The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-30


i.h Prisoners ut Pretoria Well Treated.
st,-a, Gaze D,pa,ch to TIE sux.
IoxroS Dec. 3U.-"A great event is i'm
sanding are the concluding words OF de-
latch dated Dec. II. In which Win
.,o, Churchill. correspondent OF the
uorpiry Post describes the positions
tine Boers and the British at and near the
Tursla River in Nara, The same idea can be
,sod letwc-n tho lines in some other telegrams
A. the expectation is growing that Gen Bull
Ter will shortly make second attempt to cross
the "''er
Tn, latest news regarding the transports
iod,c,,es that he has been reinforced by 1000
men and eighteen guns since the failure
a his first attempt. but as the
l',ntian with two batteries left Cape
Town Yesterday tol Durham It may be assumed
tba,rc move vii be made until these addi-
tnnal twelve guns have reached the
mont. By then. Gen. Buller's strength
will b. sufficient 10 enable him to employ
two divisions for the attack. while holding tho
enmr with whole brigade. The best In
ior..el criticism here 10 10 no wise over
,sncuire o. 20 the results. half fearing that
tie attack will be q forlorn hope.
The loers. according to the latest
kilograms are carefully preserving the
secret Of their artillery emplacements
They therefore do not reply to the
sLe,,'rg 4 the British According to the
T's,rdpts Chicveley correspondent all the
Bot.s who were south OF the Tugea have re-
crossed. fearing that Their retreat would be
barred Nv the swollen river. Their laagers
seem to have been removed nearer to Lady
smith. with the object Of further pressing the
garrison there.
From other centres nothing OF FIRST impor
lance Is recorded. The papers make much
o. the Beer nervousness" at Modjer
River. which. they say. Is evidenced by
two ialse alarms which resulted In an
aipless tusillade over the yeldt all
r!sh', but such occasional scares are. OF
course. familiar incidents In any campaign.
Tho assumptions that the Beers posi-
ton ia becoming untenablc through
'ha vcarincss O, the men. typhoid
f." :. lack ~ water and horse sickness may be
Gi,regaried. especially in view OF a Modder
RIVER dcsratch 70 the Tunes. dated Dec. rs.
VII ch says: I'VE have had no certain intorma-
ton concerning the Beers doings for several
days
dAsratch from Lorenzo Marques, dated
De- -. refers 70 the rumors that guns
snd ammunition Gre telng struggled into the
Trgnsyll! AMI says that susI cion attaches 10
afr.n.h Line steamer which Is nov IN the har-
ts-thyre. This vessel brought two lnl re guns
iryr. Madagascar The despatch adds:
"I,.ssisulflcant that MAJOR Erasmus Of the
Tr,rsynal artilI.ry arrived coincilrntly with
the steamer. other important Do-r emissares
a. continually coning and going.
1t Is noteworthy tina. tho Consul o, the
Trausyaal rad the FreA state hero con-
tinues TO act n Consul FOR the Neither
lands The chief OF tho Portuguese Gus
toms assures mo that the susp.cions con-
ce7ning stauggEs are zroundlcss. but much
depends on the subordinate officers There Is
r,ason to believe that Pretoria Is well in
formed OF the British military moyem ents
Thsis confirmed Ly the fact that Lord Rob-
srs's appointment was known In Petoria on
be-. %. though IL was only telegraphed
here from Cape Town this week. Thore Is a
suspicion that the Transvaal Government Is In
A., sct,unh with foreign consulate Mt Pre-.
ria. who's, consul Is notorious for his pro-
E-or symrathles."
Winston Churchill. the correspondcnt Of the
ym.uipr yts, says in a d..uatch descrihinp