The herald., 1896-04-01
SOUTH AFR|CA'S SITUATION
THE TRANSvAAL INVADERS ARE CAUGHT
In THEIR OWN TRAP
The Supply Of Arms Is In the Hands Of the
Boers, Who Unite With the Natives in
the Attempt to Destroy British Influence
In Southern Africa
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire
CAPE Town. March 3l.-Additioual ad
vices received here from Buluwayo show
that the work OF putting that town in
state OF defense has b0en completed as far
as the means at hand permit. But there is
lack OF arms and ammunition ther with
which to supply the many settlers who
have gathered there from outlying districts
since the uprising commenced. These
men, in many cases. have rifles, but they
are OF all kinds and makes and the stock
OF ammunition procurabIe for them is
small. Consequently it has been decided
to replace these weapons as far as possible
with the Martini-Henry rifles served out to
the police, etc., the stock of ammunition
for the latter being fairly adequate. The
authorities here are now feeling the effects
of the policy of weakening the defenses of
different parts of British South Africa in
order to make the lamentable display in
the Transvaal. Had matters at Johannes
burg turned out as the manipulators of the
expedition and uprising contemplated,
things would have assumed a different
aspect. But certain persons here and
elsewhere are now in the position of hunt
ers caught in their own traps, with the ad-
uitopal modification of the knowledge
that the Beers have. by the seizures made
in the mines, ETC., of many thousands of
rifles, bayonets, revolvers and Maxim
guns, completely turned the tables on the
British. Until arms and ammunition ar
rive from England the latter are almost
helpless, and combined uprising upon the
part of the Beers and natives who could be
| bribed into hostility might be very disas-
trous. The Beers now have weapons with
which to arm a powerful auxiliary, for they
are aware OF the predicament in which the
British find themselves. Offensive opera
tions against the Matabeles are nearly at
standstiil; communication south of Bull
uwayo is practically cut Off parties of set
tiers, who left their clearings at the first
sign of alarm, are still unreieved, and
there seems to be no immediate prospect
of assistance being sent to them. Some of
these, therefore, are more than likely to
fall victims to the Matabeles,
Selous and Napier, at Buluwayo, have
done everything possible under the circun-
stances, and as a result OF scouting work
they are keeping 'sdust in the air;" that ia
to say, they are doing their utmost to con.
ceal the weakness of the position of the
| plies of arms and ammunition necessary.
But these supplies are not procurable at
such short notice. Thousands of stands of
arms which were believed to be at the dis
| posal OF the British chartered company's
officials seem to have mysteriously disap-
pcared and few doubt that they are in the
hands of the Beers. Thus, time must
elapse before arms and ammunition can
reach here from England. and in the
meantime the situation must necessarily
| grow more grave.
The agent of the chartered company
has been duly asuthorzed to raise an addi-
! tional force of five hundred men, but
though the men are available, arms, am
milton and horses are wanting.
The whole OF the country outside of a
radius of about thirty miles around Bulu-
wayo is in a state of open insurrection, and
| the Matateles and other natives are flock
ing to the Matopo hills. where the son of
the late King Lobengula is said to have
been raised 10 his fathers rank with much
ceremony, preparatory to taking command
of the army of insurgent natives flocking to
the hills from all parts.
The vicinity of Buluwayo is kept clear of
rebels by the white scouts, but it is be-
lieved that the natives are kept fully in
formed of all that is going on, and nobody
now doubts that the root of the trouble is
at Pretoria and that Berlin is kept we'll
informed regarding the progress of the up
rising.
Advices from the Transvaal show that
the work of preparing for war is being con-
tinued there night and day. Gangs of men
relieve each other at intervals upon the
armed forts designed to protect Pretoria.
the plates for which have been furnished
by the Creusot works and the guns by the
great Krupp firm of Germany.
The drilling of artillerymen under Ger
man officers goes on openly every day.
There is no longer any concealment in the
preparations being made. The foreign
legation. composed almost entirely of Ger
mans who have recently entered the
Transvaal, is organized. This force will
be mostly infantry and artillery, the Beers
being relied upon to furnish all the cav
airy.
The general opinion expressed here is
Al. a.,,l- Al.
British home government greatly under
estimate the serious state of affairs which
prevails here. This seems to be especially
the case with the British government, and
it would seem that the latter must be in
tentionally or unintentionally misled
by the. chartered company's officials
or others. In this connection
it s reported that Sir Hercules Robinson,
the governor of Cape Colony, seeing the
approach OF the clouds, ia desirous of re-
signing before the storm breaks, and there
are other officials who, ruInor has it, would
like to do the same. In short, British pres
tge in South Africa has been rudely
shaken, and the shaking, under encourage
ment from Germany, is still going on and
the most energetic steps are likely to be
necessary in order to enable Great Britain
to maintain the status quo which prevailed
before the Jameson raid. The full effects
of the great mistake are only beginning to
De 1eILs anu uIlieSS al luClCdtlOilS are uc.
ceiving, the worst is yet to come.
1t leaked out today that the officials of
the British Chartered company are even
more alarmed than current report has 1t.
1t is understood that representations have
lust been made to Sir Hercules Robinson
regarding the extreme gravity of the situa-
tion and requesting tkat he ask for imme-
diate reintorcements of regular troops
from Great Britain or India. He is said to
have assured a representative of the COM
pany that the home government may be
counted upon to meet any emergency and
that additional troops may be shortly ex-
pected at Cape Town.
Similar representations. it is admitted,
we're cabled to the officers of the British
Chartered Company in London and an as
surng message is understood to have been
received here from The president, the duke
of Abercorn.
The Eews from the seat of the outbreak
in Matabeleland increases in gravity and
details are coming to hand of the failure of
the forces dispatched against the natives
to gain substantial advantage over them.
The rebellion is spreading, and the in
adequacy of the present forcc in equip
ment to quell it is admitted.
1t il learned that five white men, includ-
ing Messrs. Cass, Hanley and Burtord have
been murdered at lnyati, forty miles north
west of Buluwayo. A patrol force which
was sent to the relief OF lnyati found
that the place was too hot to hold
and they we're compelled to retreat.
+. G. Selous, the great hunter and CAM
week and who led raid into the Mattopo
hills, threatening Buluwayo in the east,
has also retired from the hills. The Mata-
beIea are assembled there in large force