THE TRANSVAAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3463, 7 January 1901, Page 3

THE TRANSVAAL.

CLEARING SOUTH ORANGE. j PROTECTION OP THE MINES. BOERS URGE SURRENDER. RECRUITING AT CAPETOWN.' LANDING BLUE-JACKETS. United Pi ass Association—Per Electric . . Telegraph—Copyright. Received 8.16 a.m., January sth. LONDON, January 4." 'Lord Kitchener is clearing the various districts where- the Boers laagered round Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, and Edenbtpg. "Commandant Viljoenwas the "author of the "recent." binning of' mine property at Boksbht^,when. *£50,000 worth of • pro-" perty was..destroyed. . Lord Kitchener has warned mine owners not to rely , on- the regular troops for protection. This has caused a little anxiety, 'but the recently formed Rand Rifles are expected-to" suffice. A spontaneous meeting of burghers who had surrendered, held at Pretoria, formed ai committee to appeal to-those still fighting, to surrender. -• Lord Kitchener made a friendly speech, and said the burghers had fought well, and there would be no humiliation in surrendering. He emphasised Mr Chamberlain's liberal programme. Guerilla warfare was useless, and'inhuman, to the prisoners who were awaiting repatriation. If i conciliation failed, -the Boers would be responsible for compelling the adoption of other methods. Six thousand five hundred irregulars have been recruited in the past: eight weeks, of whom 5000 have gone "to the front, including 2500 Capetowners/ - The first batch-of the latter, enrolled .this, week, started for Worcester and Ceres to ptotect the passes, the -Hex river, and the railway tunnels.

The warship Monarch landed bluejackets and guns at the Cape, to take the place of troops sent north.

A CONFERENCE OF PREMIERS. Received 9.10 a.m., January sth. SYDNEY, January 5. - A Premiers' conference will be held to discuss the question of union in the "matter of more troops -for South Africa. The conference will probably be held next week. THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNOR- " SHIPS- . v RETREAT OF CAPE INVADERS. NEW ZEALANDERS COMMISSIONED. Received 5.8 p.m., Januaiy. 6th. LONDON, January 5. - It is officially announced that Sir -Alfred Mihier has been appointed Governor of the Transvaal and Orange River Colo-, nies, retaining the High Commissionership of South Africa; that Sir Walter Francis Hely-Hmtchinson, Governor of. Natal, has been appointed Governor of Cape Colony; Lieutenant-Colonel Sir H. E; McCallum, at present Governor of Newfoundland, Governor of Natal, and that Major Goold Adams, Resident Commissioner of Bechuanaland, will be Lieutenant-Governor of 1 Orange River. Two hundred invaders of Cape Colony have recrossed the Orange River, retiring northwards. Former Boer rebels in.. Bechuanaland, who . have rejoined the Commandos, are advancing on Griquatown, where there is a British garrison. Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, who is pursuing "a Commando 800 strong in . the vicinity of Wettenreden, reports that he had five wounded, and was unable to dislodge the invaders in the eastern district of Cape Colony from the kopjes westward of Middleburg. The Boers subsequently withdrew towards Bethesada.

The following New Zealanders have ac- : cepted commissions in the Regiments named:—E. F. Ward, 3rd Hussars; L. P. Russell, West Yorkshire Regiment; R. < Witheford, Wiltshire Regiment; J. Watson, North Staffordshire Regiment; Captain Garcia, Durham Regiment; Lieutenant [ R. W. Collins, Oxfordshire Light Infantry; H. Howell, Manchester Regiment; Sergeant E. Lascelles, 3rd Dragoon Guards; ' Sergeant E. FitzGerald, Essex Regiment ; Sergeant-Y. W. O'Farrell, Derbyshire Regiment ; "Corporal G. P. Overton, Northamptonshire Regiment; Trooper C. Steel, Berkshire Regiment; Trooper Whiteman, Middlesex Regiment; Trooper G. W. Geddes, Minister Regiment. DEEENCE OF CAPE COLONY. REINFORCEMENTS BEING ENROLLED. THE SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY POLICE. Received 5.30 p.m., January 6th. LONDON, January 5. Two naval guns command the approaches to Capetown. Other guns are being sent inland. The Cape Post Office Department is -raising 600 men; the Railway Department 500 men, and the Workmen's Association 100. Since the special appeal was made 1000 men have been enrolled. A quantity of ammunition has been seized at Paarl. It was in the hands cf svmpatbisers with the invaders. Sir Frederick Carrington, who is at present operating towards the Swaziland border, is expected to proceed south. One thousand men will enrol at Vancouver for service in General BadenPowell's South African Police. THE ORIENT'S TROOPS. Received 6.25 p.m., January 6th. MELBOURNE, January 6. The Orient's troops landed and marched through the streets to the Exhibition - buildings, where they were officially well corned by the Minister of Defence and other Ministerial and military feeads, who made

