The record-union., 1896-04-25
Heavy Loss Reported Inflicted Upon
the Africans.
The British Forces Later Ordered to
Retreat to Buluwayo, 1t Being
Feared That a Greater Force
Would be Met With-Large Num-
ber of Boer Wagons Conveying
Ammunition and Other Field
Requisites Leaving Pretoria.

CAPE TOWN, April PA dispatch
from Buluwayo says that Commander
Duncan, with 200 whites and 100 ma
tives, with Maxim and Hotchkiss guns,
met the Matabeles three miles out from
Buluwayo.
The details of the fighting show that
the defenders of Buluwayo decided to
make a sortie from that town and
engage the natives who were besieging
it. The British party met with no re-
sistance until they reached the UNI
guza River, where they came upon the
enemy. The force from Buluwayo oc-
cupied the south bank of the river for
a distance of a mile, while the Mata-
beles Were stretched along the north
bank for four miles. Selous, with a
hundred natives, was stationed in the
center; the Afrikanders formed the
left wing, and Guys scouts the right
wing.
The British force crossed the river
and rushed upon the Matabeles, who
were outhanked and driven into the
water. The enemy warmed UP and at
tempted to get in the rear of the Brit
ish, obliging the AfrikanderS to gallop
back to intercept them. Guys scouts
fell into an ambush, and had to make a
rush to extricate themselves from the
MatabeleS, who were pouring a hot fire
into them.
There were many instances of per-
sonal herOism. Trooper Baxter, seeing
Corporal Wise severely wounded and
his horse shot from under him, jumped
from his own horse and helped Wise to
mount him, thus enabling the Corporal
to escape. Baxter gave his life for
his friend, for shortly after Wise's es-
cape he was killed by a stroke from an
assegai hurled from one of the am
bushed foe. Guy had a narrow escape,
a bullet grazing his scalp.
Lieutenant Hood was severely and
| Lieutenant Crewe slightly wounded.
| The latter insisted that Hood should
! take his horse, and the latter after
some demur did SO and effected his
| escape. Crewe also got away without
further injury, but had great difficulty
in escaping Baxter's fate.
The Hotchkiss and Maxim guns be-
came jammed early in the fight. They
were only fired twice. Had it not been
for this the loss of the Matabeles would
have been far heavier than it was.
killed in midstream, and the rider
barely escaped with his life. All the
troops We're cool and plucky. They
drove the enemy up the river, inflicting
| heavy loss upon them.
| The exact number of the killed and
wounded Matabeles is not known. The
Matabeles were in full retreat, and were
being closely pursued by the British
( Al .<Il.,,
was given for the latter to fall back to
Buluwayo, it being feared that much
stronger force would be met with. The
Government has cautioned the officers
to act on the defensive only until rein
forcements shall have arrived.
1t is thought here that the sortie will
prevent the natives from attempting to
attack the town, which it was their evil
dent intention to do. There is no truth
in the report that the British were de-
feated. The only basis for it was a
statement in the first dispatches that
| the British had been driven into the
river Later details make no mention
of this, and it is thought the statement
was a mistaken one, for the British
crossed the river to reach the enemy at
close quarters.
1t is reported that a large number of
Boer wagons conveying ammunition
and other field requisites are leaving
Pretoria, the capital of the Transvaal.
Their destination is unknown.
Earl Grey, the newly appointed Ad-
ministrator of the South Africa Com
pany, who is at Pala, on his way 10
Palapy, has sent a dispatch to the COM
pany stating that he has very good
reasons to believe that the defenders
of Buluwayo will be able to hold the
position until the arrival of reinforce
mentS.