MAIL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 100, 1 June 1900, Page 2

MAIL NEWS.

THE DEFENCE Of WEPENER. (Received 31, D.GO a.m.) Sydney, May 31. Details of Colonel Dalgety's defence of Wcpener show that the position covered some seven milfs. The defending force numbered 1700 and the attacking force fiom 4000 to 5000. The fight opened with an artillery duel for several hourp, interspaced with heavy rifld fre, The British losses on the lirst day were eleven killed ai.d forty-one wounded, the Cape Mounted Rifles and the Royal Scots bearing the brunt, the former losing heavily. Oa the second day the attack was continued with great determination, and lighting was kept up till midnight j The Boers wade a determined attack I

to capture a position hold by thoOupe R'fles, They crept within 250 Mlfds, but the rrcfp'.ion was too hot. ana tray ■vithdrow. The British loss was four killed and wounded, oif fourth day a desperate attempt made to capture the north-west poii- * tion, but it was driven back by ' Brabant's Horse. The attack subsequently weakened as the relieving force approached, nun), bers of the besiegers being detached to intercept them. The losses to the fifteenth day were twenty-nine killed and 140 wounded. British troops had an exception" ally hard time, cooped up in trenches m and only able to take exercise by night. Wet weather prevailed for several days, and the men were badly off for boots and clothing. The Boer losses were very heavy, and their ambulances were kept hud at work. THE MAGERBFONTBIN AFFAIR, AN EYE-WITNESS' AOOOOHT, (Received 81,11 p.m.) ? Melbourne, May 81, Corporal Fuller, a returning Gordon Highlander, gives the following version of the disaster to the Highland Brigade at Magersfontein, where he wa« wounded:—"Two llimington soouta, answering the names of Colley and Jackson, piloted the Brigade. Before a man can join the Himington's ha must speak Dutch. These two spoke it .fluently, and why ? Because they were Boers, and enlisted in the Rimington's for their own purposes. When tiie Brigade advanced in quarter ™l»m« t close up to the Boer trench, a was fired. Either Colley or Jackson wen supposed to be acting as flankers, one on each side, but a shot was fired as a signal to the Boers, and in an instant the whole ground was ablaze with rifle fire." Fuller added:—" I did not see >. it myself, but heard from member* of the Brigade afterwards,"