The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-26
ANOTHER BRITISH WOE
DUTCH DIsAFrEorros SPREADS.

In the ousenstewn District Of Cape
Colony and Natal This IL said to BE
Asssniax Serious Proportions
Investisating Churchilrs Escape.
London, Dec. 26.--Up to this hour
nothing has arrived from South AT.
RIGA that. would indicate any change in
the military situation there. The wal
Office ia Issuing lists Of further deaths
and wounded. as well as accounts oil
sickness. The most serious report Of
the last class Is that horse sickness
has broken out In both British and
Boer camps in Natal. Four hundred
British cavalry horses. 1t is said, have
already been shct owing to the occur
| renee Of CHAMBERS. The disease Ia like
ly to spread wirh much greater rapid
ity among the British horses than
among the hardy Boer ponies, and this
may mean a considerable prolongation
of the campaign.
A dispatch from Chievely dated
Tuesday, Dec. 10, says: The British
naval guns have destroyed the Colenso
/ foot bridge. thus preventing the Beers
holding any position south of the
Tugela river. The enemy are taking
up fresh positions on the eastern side,
nearer the British camp. The British
position at Frers is being strengthened
The Tugela river Is rising and there
is prospect of heavy rains. A two
hour bombardment of Ladysmith has
been heard from here. According to
reliable native reports the Beers had
200 killed in the fight at ColensO.
The news that the Colenso foot
bridge has been destroyed seems to
show that General Butler is more
anxious to keep the enemy at bay than
to attempt further advance.
Despite the severity Of the censor
ship hints are being continually re-
ceived of the serious spread of Dutch
disaffection in both the Queenstown
district of Cape Colony and Natal. A
correspondent OF The Daily Mail at
Pfetermaritzburg says; THE extent
OF Dutch disaffection should make the
imperial authorities realize the mag
nitude of the task before them"
The Times this morning makes the
following announcement: We are in
formed that the government have de-
cided that it is not desirable to make
further demands upon the European
garrison in India unless unforeseen diff
ficulties arise.'
An undated Photograph message
from Ladysmith, by way of Pietermar-
itzburg, represents the garrison as in
no way daunted by General Buffers
reverse at Colenso and as confident of
being able to hold out indefinitely.
The mails are just arriving from
Ladysmith. All the correspondents
comment bitterly upon the superiority
OF the Boer artillery. The Times cor
respondent says. 1T is impossible to
evade the opinion that if British gum
ners were in the Boer positions the
loss of life and damage to property in
Ladysmith would be ten times great
err"
The Transvaal government, says a
Pretoria dispatch, is much concerned
about the escape of Winston Churchill,
and the officials are doing their utmost
to discover how he got away. The Of
flcials have instituted house to house
search for discriminating papers. The
Volkstem asserts that he escaped dis
gulsed as woman.
Commandant Demeillon, who was
taken prisoner at Elandslaagte and
brought to SimonstOwn, where he was
confined on the British cruiser Pene-
lope. has succeeded in making his es-
cape.
The holidays lave brought no sur
cease OF recruiting activity. Lord Al
wyne Frederick Compton Unionist
member of parliament for Bigglewade
division of Bedfordshire, will raise
corps of mounted men. Lord Sails
bury's private secretary, Mr. Schom-
borg Mcdonnell, who is a volunteer Of
ficer, has volunteered for service.
The action of he United States gov
eminent causes considerable discus
sion regarding the contraband ques-
ton as affecting Delagoa bay and Por-
tugal. Widely divergent opinions are
expressed. The Daily Graphic says:
We believe trat every provision has
been made in British treaties with the
United States tor dealing with this
matter. In the special circumstances
of the present war the government is
bound to regard food as contraband
No doubt the question can be satisfac-
torily settled by paying compensation
for the seizures of American -four"
The Morning Post, on the contrary.
argues that the government would be
made to treat food as contraband, as
such action would play into the hands
of all possible future enemies of Great
Britain" 1t admits, however, that
steps should be- taken and money ex-
pended to search vessels and to pre-
vent munitions of war entering the
Transvaal BY way of Portuguese ter
ritory
Over 500 British prisoners captured
at the battle of Stormberg arrived at
Pretoria and were taken to Waterfall
to join the other prisoners. An official
account OF the Boer casualties at the
battle Of Tugela river says 80 men we're
killed or wounded. 1t is also said that
nine British cannon were captured by
the Beers.