HOW THE TWELFTH LANCERS SATED THE GUNS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11548, 30 August 1900, Page 3

HOW THE TWELFTH LANCERS SATED THE GUNS.

Describing the severe fighting that fell on Gener.il Hamilton's division in the operations east of Pretoria, Tho Times correspondent mentions the following incident: Perceiving a gap in the enemy s line, behind which two guns were firing shrapnel with damaging accuracy, Broad wood determined to attempt to get in in order to break np the Boers' first line and reduce their artillery fire. "Q" Battery galloped for the gap and uulimbered. The Boers, seeing an opportunity, did what they had rarely done before. A large mounted body charged in close formation across the open to within 600 yardsof the battery and opened a murderous rifle fire. There was but one way to extricato the gnns. The 12th Lancers were ordered into the open in front, where they formed and charged. The enemy did not wait long enough for tbe sqnadrons to get really home. They scattered, but ten were left dead and several wounded. The guns were saved, but -the cavalry as they rallied came nnder rifle fire again. However, they had attained their object. Simultaneously another mass of Boers attempted Broadwood's right flank. The Household Cavalry wheeled out from behind a kopjo and charged. The moral effect of the naked Bteel and the shouting troopers was too much for the enemy, who broke and fled demoralised. A hundred of them ensconced in a krall evacuated it in sheer terror of the sword. It was a decided cavalry coup. The enemy were scattered and broken, and our mounted infantry came up and held all the positions taken.

What the noisy expressions of American Boer sympathisers were "worth to their recipients may be gauged from a Laffan telegram from Washington, The telegram siys : — "Tho 'extravagant promises of a Jnrgc relief fund, which were made at the iwm mooting held in Washington 0:1 May 20, when tho Boer delegates received such an enthusiastic welcome, hit 70 been reduced to au absurdity

by the issue of the pro-Boer committee's report. According to this it seems that the majority of those who promised contributions have failed to keep their word. The accounts show, that 1,120d01., of which 143d01. were for wine, were spent oh the entertainment of the delegate's, whilst the fund for the Transvaal widow's and orphans as yet only amounts to 18dol." Nothing more cruelly ironical could possibly have been invented in the way of commentary upon the vapourings of the Boer Delegates. They may now well say "Save us from our friends," and might fervently add "especially those of the American Dutch political sort,"