VERY LATEST.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2679, 6 January 1900, Page 3

VERY LATEST.

THIS HAY. A FREE STATE COMMANDO. THE QUEENSLANDERS COMPLIMENTED. Received January 6th, 9.20 a.m, Capetown, January 5. President Steyn has issued a proclamation that every white man resident in the Free State shall be henceforth regarded as a burgher liable to be called upon active service in the defence of the country. Colonel Pilcher brought to Belmont a list of disloyalists at Douglas, whose sons fought in the battle of Sunnyside. Sit Eedvers Duller has complimented Colonel Pilcher on the part the Queenslanders took at Sunnyside. THE AUSTRALIAN FORCES. THE “ABSENT-MINDED BEGGAR.” STOWAWAYS. Received January 6th, 9.30 a.m. Sydney, January 6. The Government has finally decided that it cannot spare the Commandant to go to the Transvaal.

A large number of the Naval Brigade have volunteered *°r the Contingent.

Samuel McCaughey, la well known pastoralist, has donated) £SOOO to the Bushmen Contingent fund.

7Che Premiers of the various colonies have been advised that £SOO from the Daily Mail Kipling poem fund has been devoted to each colony’s patriotic fund.

Melbourne, January 6.

Three N.S.W. Permament Artillery men, and a German supposed to be a Boer spy, stowed away on the Warrigal. All were landed here.

.Received January 6th, 1120 a.m. Melbourne, January 6. Victoria receives £750 from the Kipling poem fund. PATRIOTIC FUND. Per Press Association. GISBORNE, January 6. A patriotic concert last night realised about £SO. A. Kennedy sang Sullivan’s setting of the “Absent-minded Beggar” at the conclusion of which a shower of silver coins poured on the stage, £6 14s being thus gathered. *■ HOKITIKA, January 6. The Hinemoa being delayed by the tide at Greymouth enabled the five remaining volunteers to get away this morning to join the second Contingent. The men were accorded a hearty sendoff by a large crowd, many friends escorting them to Greymouth to see the steamer sail. The mayor is calling a public meeting for Tuesday to consider proposals made by the mayors Of Christchurch and Wanganui to raise funds for a third Contingent. The feeling here appears to be to send more mounted men, not foot infantry, for the third Contingent. The local war relief fund is now over £SOO.

INVERCARGILL, January 6.

The sum of £SOO was remitted to the Lord Mayor of London to-day as the first instalment of the Southland Patriotic Fund.

SHAKE*HANDS AFTER A FIGHT.

After the affair of the armoured train at Estcourt, (when Mr Churchill and 50 men were taken prisoners) Dr Briscoe, who had charge of the Bed Cross trainwhich went out to bring in the dead and wounded, had an interview with the Boer Commandant,, who met him after he left the train, carrying a white flag. The commandant, replying to the request made on the previous day to remove our dead and wounded, said there was no need to hand over the dead, as they had been buried. So far as the wounded were concerned, they were being well looked after by the burghers’ own hospital corps. "The public and the relatives of the wounded,” remarked Dr Briscoe, “ may rest assured that they will be well cared for. They are under Dr Maxwell, of Ermela, a Scotchman, who was commandeered for service.” The question of the removal of the wounded having been settled, Dr Briscoe and the commandant entered into general conversation. They exchanged compliments as to the plucky way in which both sides were standing up to each other. The commandant expressed great admiration for the courage{of our soldiers. Dr Briscoe was loud in his praise of the courtesy with which he was received by the Boer commander, who spoke English fluently, and whose address aud manner were most admirable. The commandant was resolute, however, in refusing to give any information regarding the prisoners or casualties. All particulars regarding them would, he said, be.published in the Pretoria papers, to which he referred Dr Briscoe. He promised to do. his best to get the names of the three men killed.

FROM CAPE PILES. General Buller grumbles at the “ excursion trucks" provided for the troops on the Gape railways. (They are such as we are acquainted with in this district—the worst kind, the short jolty ones, not the bogie cars). He said that the men should have something more comfortable when they had to spend some days and nights in the train. The Argus agreed, and suggested that the suburban rolling stock should be given to the troops and the villa residents use the tracks for their quarter-of-an-hoar trips.

The second company of wounded arrived at Capetown from Natal on November 12th—15 officers and 200 men. Many were able to get off the steamer without or with little help, but there were 120 “lying down eases,” each of which had to be hoisted from below with the winch, and swung over the ship’s side to the wharf. Then they were railed a«ay to the military hospital camp at Wynberg. The Argus of November 15th demanded the proclamation of martial law affecting the railways, as rails had been interfered with and trucks derailed, quite near to Capetown. The Imperial authorities had already place ! patrols of local volunteers on the main lines, each man having one mile to patrol in the worst districts.

The Standard and Diggers' News (Johannesburg) of October 0 u reports that as the demand for ni cm toshes from the front could not be met by purchases, various barricaded wholesale stores were opened by the police under the personal supervision of the commandant of the city, and about 250 macintoshes found were “commandeered.”

A private telegram from Johannesburg in the middle of November, stated that the town was being excellently looked after.

A message of November 7th from Maseru, on tne border of Basutoland and the Free State, states that the Boer crops in the Caledon Valley were rotting for want of reapers. The Boers were alternately caressing and threatening the Baautos to get them to go and reap the crops, but they declined, holding to the assurances given by the British Resident Officer. The Bssutos have usually earned large sums by harvesting the Boer crops.

Neutrals in Pretoria who did not volunteer for the front were commandeered for special police duties. All eligibles were expected to report themselves for duty under severe penalty of fine, and for persistent disregard of the order, of expulsion from the state. The natives of Mashonalond are passive and appear to take no interest in the war. The Transvaal native Department reports (November 9th) that the natives are quiet throughout the Republic. Thousands have been called upon to sow and plough on farms where the breadwinners are fighting on commando. There have been no refusals, consequently the work was proceeding as usual, the women supervising. The Supreme Court sessions at Kimberley terminated on November 7th. Judge Lange spoke af the unique experience of trying prisoners with the booming of the guns of her Majesty’s enemies in their ears.

In Kimberley on November Bth the maximum price of meat was fixed at 8d per pound, and a new licensing law was issued, prohibiting sale of liquor to natives, and drunkenness and quarrelsome conduct on the premises, on pain of confiscation of property. A soldier engaged at Ehmdslaagte relates that two Highlanders ignored the enemy and had a stand-up fight about which of them had the right to the shelter of a boulder only big enough to give cover for one.

A correspondent of the Times of Natal says:—“ Ladysmith is dirty and mucky enough under ordinary circumstances, but with the water service cut off, and

15,000 to 20,000 men, and a few thousand extra horses, cooped up in it, the idea of having to remain here becomes so distasteful, that one . almost feels inclined to turn ‘undesirable’ and be cleared out.”

We learn that Private Keidy, of the Timaru City Rifles has had to stand down from the second contingent on account of his height, he being only sft 6in.

Mr John Mundell, for the O. F. O. A. sold a horse this afternoon the proceeds to go to the Patriotic Fund. The horse sold for £6 10s, and Mr Mundell will hand this sum to the fund named.