The herald., 1896-04-26
THE SORTIE AT BULUWAYO
Conducted With Great 0alIantry BY the
British Troopers f.
The MatabeIes Show Much Better Fighting
Ability Than Was DISPLAYED In Years
Past-ReIief Expected

CAPE TOWN, April 25.-Every addi-
tional item of news from Buluwayo
shows that the small body of British
troops Of 300 men which SORTED Friday
morning from that town and engaged
Matabele army, occupying about four
miles of the north bank of the UngunZa
river, displayed the greatest gallantry.
Several remarkable examples of hero
ism are recorded upon the part of Off
GERS and troops in saving the lives OF
wounded comrades at the risk Of their
own lives. The general result Of the
engagement appears to have been re-
verse for the British, who were greatly
outnumbered and were nearly sur
rounded.
The Matabeles showed knowledge of
tactics much superior to that displayed
while fighting years back. They threw
themselves on the ground when they
saw the machine guns going into action,
and repeatedly tried to outf1ank the
troopers. The evidence points to the
Matabeles having the intention Of en-
deavoring to surround the town and cut
off communication with it in all direc-
tions.
A patrol was to have left Buluwayo
on Thursday in order to ascertain IL the
route to Salisbury was still open for the
advance of the relief columns dis
patched from Mafeking, upon which
body of men rests the hope of relieving
Buluwayo. The advance guard of the
column is expected to reach the out
posts of Buluwayo during the first week
in May, and the main body, it is hoped,
will reach the besieged town soon after
ward.
The relief corps from Mafeking con-
sists of twenty eight officers, 600 troop
erS, 1872 horses and nine machines guns.
The roads are tolerably safe.
A coach with naSSepparS and mails
left Buluwayo on Thursday last and
there is every expectation that 1t will
reach its destination in safety.
Since the sortie from Buluwayo the
Matabeles in that vicinity seem to have
been reinforced and the native scouts
can be made out on nearly all sidese,
watching the British outposts. There
has been slight brush between the
Buluwayo patrol and some insurgents
at Mavern's kraal, two or three natives
being killed.
The announcement that President
Kruger has definitely declined to ac-
cept the invitation of the secretary of
state for the colonies, Mr. Chamber
lain, to visit England, was no surprise
here.
Despite all statements to the con-
trary, the situation has fined itself down
to preparing for a struggle between
Great Britain and the Transvaal (the
latter backed by Germany for predom-
nance in South Africa, and up to the
present time the Beers have had the
best of it.
While Mr.. Chamberlain has been
dickering and twisting, President Krue-
ger has gone straight to the front and
is openly arming and fortlfying for the
grand struggle to come The Transvaal
troops could be placed in the field to
the number of about $4,000 in week or
c
done in the way Of preparation.
Mr.. Chamberlain has lost four months
of very valuable time. President Krue-
ger has not lost four hours of the same
time in preparing for the great South
African coup. and it is claimed in Boer
circles here that the Transvaal leaders
will open the eyes of the British consid-
erably when the right moment arrives.
A CRISIS APPROACHING
NEW YORK, April pa special to
the World from London says: Tho
trend of events is towards serious cri-
sis in South Africa, in the opinion of the
best informed British politicians. The
refusal of President Kruger will subject
Mr.. Chamberlain to great pressure to
compel Mr.. Kruger to grant immediate
reforms to the Uitlanders in the South
African republic.
A large British force would have been
landed before now at Cape Town had
not Mr.. Chamberlain been solemnly
warned by Sir Hercules Robinson that
such action would certainly provoke a
race war throughout the colony.
One of the first acts of the Cape Town
parliament the government here learns,
would be to call for the revocation of the
charter of the British South African
company. 1t is likely, moreover, that a
resolution expressing sympathy with
President Kruger will be adopted. The
plea of guilty of treason entered at Pre-
toria by the leaders of the Johannesburg
reform union is well understood to have
been made in order to hush up an in
quiry which would result in the dis
closures that would render the contin-
uance of the company's charter impos-
sible. 1t is now deemed highly proba-
BILE that with the same object in view
Jameson and his confederates here will
also plead guilty.
-a-A L.