e- speeches eulogistic of their services. Ti rn officers commanding the- Various detacl ments replied. There -were big crowc ie of spectators, and much enthusiasm wt ie shown. al Received 11.32 a.m., January sth. 1. The- Orient has arrived. Her trooj i. include 227 invalids, of whom 49 are Nei Zealanders, but even the invalids are abl to get about, beings much improved b d the voyage. The men will come ashor it to-morrow. S "MOVEMENTS OF THE BOER COMjl MANDOS. Received 12.47 a.m., January 7th. LONDON, January 6. The western Commando is proceeding t< Calvina, whilst the eastern Commando ha: . been broken into small parties. Anothei small Commando has crossed the' Orang< River west of Aliwal North. THE SIXTH CONTINGENT. Per Press Association. GISBORNE, January 5. . The 15 men selected for the Sixth Contingent will be given a good, send ofi to-night, being banquetted, and the local volunteers turning out in their honour. WELLINGTON, January 5. . The 25 men whom Canterbury is equipping for the Sixth Contingent will be sent independently of the men equipped by the Imperial Government, so that in reality; the force will consist of. 525 men. Mr Symes, M.H.R;, has volunteered for the Sixth Contingent. Mr Ward has cabled New Zealand's congratulations to Lord Roberts on the new distinction conferred upon him. CHRISTCHURCH, January 6. " The following South Canterbury men have been selected by the War Fund Executive to fill the vacancies in the Canterbuiy troop of the Third Contingent:— Mostyn Jones, Waimate; Richard Allan, Fairlie; M. Hurst Davis, Waimate; Alfred James Davidson, Fairlie; John For- . syth, Coutt's Island; A: H. McKay, Fairlie. . Among those who have passed the medical examination for the .Sixth Contingent is John Cassidy, of Pleasant Point. The' examination of candidates for the Sixth Contingent will be continued on Moaday morning. January. 6. Twenty-five men were picked for the Canterbury Wax Fund contingent yesterday, and 36 were also picked for the Sixth Contingent. DEATH OF TROOPER MOFFATT. The following letter from Trooper H. C. Graham to Mr Moffatt, regarding the death of the latter's son, has been handed to us for publication:— Capetown, Dec. 7th. Dear Mr Moffatt, — I have just received a letter from mother asking me for information of Bill. lam sony to have to tell you we left him at Johannesburg on our way to Pretoria, very ill with enteric. We heard about tvso months afterwards that he had died'from enteric, but could' get no-official note of -it. It was early, in May that we left .him..' Eventually the Major wired to find -cjut how he was, and on the 22nd October received an answer to, say he had died on tie 15th June,' in the Victoria hotel hospital, Johannesburg. The whole Contingent were cut up to hear of his death, for he was the most popular man amongst us," always ready to share his food and "water with anyone, and always so good natured and good tempered. No matter what was going on 05 how uncomfortable ■we might be, Bill was always the same good natured chap. He is -buried in the soldiers' cemetery in Johannesburg. The whole Contingent have subscribed to erect a tombstone over our dead, and one has been put over Bill. It is an iron cross with a heart-shaped brass plate on it. I am here in Capetown for a week or so. Yours truly, TROOPER GRAHAME.

Mr James Kane, Pleasant Point, has just- received a letter from his sen, Trooper Kane, who is at present a n-tm-ber of Brabant's Horse in South _'xfri;a, stating that he has been selected, as a representative of the Colonial Division which it) is proposed to send to England. Trooper Kane, who! was brought up as a farmer, speaks very highly of the land in the Orange River Colony for agricultural purpose?, and gives .a-very good description of the methods employed by the colonials in working the land. Horses, he says, are unknown for ploughing, etc., the work being principally done by mules and cattle. He is so much taken up with the country that he intends on his return from England to settle in the Orange River Colony and follow farming pursuits.