The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-19

CAPETOWN. April 1S.-(Copyright-
ed, 1896, by the Associated Press).-
Military men. scouts, Dutchmen and
Englishmen. civilians of all classes,
veteran troops and government Off
clals concur in the statement that the
governor of Cape Colony. Sir Hercu-
les Robinson. has not told the truth if
he has notified the home government
that Buluwayo is in no danger. 1t is
evident to everybody here that the
British in Buluwayo are in most crit
ical position. The chief point of their
weakness Is the smallness of their
numbers and The immensely of the
hordes of Natabeles gathering for at
tack. Then. again. large numbers or
Matabeles, presumed to be friendly,
have by some excuse or other succeed
ed in entering the town and II IS well
known that they have planned to rise
and strike at the British as soon as the
warriors of Matabele are heard outside
the line of defense. Most of the Mata-
beles in Buluwayo got there by pre-
tending to be seeking the protection OF
the whites, and the latter fell into the
trap. These Matabeles are armed and
an outbreak must soon occur.
1t has been stated that Buluwayo is
The number of fighting men at Bulu-
Wayo is under 900, and of this small
number compared with the $4,000 Ma
tabeles in the vicinity, 800 are reported
to have been despatched to hold the
Mangwa pass. a steep defile with an
gular turnings. which can be rendered
impregnable. Other dispatches an
nounce that a strong force of the re-
manning 600 whites intended to leave
Buluwayo yesterday to attack the Ma
tabele impi composed of Lobengula's
crack Imbezu regiment, from which
the native police force, who have been
shown to have started the rebellion
were recruited This impi is looked
upon as :he most formidable in or
about Matabeleland, in numbers and
efficiency.
Nobody here can understand why
such sortie is permitted. It is feared
the awful mistake of Isandulau may be
repeated. The British may be enticed
into ambush, and while there engaged
with overwhelming numbers, the main
body of the Matabele army may be
hurled against Buluwayo and sweep
over ii, in spite of defense and rapid
firing guns. The great trouble at Bu-
luwayo seems to be that a majority OF
the leaders are dare-deviled men, prone
TO engage the enemy first and esti-
mate the number generally too late
known that two other formidable Ma
tabele regiments are in close proximity
TO Buluwayo and it would seem that
rev, carefully prepared
PLAN OF ATTACK
has been drawn up and is being carried
out with skill, day by day, which gives
additional color to the report that the
Beers are behind the whole uprising.
The battery of Buiuwayo, according to
advices received yesterday, is five
7-pounders, one 12-pounder, three Max
i'm guns, one Gardner and one Norden-
fel. rapid-fire gun, the two latter hav-
ing been sent to the front by the Brit
ish flagship st. George.
In addition TO these there are sew
eral old field guns Of little use except
to consume quantities of powder, and
there are about $50 ee-Melford rifles
available, besides the rifles of the
scouts, volunteers, etc, which are of
all makes, though the majority are
Winchesters and Martini-Henrys. For
the latter the supply of ammunition is
fair, but there are only about
ONE MILLION ROUNDS
Of cartridges at Buluwayo, and those
who have seen the MaXims and other
rapid-firing guns vomiting fire at the
rate of hundreds of shots TO a minute,
d
not suffice to enable Buluwayo to be
held for any length OF time against
the repeated attacks of a fierce, per-
sistent enemy. Then, TO make matters
worse, it is whispered that the million
rounds of cartridges have already been
drawn upon and it is limited that sup
plies must reach Buluwayo shortly or
rhe worst may be apprehended if there
is much further expenditure of ammu-
nitiOu
1t is known. however, that 5000
mounds of rifles and ammunition left
Mafeking on March IS, under a strong
escort, and this supply ought to reach
Buluwayo shortly. Then
ANOTHER DIFFICULTY
arises. 1t is known that the food sup
ply of Buluwayo is slowly giving out,
mainly owing tc the numbers of ma
tives the town has to feed, in addi-
ton to its white inhabitants, the refu-
gees, the garrison and the forces occu-
pying the outlying posts. 1t is true
eighteen wagons loaded viii provisions
are reported to have reached a spot
about sixty miles from Bulwayo, where
they are laagered, awaiting favor
able opportunity 10 get in town. The
garrison has been communicated with
and the escort of the provision train is
10 be strengthened, then the wagons
will be pushed on to Buluwayo.
Thus il will be seen that steps have
been taken to relieve Buluwayo with
provisions, and 500 volunteers are be-
ing hastily equipped and sent to the
front. Delay
IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING
must occur, and it is possible that the
Matabeles may capture the provisions
and ammunition trains, in which case
the situation in Buluwayo would be
desperate indeed.
IT is stated, on the other hand, that
the chiefs of the native tribes of Bech-
mainland, which the relief forces must
traverse. have been peaceable in their
demeanor up to the present, and are
helping the government. In conse-
ouence it is expected that numbers of
xyavering chiefs, who remember Ulundi,
win ioin the British when they hear
that troops are going to the front.
There is no change in the situation
so far as the Beers are concerned.
They are continuing their preparations,
apparently for great struggle and it
is feared here that the fact that the
secretary of state for the colonies, Mr.
Chamberlain, thought it necessary TO
notify President Kreuger that the dis
patch Of reinforcements to the cape
did not imply a change in the friendly
nollcy of Grea: Britain towards the
Transvaal, will encourage the Beers in
their idea that Ga eat Britain is afraid
of them, and that it will only require
combined effort on the part of the
Transvaal, Orange Free State and Cape
r,art of the world. The Beers boast of
being able to muster about $4,000 fight
ing men, and they claim this force can
DEFY the whole British army.