The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10

situation in the North. discovers weaknesses
amounting TO invitations 10 the Beers 10 shoot
and loot in all directions. and acts. Gen. Weed
The w me- nvs' Dn r. on, .nd Sn
kop.cs which had remained the ideal sniping
ground Of the enemy TO arm /, with gun Gen.
time stores in the De Aar camp represented an
outlay value Of British money to the tune Of ono
That ,he Authorizes knew Of the danger the
camp was in cannot be doubted Al that time.
and ever ancc. they have been guarding every
proves prov how veil they knew What I'm might happen
any day. When one Il THr SuN correspondents
left the Dunottar Castle at Care Town he went,
thence by steamer 10 Durham. The railway
journey starts with nun north TO De Anr, then
southens, TO Nnauuwpo9r', and on TO por, Eliza
Of a mile was posted Katllr having safety
and danger fHg zach kafiir was one Of q shiit
men. exclusive 81 armored train patrols, and
regular station hands and railway hands. wcro
wanted to look after the line over which every
thing had TO be carried to De Aar, which at tho
OUTSET was garrisoncd by seven soldiers and one
policeman under Capt Mackenzie.
Tho chief news the mats have brought Of tho
Eastern campaign Is a full account Of the battle
OF R-tfont-in. This was fought some SIX miles
gu, Of Ladysni,h in order to proven, the Beers
and cutting OF Gcn. Ynles column rsircaiing
from Dundee. The Ladysrith force left tho
town a! oclock in the morning end wen, north
whcn"i quote from G W StecvcnI~ ACCOUNT ofthe
the place II came from was the left shoulder Of Ma.
tawhna's Hook; the place y would arrive at We
sf hn a l% no to sc
whirl o. blue white smoke, with grey black figures
urcs grew blncker and the smoke cleared-and in
the name OF wonder the gun wa still there Only
a subaiorn had his horses blood on his boot, and
This was at $50 A. M and tho Ave hours bat
M had soon T anS %,n d
had swept the baIbed wire fences along iho rail.
dragging them up that low rocky ridge-say,
800 feet to 400 feet high--which had now 10 sud.
denly become our front and fighting position
than In our rapid right wheel over the opon ground
toward KaiIir kreni. Al no military touIna:
style. Three field batteries went up. and close
behind them came the Gloucesters on tho right
Liyerpools and the Deyons in order on the centre
and left; On our right We had some Of the Nine
tenth HussaTs and FIFTH LaneeTs on our left
a large mixed force OF the mounted Natal Volun.
teers who were Goon strongly engaged In a small
valley at the end of the ridge, and suffered a good
deal all day, But the chief work and credit lay
THE Beers, whose guns had soon been siIenced.
were In irregular lines and patches among tho rocks
| Of some low hillH across a little valley In our
| front, and were stationed IN groups upon tho
! two higher mountains las ono may call them
| upon our right and left. Both Of these points
| looked down upon our position, and IL was only
| by keeping close among the stones under the
edge Of our ridge that We got any cover and that
! indifferent hut happily the range was long
| and for hour after hour those two hills were simply
| swept by our shrapnel On our right the long
| mountain edge where the enemy's gun had been
| IL called Mattowan's lloek. The great dome like
| hill Greatly the end OF u flat-tOppcd mountain in
| perspcctiye) on our left was rinta lnyoni Our
| infantry lay along the ridge keeping mp pretty
| constant fire and sometimes vollcying by Sec
! tions whenever they could get sight OF their al
most invisible enemy. Sometimes they advanced
| little way down toward the valley"
- And 20 the fight proceeded until about Il o'clock
Up TO then the losses on either side had been but
| trihing. Shrapnel from the British guns had set
| fTe 10 the yeldt the hill side where tho Beers
were posted, the Maxim and big guns OF the latter
had been silencod for a second time, and then chmo
| the episode which was responsible for the greater
| part oi<the British loss
I "On the light the GlouceSters came over tho
ridge on 10 fiat little piece Of grass land In front
| suppose they expected 10 get better range or
| clearer view, but within few minutes that patch
| Of grass was spotted with Jumps OF khaki.
| Two olhcers one their colonel end SIX men
were killed outright and the Official list Of wound
| ed runs 10 over City"
This was practically the only episode OF the
day. Hut the firng went on I'LL about In tho
afternoon. Tne ordinary soldier as the Chron-
| iels'S correspU ndent remarks. kept on hiring, but
| hc could hardly sne anything 10 aim AT. For tho
gunners, with their excellent glasses 1t was differ