gallop through the zone of cross fire. A bullet struck his gim slung at his side, and this in all probability saved him at least r.n ugly wound. The hottest coiner was, undoubtedly, when our fellows had to gallop about 1000 yards in the open, from ona kopje to another, aud the bullets whissged around them like hail, or, a.s one of them. phrases it, like bees, yet, strange to gay, the only casualty was a slight flesh wound to Spenoer from a spent bullet. " It was just before this mad gallop that the unfortunate Lieutenant Gallway carao to grief. Up to the j'resent there is no definite assurance as to his fate. Some claim that he was shot outright; others again surmise that he was thrown from his hor;->e, and may now he a prisoner in the hands of the enemy. At all events, no one saw him fall. Surgeon Buntiue aud two men unarmed sallied out uiider a ilaa; of truce to discover him, and were immediately fired upon, and had to retire. A party of six volunteered to go to his HSriita-nce, but as to have done co would have been sheer madness, they were not allowed to go. '■ After this gallop the firing ceased, and our men retired on Nicholson Nek, when they wore ordered into town this morning early. The wonder of it is that our casualties were so few, and this fact reflects no credit on the much vaunted Boer marksmanship. The return of Boer losses is eigh.t killed and 15 wounded. This Eeems to be the correct vcrcion." BATTLE NEAR MAFEKING. BDERS BEATEN AT THEIR OWN GAMK A SPLENDID BIT OF WORK. A despatch to the Cape Time 3, dated Mafeking, 14th October, and sent by special despatch riders from Mafeking, via Kuriiman, to Hopetowu, says: — To-day the serious busines? of beating off the Boers who are investing Mafeking began in earnest. From Ja to 7 a.m., the armoured train hotly engaged a party of 'mounted Boers about 1000 yards away, four miles north of the town. Our Maxims quickly tired them out. A large hut to the rear of the train waa threatened, when suddenly Captain Fitzclarence'g D Squadron of the Protectorate Regiment dashed up in extended order. A Kaffir kraal was rushed finely, and the open reldfc was soon the scene of volley firing at 900 yard 3. This began to try the skill of the Boers, and bullets commenced to whizz overhead, pieces of thatch rising on the natives' huts, where the wounded were receiving attention. We were three miles north-east of Mafeking and a mile from .the railway. The men of the Protectorate Regiment, under Captain Fitzclarence, who was exposing himself fearlessly encouraging his followers, responded gamely, the men firing as if on the ranges. The horses stood beautifully behind a Kaffir kraal, our firing being 300 yards distant. The Boers could be seen wildly galloping about a thousand yards ahead of -their men, who occupied a nicely-sheltered position in tho thick bush ; our position wao on the open veldt without bush. A couple of riderless Boer horses galloped toward our lin&j. I At 7.30, as the Boer fire slackened considerably, suddenly the horizon began to thicken with Dutchmen. About eight 0 clock Captain Fitzclarenco was hotly engaged, nad the wounded began to count up. Seeing two span of Boer horpss galloping south-east I made for them, just getting hold of one, when half a dozen bullets dropped right on the top of our position, one of the horsos giving a scream of pain. I at once turned tail, and galloped for cover. Luckily, one spin of hor3e« galloped after me, and I caught thorn a mile to the rear. I came across Lieutenant Brady and a trooper squadron of the Protectorate Regiment, who joined Capiain Fitzclarence at a gallop. By this Cime 1 could see that Captain Fitzclarence was too deeply involved, though he was handling his magnificently, the men taking his orders liko soldiers ot the Queen. I deemed it ad*

