The Indianapolis journal., 1896-04-25
Both Sides Are Said to Have Suffered
Severely, but Reports OF Loss
e. Are Conflicting.
FRENCH SOCIALISTS ACTIVE
DEMONSTRATIONS IN PARIS LAST
NIGHT AGAINST THE SENATE.
No Successor to Premier bourgeois
Yet Selected by President Faure-
NJ. Meline Consulted.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April "a
Wire communication with Buluwayo was re-
stored for time to-day. and it was learned
the beleaguered forces of that place had made
a sortie and attacked the Natabele army. Ac-
counts differ, one report saying the British
sortie party inflicted heavy loss on the
rebels and then retreated in good order. An
other account says the British were unsuc-
cessful and retreated in disorder. The off,
clal version of the sortie says the Buluwayo
force, soon after Midnight. was quietly called
to arms and without apparently alarming
the native part OF the town, force Of about
three hundred men. unier Captains Napier
and Duncan, with one Maxim rapid-fire gun
and Hotchkiss quick-iring gun. belonging
to the flagship ST. George. mustered outside
the barbed wire defenses and were served
with ration OF and saddled up for a
dash at the enemies lines. Swords and all
clattering accoutrements were deadened with
cloth and the feet Of the horses composing
the advance guard were "bagged' (hoofs COW
cred with strong sacking)
Owing to the precautions 1t was necessary
to take. there was considerable delay in get
ting of, and the first streaks Of gray on the
horizon could be seen when the column ar
rived within striking distance OF the enemy
The latter were quietly camped behind their
stone-topped earthworks. about four miles
from Buluwayo. But, contrary to expecta-
ton, the Matabeles had thrown out pickets.
which, although surprised by the advance
guard, raised the alarm. This was no sooner
done than the troopers in advance charged
and shot down the fleeing natives. Unluckily
| for the plans Of Captains Napier and Dun
| can, by this time 1t was getting quite light,
and the Matabeles had sprung to arms all
| along the line. AS the British advanced they
| were received with scattering rifle fire from
| behind the earthwofks, but the advance guard
| charged right up to the mounds and spurred
| their horses over them in several places.
| Then followed setback for the troopers.
| The Matabeles charged in force and drove
| the advance back and were met by the main
body of the Buluwayo force. Fire was
| opened at about four hundred yards on the
| Matabeles' position.
AT CLOSE QUARTERS
Just previous to the advance on the Mata-
| belle position, the two rapid-fire guns We're
| set to work, and for about quarter of an
| hour they were made to sweep the Matabele
| position in front OF the British force. When
the right moment seemed to arrive the
| charge was ordered, and there was q pro-
longed period of sharp fighting at close quar-
| ters Pistols, rifles, shotguns, assegais, war
| clubs, spears and knives clashed prettily,
| the music Of the rapid-iring guns. sent to
| the rear for fear Of their being captured, hav-
| ing ceased. Both sides fought bravery. 1t
was a case of handful of well-armed whites
| against small army of badly-armed Mata-
| beles. The former were lighting for the
helpless women and children In the be-
-
| fighting for what they considered to be their
| own. their native land-for Buluwayo, the
| old capital of King Lobengula Gradually
| the Matabeles, pressed onward by sheer
| force of numbers. almost surrounded the
| British, who. to avoid being encircled re-
drxen fSes1 steadily backward one e squsd for srn
| time, was quite cut off. and only extrlcated
itself by brilliant charge through the Mata-
belle Gordon. Eventually the British were
very hard pressed and gave ground fast:
| then, rallied by Napier and Duncan, they
| again assumed the offensive, and drove back
| the swarms Of natives under well-directed
| fire. Then it was the turn OF the Matabeles
| to give ground, and a squad of troopers,
| charging with a ringing cheer, threw them
| into confusion and the British were APPARENT
| ly getting the upper hand and slowly forcing
| the enemy backward, when suddenly the re-
| treat was ordered and the British returned
| The loss of the Matabeleg is supposed to
| have been at least five hundred. The loss OF
the British is not stated. but it is believed to
| be more severe than the commanders at
| Buluwayo are willing to admit.
The unofficial account of the sortie places
matters in ,.s, somewhat different light. It
| and retreated, fighting stubboi.nly, with the
| loss of many killed and wounded. In brief.
| the sortie was failure, a defeat for the
| British, and, what is worse under the cir
cumstances, there was an expenditure OF
much of the small stock OF ammunition re-
| naming at Buluwayo. The MatabeIes are
ha1i N bp wi VII
have driven back into Buuwayo a strong
| force about half the garrison of that place,
and, though they suffered severely, the loss
in prestige and ammunition to the British
| Is much more severe.
BRITISH BADLY DEFEATED.
Further particulars show that when the
| Matabele main body was first made out
about four miles west Of Buluwayo the
enemy occupied ridge, on top of which
| were the earthworks and stone parapets.
| and were prepared to receive the British
| force. Consequently, slight detour was
| made. so as to bring the column slightly
north of Buluwayo. The enemy were found
| to be covering four miles OF weli-selected
| positions on the north bank of the Umguza
river. After fierce fighting the natives drove
| the British back and down the bank. Cross
he the eNplorer had ins harrow eGas M.
/ horse was killed in midstream ami he be-
came entangled In the stirrup. When he
| extricated himself he was half drowned
and would have sunk had IL not been for
| Lieutenant Windley. who swan his horse
| out into the middle Of the river In the face
| of the fire Of the enemy, rescued Selous and
reached the left bank without injury. When
| the British rallied and drove back the
| portion of the Matabele force, and SO soon
| as the enemy swarsned over the ridge in
| large numbers they almost surrounded the
| British and the latter were compelled to
| retreat. The squad of troopers. previously
| said to have been for a time quite cut on
| liant charge through the Matabeie Gordon.
was Captain Grey'e scouts. They were to
certain degree ambushed and almost In
| the hands Of che enemy when by Z deDper-
| ate rush they extricated themselves. Il -
J now said that both the Hotchkiso nn4