GENERAL ITEMS. DURBAN, February 22.

Otago Witness, Issue 2400, 1 March 1900, Page 23

GENERAL ITEMS. DURBAN, February 22.

The Waiwera, with the, second NewZea« land Contingent on board, has arrived. . ■ • LOx*DON, February 19. The Government have omitted ■ the Lord Mayor of Dublin and a. number of other mayors in Ireland from the Assize Court Commissions owing, to. their disloyal utter-, ances. The cruise of the Channel' squadron, recently ordered to Gibraltar to relieve the Particular Service squadron, has been altered. The squadron remains' in British waters until April, and then proceeds to the Mediterranean. An official correction, is to the effect that Private M'Cane, of the Victorian contingent, reported as killed at Rendsburg, was wounded and. captured. February 20. I The Australian bushmen's fund, totals £11,500. The committee will cable £10,00(? to Sydney for distribution to the various* colonies in proportion to the number of mer ■_each has sent. j Commandant Pretorious, the Boer commandant, who after being- wounded had his leg amputated, has, in accordance with Lord Roberto's instructions, been released. Dr Leyds condescends to explain that the Free State troops who were in Natal have gone to help General Cronje,. and that General Buller is profiting by the weakness consequent upon their withdrawal. The Queen summoned to Osborn'e the. bugler boy Dunn, who Avas wounded in "the firing line at the battle of Colenso, and presented him with a bugle. The Queen at Windsor made an appeal to former officers and privates to join the new force, the Royal Reserve- Battalions, for home defence, to replace those troopa who with the colonials at the front were nobly resisting the invasibn of British territory. .. — - • February 21. Three" thousand Canadians, Australians* and Cape Colony troops and artillerymen .' paTaded "at Capetown. The crowds "enthusiastically cheered them. The House of Commons, by 286 votes, to 152, have refused to reopen" the Jameson raid inquiry. February 22. The burgher roll call seized at Dordrechf incriminates many disloyalists in the northern portion of Cape Colony. • .. • February 23. , The Queen's appeal to ex-soldiers for th« • Royal reserve is proving a, surprising sue* cass. J The total British casualties for the cam. paign up to Saturday, 17th inst., are: 136 j officers and 1273 men killed, 396 officers and 5263 men wounded', 171 officers and 2446 men missing; — total, 9685. , ;- Of the wounded, 29 officers and 239 mcii have since died. . In the House of Lords Lord Salisbury [ stated that Britain had no engagement wit^

any Power respecting the treatment of the \ Transvaal and Free State Republics after the war. No Powers had suggested any such engagement. February 24. Two thousand • Afridi hillmen in India j have offered to help Lord Roberts. The Daily Telegraph states that .the Czar indignantly rejected a plan of General Kouropatk'ine, Minister of War, for the siege of Herat. General Kouropatkine stated that everything was prepared for the siege, and •England's hands were tied. The Czar, j however, declined to profit' by the weakness of a friendly State, and declared that I h(t would act with the strictest neutrality. The British navy is held in readiness for Immediate mobilisation if necessary. February 25. Renter's Calcutta correspondent telegraphs hinting that, owing, to the Russian attitude at Kushk, India has prepared • certain military schemes which remain a secret. '. The Ameer's relations witli India are excellent. The largest crowd of any Saturday night j since the beginning of the war assembled round the London newspaper offices last ■night, but no intelligence came to hand from the front. The last contingent of the New South IWales Medical Corps * proceeds to Sterketroom. The Ladysmith garrison captured two armed German spies wearing the red cross. Ihe men were caught in the act of asking natives for details of the town. ! Lord Roberts has captured Coimt Stern- j "berg, an Austrian general, who was gaining experience fighting for the Boers. General Buller has captured Genex'al Baron yon Dam, a German, chief of the Boer artillery, staff. To General Cronje is persistently attributed the credit of acting on a preconcerted plan, part of which was 'that British .attention was to. be occupied with a view 'to the concentration' of the Boer forces to ' protect the approaches to Bloemf ontein and "Pretoria. The recrudescence of fighting on the Tugela is interpreted to mean that the Boer plan of campaign has partially collapsed. . CAPETOWN, February 26. Sir Alfred Milner, High Commissioner, welcomed the colonial contingents by the ,Waiwera and Maori King. DURBAN, February 25. The steamer Admiral landed at Delagoa Bay 100 German recruits for the TransVaal, and ithe steamer Germande also landed 150 gathered from all the nations of the . BERLIN, February 22. j 'The .newspaper Neueste Nachrichten, in an inspired paragraph, tenders President *&ruger hearty German hospitality. OTTAWA, February 22. Despite the signs of mourning for Uie Canadians killed at Koodoosrand, the scene was one of most indescribable enthusiasm both at Halifax and Nova Scotia Avhen the remainder of the second contingent took their departure for South Africa. The Queen has cabled her appreciation of the loyalty of the Canadians, and wishing the troops God-speed. 1 Mr Barry, a merchant at Montreal, has volunteered, at his own expense, to replace - his brother, who was killed in the battle of Koodoosrand. MELBOURNE, February 20. Prior to the prorogation of the Assembly It was resolved to send a cable congratulating -Lord Roberts upon the magnificent sei>

' vices he has rendered to the Queen and Em- ; ' pire in South Africa. Over - £1700 was cleared at the recent race meeting in aid of the patriotic fund The Legislative Council adopted liie Legislative Assembly's congratulations "to Xord Roberts. February 21. Lord Ranfurly cabled to Sir J. Madden, ! Lieutenant-Governor, New Zealand's heart- '' felt sympathy at the disaster to their gal- ■ lant troops, who preferred death to sur- • • render. I j February 22. J The Premier, in reply to inquiries re- ; i garding the initials of certain killed and ' wounded, has received a message from Sir j A. Milner. It contains no mention of a second disaster to the Victorians. The De- | fence department' accepts this as almost j conclusive proof that The Times correspon- ] dent's reference to the gallant stand of the .Victorians referred to Major Eddy and , those who fell with, him at Rendsburg last , week, and not to any fresh losses. J February, 24. j - Mr and Mrs Seddon have cabled the j j Premier their sympathy in Victoria's loss i of .her men at Colesberg. SYDNEY, February 20. Mr Chamberlain has replied that he is much gratified at Mr Lyne's congratulatory message on the relief of Kimberley. The Mapleinore, the second Imperial transport to convey the bushmen's contingent, has arrived. i The Moravian, with the New South I Wales Lancers and medical corps, has ! reached Capetown. > The departure of the bushmen's contingent has been postponed to the 28th inst. The bushmen's fund totals £27,000 ; patriotic over £23,000. Mr Lyne has cabled congratulations to Field* Marshal" Lord Roberts. February 22. Forty thousand - people attended the sports in aid of the' patriotic and t bushmen's funds. The War Office informed Mr Lyne that no more meat is required at present for the army in South Africa. Mr Chamberlain has. accepted the Patriotic Committee's offer of a_ number of transport waggons for South Africa. February 23. The patriotic sports yielded £1146. Lorjl Roberts, replying to Mr Lyne's congratulations, says that all ranks appreciate the message from the people of New South Wales. BRISBANE, February 23. The swearing-in of the third contingent is completed. February 24. The Maori King, with Queensland's second contingent, has arrived at Capetown. February 26. Lord Roberts has cabled congratulating Queensland on sending reinforcements. He added that he could find employment for any more mounted men the colony cared to send.