disable to inform Colonel Baden-Powell of tho state of affairs, and galloped back to Mafeking. A mile and a-half outside the town I met a cyclist, who said he was carry- j ing an order for Captain Fitzelarence to re- I tiro on Mafekim?. A mile outside Mafeking ■ I met Colonel Hore, with two guns in sup- | port, with a troop of Vernon's 0 Squadron, under Sandford, as escort. They passed for- J ■ward, and I rode into Mafeking and told Colonel Baden-Powell that I knew he wanted Captain Fitzelarence to draw out, but gave it as my opinion that he wa3 unable to do so, and advised the sending of reinforcements. j I then exchanged horses, and Tent back to i Captain Fitzelarence's position. The wounded \ were being bandaged by Major Anderson, of the Medical Staff, who was as cool as his own" plasters. The men wounded were cheery over the matter, declared they could still shoot, and were volunteering for all sorts of fancy billets which would take them back in front. The bullets were dropping like hail on to the improvised hospital, but we were lucky, j I again rode to Colonel Baden-Powell, and i x told him what I could see, for the Boers were I beginning to swarm from the eastward. j he got a native boy and sent him to ; Dixon's Hotel with messages. Immediately j Captain Lord Bentinck's two guns got into • action, and sent well directed shells in the di- J rection of the Boers. At this time Lieutenant i Swinburne and the representative of the Lon- i don Times, were together at the hospital, j The former said he had seen orders for the '■ fighting line to fall back on Mefeking, but could not move his wounded except very , fllowly. He asked me to get him an armoured train at the nearest point on the railway. I rode off, and came across the. armoured train in charge' of Captain Williams, B.S.A.P. Telephonic communication was opened with Mafeking. Ho pointed out that he had only two stretchers, and it would be difficult to get the wounded into the armoured train. He advised that a truck be sent ont with bedding for the •wounded. In the meantime the men with limb wounds were put on horses, stretchers were improvised for the others, and tho | armoured train was gained. | Captain Fitzclarence was still firing away , at the Boers, who, evidently finding his per- j tir.aeity too muchj gradually drew off, and by j II o'clock they were silenced — a splendid bit | of work. Fitzclarence got out of the warm ! position as cool as he went in, his men swear- i ing by him. The men, when hit, wanted to i remain at the firing line, one man telling me ! h% could Ufa my revolver if I would lend it j ]iim\ The whole of one subsection of D j Squadron were killed or wounded. Major . Baillie had his horss shot while going to the ' front. i List of Casualties. — Killed : Corporal Far- •. land and Lance-corporal Walsh. Severely wounded: Corporal Kline and Corporal j Jones. Other wounded : Corporal Smith, ; Sheppard, Macßae, Calderwood, .Tames, Cul- j lh, Blair, J. Smith, Brady, and Suckeot, all : D Squadron; Sergeant Phillips, Cooper, and I Nelson, A Squadron. j Our force engaged consisted of the whole ! ( of T> Squadron, and one troop each of A and ', C Squadrons of the Protectorate Rpgiment, j and the 7-pounder battery. Lieutenant j Brady had a spent bullet in his pock«t, but j buffered no harm. j WAITING FOR REINFORCEMENTS. ] THE STRAIN ON THE LOYALISTS, j Under date November 11 the Capetown cor- ; respondent of the Sydney Telegraph tele- ; graphs : — ! It would require a far nbler pen than mine \ to adequately describe the agony through ' which the loyalists in South Africa have now been passing for many days. Ido not want j to exaggerate, but Hay deliberately that in South Africa we have bean seeing the case of General Gordon repeated on an even larerer i scale, and :<s I write our hearts cry out : ' " God grant that there may not bo a similar . tragic ending." Theve is. however, a differ- ; once between our case and that of Khartoum, j Wo have three commanding officers who am j in deadly peril through the dilatory poHcy, or j rather through the lack of appreciation of j imminent danger, which has marked the Home I authorities : and it is not the peril of life of the commanding officers that is at stake only, but the lives of thousands of their men. For j weeks before the actual declaration of war, j Sir Alfred Milner and the whole loyalist press j here were urging the British Government to i " send trooiis, send troops, send troops," so i as not to be caught in a trap by the wily Boer. But they would not, or could not ; and what is the results At the present moment three of the most important towns, as well as invaluable strategical points, are completely invested by the enemy. T refer to Mafeking, Kimherley, and Lady?mith ; and though they j still maintain a heroic and magnificant defence, they are being pounded by the enemy's cannon, and God only knows whether they will bo able to hold out until reinforcements arrive. For day after day papse?, and we scan the horizon in vain for the transports which left England nearly three weeks ago, and there is no eign of them. Of course, we know that they are on the water, and that they must be pomewhere close at hand, unless a disaster unparalleled in English history hae befallen them. But when we realise, as we do on'v too torribly, that a day's delay may lose us Kimberley or Ladypmith, and that by no human possibility can reinforcements reach their objective under a day or two from date of landing, our hearts sink within us, aud we turn away our eyep. ATTITUDE OF THE BELLIGERENTS. Do not imagine for an instant that we are deficient either in British patience or British pluck, or, again, that we have a moment's j doubt as to the ultimate result. of this campaign. But we rannot close our eyes to the fact that had we been in a more prepared state our losses would not have been po severe, and we should not have seen, oven temporarily, tho whole of the northern part of the colony and of Natal so completely in the hands of the enemy that they actually formally annexed it, and have imposed upon at least pome portion of it their own form of government, j Not that the last-named piece of impudence [ need cause any great alarm. This territory \ will not have to be captured on the spot ; it will be taken over at no distant date, when j General Buller re-hoists the British flag on ' the Presidencies both of Bloemfontcin and Pretoria. Up to the present Uig British forces in South Africa have maintained the defensive policy with which they started upon this war. Not that there is any virtue in this from a. military point of view, for with extremely limited resources at our command there was no alternative. We could not advance into the enemy's ! country if we would, or only at such tremend- j ous risks as to have made the movement crimi- | nal.

