ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8699, 19 December 1899, Page 2

ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER.

METHUEN SHELLS THE BOERS. ' GALLANTRY AT MAJERSFONTEIN. • HEAVY BOER LOSSES. .•: ; | Capetown, Deo, 18. ; Lord Methneo, during his reconnaisanee . ■ on Friday, dismantled one big gun and ' • ' silenced two smaller ones. He shelled the - Boer trencheßwi- bout suffering loss, ■.; AH Baron Fadew wold's . Scandinavian .': commando, numbering 85, were killed or ;.; wounded at Majersfontein except seven, ' who were captured by the British. / . • ' Boer accounts of the fight at Majersfontein acknowledga that there n-ai terrible slaughter. The enemy were still colleoting , " their men who were wounded on the niaht of the 13th. . . v '. There were hundreds of instances of -=: oonapiouons British gallantry worthy of the Victoria Cross. , „.".,• , .^..\ ; - The retirement on Tuesday was. con-,, - '■■: ducted under a terrific fire with perfect calmness. . ' I ......:■ ■ ' .""',f' ' It is estimated that General CtodjVs . foroe has now reached. 20.0C0, men., . •, Tja Mauy are massing at Jaoobsdal owing ??>i to bad water at Majersfontein. : . #v' : . .-v The Boera losses at. Majoisfontein. ate now stated at nearly 200O;"."' ... ;. „'.■ '.-; •'. Over one hundred bodies were found "■."' thrown into the river with stone* round their neoks. . .-•••. •'' -•"'■ ■■ ''••'• The railway has : been destroyed.:, two n . 3 miles from the.Modder river -station., ■■ '; "■'/ !

A Boer commando from Jacobsdal is moving in the direction of the railway in Methuen's rear. Lord Methuen has despatched troops to intercept it. Lokdok, Deo. 18. The Times states that information supplied to Lord Methuen prior to his late reverse was deliberately false.