SOUTH AFRICA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9031, 24 December 1900, Page 2

SOUTH AFRICA.

THE INVASION OF CAPE COLONY. ANOTHER COMMANDO ACROSS THE BORDER. MARTIAL LAW PROCLAIMED. REINFORCEMENTS BEING SENT FROM HOME. Eleotrio Telegraph-Oopyrightr-Unlted Press AUOOlMloil. LONDON, Dec. 22. Martial law has been proclaimed in the I Mowing places in Cape Colony: Britstown, Victoria West, Richmond, Hanover, Murrayberg, Graff Reniet, Cradock, Larka, Molteno. It will shortly be proclaimed in Worcester, Wellington, and Stellenbosch. A proclamation has been issued warning . all of the penalties for rebelling. Previous offenders renewing assistance to the Boers will be treated with exceptional . severity. Dec. 23.— Another band of Boers has crossed the Orange river at Zontanie, and 1 is marching on Philipstown. 1 Philip Botha and Commandants Haasbrook and Hertzog command three Boer : forces raiding Cape Colony. Thirty -Boers have occupied Britstown. The War Office is despatching eight hundred mounted infantry next week, and two cavalry regiments, as soon as the ! transports are ready. ; The recruiting is being expedited by ten thousand colonial police detachments, • who are leaving as fast as they are > formed. Cavalry drafts will be sent immediately. I A special consignment of three thou- ' sand horses beyond the usual monthly , supply has been arranged for. Lord Kitchener, in reply to the War . Office concerning Mi- Bryn Roberts' shift- : ing of the charges from Australians to r South African colonials, explains the f grievance of two corps who refused to > march, but their action was due to mii experience of military procedure. There [. was no question of using force against » them. Their brilliant services in the 1 held since had entirely obliterated the : incident. ' i The British have re-occupied Venterstad. ( General Brabant, who has been in r Capetown, has been ordered to the frdnt. t lliere is an enormous 'concentration of » troops round the section invaded by the , Boers. 3 The invasion is largely attributed to . the effect of the Worcester Congress and t press excitement on the minis of the . invaders, rather than to the acts of the 5 Dutch colonials. - ocSf neral rre . nch on the 19th expelled j 2500 Boers, -with four guns and a pompom, from four positions at Thorndale, north-west of Krugersdorp, killing fifty * and wounding many in the subsequent ' rout and flight. General French's casualities were only fourteen wounded.'