THE " LITTLE THINGS " EXPECTED

The factor we did not calculate with was that tho enemy would desort their previous policy and assume tho offensive, and push their forces right dawn tho country, till they threatened to capture South Africa itself.

When the war began I was chatting with a high military official here, and wa3 speaking of the capture of the armoured train with some regret. " Oh," he replied, "we expected little things like that." I have reason to believe that neither he nor anybody else expected "little things" like the complete investment of Mafeking, Ladysmith, and Eimberley, the British retirement from Dundee, the capture of hus<=ar3 after Tala.na, the loss of two whole battalions of infantry and a battery of artillery at Ladysmith, the death of General Perm Symons, and a terribly long list of officers and men. who have already found graves under the South African veldt, or are prone in the hospitals of the country. LIFE IN KIM3ERLEY. AN OTAGO LADY'S LETTER. The following extracts from a private letter recently received from a married daughter of a family well known in Clinton throws some light upon the conditions of domeptic life in tho beleaguered city of Kimberley. The letter is dated 13th October, but as there has bean no material change in the situation since then, the description probably applies just as truly as at the date of writing. The " Robin " referred to is the writer's husband, and " Fred " is her brother — both Clinton boys : — I received your letter of August only this week, and I wonder if in the intervening time you have heard, the disquieting rumours of war, and how near it id to us. We thought we were to be out of it altogether, but since the Free State has joined the Transvaal, affairs are much more serious for us. Kimborley is in a most unsettled state. Many of the shops are closed on account of the men being called out to take up arms, s'j/hat there is no business being done, aud vtry, very little pleasure for any of us. We have two regiments stationed here, including Royal Engineers, artillery, and medical corps. Since their arrival they have erected forts, placed cannon, and laid mine.". Our local forces have now joined them, and have been, out in camp for over a weak. The Town Guard is the next to receive orders to go into camp. This Guard is divided into four divisions, each company having a captain, four lieutenants, four sergeants, four corporals, and they have been attending drill and getting instruction in rifle practice from the English officers. Robin is a colour-sergeant, Fred a corporal, but not in the same company. They have both had to leave business, and be in readiness to take up arms at any moment, as one half, of the Tbwn Guard must be on duty by day aud the other at uight. Robin is doing a 12-hours' shift today (no time off for meal?) ; Fred was out all last night. On the alarm sounding, they have all to go at once to their rallying-posts, seize rifles, and march out to the several redoubts. We have had as yet only one alarm — a most disagreeable blowing and screaming of the mines' syrens. It awakened us the other morning at 1 o'clock, and instantly the boys were up, grabbed their knapsacks, containing blanket, coat, hat with badge and number attached, which are always lying in readiness. I was left alone in the house, so I got up and dressed and went out to the gate. .Truly, it was a- strange night, but no one knew what bad really happened. We could hear the steady tramp ot the men as they inarched past. Dogs barked, roosters crowed, and a peacock gave forth his mournful cry. Some of the we men folk got into a fearful state of excitement, and went running pa&t, goodness knows where. Some were crying, some carrying kettles and provisions, made for the Town Hall; others flocked to tho Town Gardens, and some sat down on the footpath and discussed the situation. I thought I had better go back to bed ; but at 2 a.m. the alarm sounded again, and I could not rest. I had no more men in my home if they had killed the first lot, so I lay still, and quietness reigned once more, for a tlioit time only. At 3 a.m. the screamers and hooters bellowed forth, ! louder and longer this lime, and I was frightened. I went and routed Sarah, and we ! listened for the -sounds of battle, but " net a ! drum was heard." I did not think all this j nciso could be a false alaim Io test the men, for my boys had not returned, as they sometimes do, as s-oon as the roll is called. The l remainder of the night I pas=ed in great i anxiety, and as boon as it was dawn I took I my stand at the window to watch for 6om# ! sign of life and stir ia the town. Soon 1 heard | the welcome &ound of 'the milkcang, and peeped out to see if 1 could judge from old " Milky' s " face whether serious things had happened ;r but as each old chap deposited his bottle at the doors his face bore the usual calm expression, which was most reassuring, for their carls had come from the border and outlying farms. I waited with patience a few hours longer, and then my boys rolled up for breakfast at 8.

