IN THE TRANSVAAL.

Otago Witness, Volume 02, Issue 2420, 2 August 1900, Page 24

IN THE TRANSVAAL.

LONDON, July 24.

Lord Methuen on Saturday completely dispersed the Boers at Oliphant's Nek, seven miles to the south-west of Rustenburg.

"He inflicted a severe loss upon the enemy and relieved Rustenburg.

■" Lord Methuen has effected a junction ■with ' Generals Baden-Powell " .and Bruce Hamilton, ,and .occupied a strong position near Spitzray. 1 ' Documents found at Pretoria prove that large ■ bribes were paid to , prominent foreigners recently by the Traiisvaal Government. .

' Mesdames Kruger, Botha, Meyer, and 600 women and children have reached Bar-

July 25. .

The British scouts in Swaziland killed Field-cornet Lombard and captured Commandant Von^Dam." - Major-general Stephenson is at Eland's River;- General lan Hamilton is at Doornkraal ;'.and General Clery" at Grootspruit, -north of Standerton.

The Boers crossed the Klerksdorp line south of Stilfontein on Saturday night in an endeavour to junction with another commando/ where the Rhenoster River joins the Vaal.

During their pursuit by the British some Boers,, who were clad in khaki, beckoned three Australians to them. The Australians, believing them to be friends, approached, when the Boers shot them.

While reconnoitring at Pienaarspoort on. Saturday, a force of South Australians ihad a warm skirmish. They used a Colt ina;cEine gun, -but the Boers replied with their • Mausers at a range of 1000 yards. ' The Australians fought gallantly until the *Boers - brought - a .pom-pom to bear, the shells- from .which stampeded the colonial torses. / The colonials then removed the gun, although its carriage was smashed, but were compelled to throw their ammunition into the river.

' The Boers have evacuated all their positions in the Middleburg district, and moved north and eastward towards Lydenburg, whither. Kruger is proceeding.

Burghers and farmers state that mercenaries alone' insist on the prosecution of the, war.

" The censor's silence when General Baden- ' Powell was besieged at Rustenburg until ie was relieved by General, Methuen's victory over the Boers at Oliphant's Nek, seven- miles south-west ■ of Rustenburg, is «trongly criticised. Brigadier-general Porter, commanding |ihe Ist Brigade, cavalry division, has broken his collarbone. Brigadier-general Gordon,' of the 3rd Brigade, succeeds him. Xiieutenant-colqnel Little, of the 9th Lancers, succeeding General Gordon. Both officers serve under General French. -" ♦ Lieutenant Anderson, a Victorian, has •fceen granted \.• commission in the Royal Artillery. -

. General lan ' Hamilton's occupation of Bustfontein forced the Boers to abandon

a strong position fronting General PoleUarew, who is operating on the centre of the general advance movement. Generals French and Hutton are making a wide de-

tour to the right, driving the Boers before them, and capturing many.

July 26. Lord Roberts occiipied Bronkorst Spruit on Tuesday.

Colonels Airey and Lussingtan, commanding a mixed force of regulars and Australian Bushmen, numbering 450, scattered 1000 Boers who were holding a strong position at Magold Pass, in bhe Rustenburg district, on Sunday.

The Boer losses were considerable, virile the British lost six in killed and 19 in wounded. ' Amongst the killed were Captain C. W. Robertson, lately commanding the Boyal Marine Light - Infantry on the warship Katoomba, who went on temporary commission as captain in the Imperial Bushmen contingent.

Lieutenant Ebsworfch, of the Australian Horse, was killed at Bronkhorst Spruit.

July 27.

The Boers attempted to cut General Buller's communications with Natal. After three, days' skirmishing, General Hildyard drove the Boers northwards with considerable loss. Generals French and Hutton oiitflanked the Boers six miles south of Balmoral, compelling them to retreat. Lord Roberts has arrived at Balmoral.

General Sir Frederick Carrington had a sharp engagement on Sunday on the Selous River. Three hundred New South Wales Bush-

men, assisted by the Rhode&ian force, attacked a large body of Boers at Selcus River. .After severe fighting tney dispersed the enemy with heavy loss.

Three colonials were killed and 19 wounded.

In connection with the advance of the British from Pretoria, Generals Hector Macdonald and Bruce Hamilton, with the Highlanders and Mounted Infantry Brigade, have securely blocked the Inguwooni Pass and Golden Gate.

Captain Robertson, of the New South Wales Bushmen, was killed at Selous River.

July 28,

It is officially announced that the Boers have evacuated Middleburg. The retreat is described as "a disorderly >ek. The roads were blocked with fugitives. Torrents of rain prevented the British pursuing.

The weather' on the night' of the evacuation, was terrible. One officer died from ■exposure.

The _British have occupied Middleburg.

Lord Roberts reports that, despite the hai'dships, the troops are in famous spirits.

One thousand Boers are trying to surround Potchefstroom, upon which General Methuen is advancing.

, The British have evacuated Klerksdorp, where some troops were' captured.

[Klerksdorp,- "a little to the north of the Vaal River, is the tennmus of the railway which runs west soxith-west from Johannesburg. Potchefstroom is the name of the capital of the district of the same 'name, some distance north of Klerkscforp. Some distance north of Klerksdorp there are coal mines at work.]

C. E. Enderby, a New Zealander, died at Pretoria. „

[C. H. Enderby was in No. 1 Company of the first contingent. He was a railway stationmaster, and his people reside in Wanganui.J