TUGELA BATTLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 53, 8 March 1900, Page 3

TUGELA BATTLE.

BULLEB'S ORDERS DISREGARDED.

r " iTbeginsto leiikout," says Mr. Bennet Burleigl), in a letter to the Daily Tdegraph, " dealing with the battle of Colenso, that in more than one inBiance General Buller's orders were not only blunderingly executed, but were actually disregarded. Major-general Hart's error had, as all now know, terrible results. He marched his brigade in quarter column far within the cannon and rifle fire zone of the Boers. One of the Boer shells placed 11 of the C'onnaught Rangers hors de combat, and the hailstorm of bombs was accompanied by a worse and more ■ deadly hurricane of Mauser bullete. The men doubled to get into open order. Major-general Hart angrily reproved them. The evolution, he loudly commanded, must be done in quick, not double, time. Here there was a wide ditch which had to be crossed, but within 10 minutes the Dublin Fusiliers were there, and" upon the top of them, crowding, came the remairing battalions. They tried to ascend 600 yards to the left, bat the fire was too awful to enable them or their comrades to force the passage.

A COLONEL'S KKADY WIT. Colonel Thackray, of the Inniskilling Fusiliers, saved himself by his wit and fortitude from capture. He was left behind in an impossible corner, and, later in the day, saw the ambulance approach. The Red Cross was raised, and the Boers ceased fire. Having learned, however, that a general retirement had been ordered, the Boer leader called to Colonel Thackray that he was a prisoner with the rest of the soldiers. " Oh, no," said Colonel Thackray. "We were firing all the time. You advanced under the Ked Cross as if it were a flag of truce, and we let you." "We'l, now, you must lay down your arms," said the Boer commandant. " No; why should we V' asked Colonel Thackray. " Let us go back and begin again." He almost convinced, and, at any rate, gained the respect of the Boer, who said at lust, bluntly, " Well, I have no orders. Perhaps you are right. I'll turn my back and won't see you. S > you can clear off with all your men." Colonel Thackray did so with promptitude.

A CONCERTINA INCIDENT. | A curious incident of the advance is described by the Manchester Guardian : I A Zulu driver lashed out with his long whip at bis mules, and ir.stantly let' drop from liis left hand, with a curious] native cry of despair that cheusiied Jviftir instrument, a concertina. . .j -But the leader of the mounted com-: coming behind noticed the liustiument lying on the ground. "Mind that concertina !" he shouted. Pass the word !" He pulled his Lorse aside, the word was passed] a line of horses in the n::ddio of the company swervet), the fc/csfc of Je?,s passed, and t behold 1 \di§ lu| | \ |

rAnd thus all the rest of the brigade passed, hurrying on to use all the latest and most civilised means for killing men and destvoying property; and minding the concertina tenderly as they went; so that when all the dancing sea of legs had passed over it the concertina still lay unscratched on the ground, and I picked it up and took it into my tent.

THE FLEETS OF THE WORLD. A return showing the fleets of Groat Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, the United States, and Japan, was recently issued u a Parliamentary paper. The number of war vessels of all kinds built or building in the various countries is as follows: Great Britain.—Battleships: built 53, building 17; armoured cruisers: built 17, building 14; protected cruisers; built 107, building 9; unprotected cruisers: built 15; coast defence vessels (armoured) : built 13; special vessels; built 3; torpedo vessels; built 35; torpedo boat destroyers: built 75; building 33; first-class torpedo boats: built 95, building 2 ; total, 488. France.— Battleships: built 31, building 4 ; armoured cruisers: built 8, building 12; protected cruisers: built 36, building 4; unprotected cruisers: built 14; coast defence vessels (armoured); built 14; one special torpedo depot ship: torpedo vessels: built 15; torpedo boat destroyers : built 2, building 10; torpedo boats: built 219, building 47; submarine boats: built 3, building 9; total, 428.. Russia. Battleships: built 12, building 12 ; armoured cruisers: built 10, building 2; protected cruisers: built 3, building 8; unprotected cruisers: built 3 ; coast defence vessels I (armoured): built 15, building 1; special vessels; built 5, building 2; I torpedo vessels: built 17 ; torpedo boat destroyers: built 1, building 35 ; torpedo boats: built 174, building 6 ; total, 306. Germany.—Battleships: built 18, building 7 ; armoured cruisers: built 3, building 2; protected cruisers : built 13, building 4 ; unprotected cruisers : built 21; coast defence vessels (armoured) : built 11; special vessels; built 3; torpedo vessels: built 2 ; torpedo boat destroyers: built 1, building 10; torpedo boats: built 113 ; total, 208. Italy.—Battleships: built 15, building 4; armoured cruisers: built 3, building 4; protected cruisers: built 15, building 3 ; unprotected cruisers: built 1; special vessels: built 2; torpedo vessels: built 15; torpedo boat destroyers: building 11;- torpedo boats: built 144; building 10; total, 227. United States.—Battleships: built 5, building 11; armoured cruisers: built 2, building 3 ; protected cruisers: built 14, building 7; unprotected cruisers: built 6; coast defence vessels (armoured) : built 19, building 4; special vessels: 1; torpedo boat destroyers: built 1, building 19; torpedo boats: built 16, building 14 ; total, 122. Japan.—Battleships: built 3, building 4 ; armoured cruisers : built 3, building 4 ; protected cruisers: built 14, l uilding 2; unprotected cruisers: built 9; coast defence vessels: built 4; torpedo vessels, 1 ; torpedo boat destroyers: built 8, building 4 ; torpedo boats: built 29, building 29 ; total, 114.