It seems there was good cause for alar;;;, ac the enemy was seen to be on the move, and appeared to be getting ready for action — perhaps the " hooters " had frightened them also. The boys say we are quite safe here, as wo have such good defence arrangements, but they expect an attack for all that ; so the old Dutchmen will not find Kimberley sleeping. They have powerful searchlights in connection with the mines, and these aro kept , steadily in the direction of the Boer camp. To-day we hoar that the line has been torn up and telegraph wires cut on the north-western line by the Boers, and this, of course, means business. Mafeking is also supposed to be attacked to-day. Oompie gave the English troops 48 hours to clear off the border. The lime has expired, but men aud guns are in readiness. They might attempt to shell us from the Free State, but to do that they would need to come out into the open, veldt, and then our boya would give them a sorry time.

Wo- have stocked our house with provisions in case there is a scarcity of food, or the pricee might be too high ; and sure enough the common articles of food have gone up in price rapidly since Wednesday. Wood and coal are also a terrible price, and I save mine as much as possible by using a paraffin stove. Paraffin (or kerofcene) was t's 6d per tin, but now, I puppose, it, too, will have gono up skyhigh. Surely it is a wonderful time, but there arc better days coming, if we never live to see them.

The Hon. Cecil Rhode? has arrived in town, and means to stay, but he has a host of enemies encamped round about him. who would dearly love to have a shot at liis honourable person ; so he bad better lie low.

You mupt not go offyour heads with fright. I think wp will be safe enough. Of course, 1 cannot help feeling anxious about my boya when they aro out, for we never kuow the moment shot 3 might be- fired. We have had dreadful colds, and I bronchitis, since that wretched night, but we are all almost well

MISCELLANEOUS.

Tho prisoners iv Pretoria on November II consisted of 1275 men and 52 officers from Natal, 25 men and 1 officer (Lieutenant Nesbitt) from Mafeking, and four of Colonel Plumer's force from the Crocodile River. Tii»

guards over the prisoners consisted entirely of Germans. The Staats Artillery in the forts are mostly Germans.

Over £1700 was subscribed in a few days in Capetown for the South African Light. Horse sustentation fund. The objects of the fund is to provide additional ambulance equipment and hospital comforts : to assist the men who may be wounded or disabled in the cour->e of the campaign : to provide for the relief of relatives of men who may die on the service.

A telegram in the Cape Times from Maseru (Basutoland), dated November 16, says: — The Boers are making frantic efforts to get the Basu to labourers to go and reap tbeir crop 3, and are making all manner of promises to the if they will disobey the -orders of Government and let their people go over the border for the harvesting, but the Assistant Commissioners are strictly carrying out the instructions of the Resident Commissioner in prohibiting the natives from crossing the border, and the chiefs are co-operating in these instructions, much to the disappointment ri the Boers. Meanwhile the Free State crop 3 are rotting in the ground. It has been ascertained that tho Boer 3 consider the only remedy for this is to endeavour to seize the British officers avlio are controlling affair 3in Basutoland. Fortunately all the men and the guns were saved from the steamer Ismo-e, that went ashore a few days ago at St. Helena Bay. The veFsel left Liverpool on November 4, having on board 63rd Battery. R.F.A.. Bristol; No. 9 Company R.A.M.C. (Bearer Company), Colchester ; A Squadron, 10th Hussars, Aldersliot; 1 Troop, B Squadron, 10th Hussars, Alderr-hot. Most of the horses were lost.

An English paper states that as far as can bo gathered from, the various reports the following are the Boer commands: — In Natal— l3,ooo to 25,000. In Zululaud— 3ooo. At Komati Poort— looo. At Mafeking— sooo.

A t Kimbereley— sooo.

Small parties el&ewhere — 5000. Presumably, cays the. same authority, these figures are in some cases exaggerated, b\it it would appear that the Boers have not far short of 45,000 men in the field — if not more.

So far none of the mar correspondents have forwarded a coherent account of a single battle.

Mr Wools Sampson relinquished a position worth £3000 a year in Rhodesia in order to participate in the campaign- of rescue.

The temtjorary increase of the population of Durban is 'estimated at from 20,000 to-26,000. The drain upon the charitably disposed is heavy, and is increaeintr. The Central Committee are expending £600 weekly.

The Times, commenting editorially on the nmour of European intervention, scouts the idea, and says : "No Power would lift a finger. The alarming combinations built upon our naval movements have no existence pave in overheated imaginations."

New and stringent orders have been promulgated, with reference to the defences at Gibraltar. The privilege Englishmen have hitherto had of entering the gate without a pass is temporarily suspended. Nobody is allowed to enter or inspect the batteries. "Even the famous St. Michael's cave is closed, because it is required for the storage of arms and ammunition. For mouths sappers oncl miners have been engaged in the construction of new and powerful batteries.