The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-09

/ open with Modder river, no further
news of General Methuen's movement
or the fight had been given out UP to
80 O'Clock this afternoon. This is
generally taken to indicate that Gen
eral Methuen is again on the march
and ,aat, as heretofore, he will not
again be heard from until he has
fought another battle and gained an
other stage.
That the General anticipated dogged
resistance on his northward march is
shown by the speech he delivered to
his eroops Nov. 27, after the battle OF
Gras Pan, reports of which have just
reached here. After reading a tele-
gram from Governor Miller congratu-
lating the troops and sympathiZlng
with the wounded, General Methuen
personally congratulated the troops ON
the work done, and expressed apprecl-
alton OF tie manner in which they had
endured hardships. The work, he said,
was the most severe encountered by
the British army in many a long day.
The had In front of them, he ADDED,
ar enemy which they could net aford
to give a single point. Their tactlos
had been excellent, and he recognized
and admired their courage
Continuing, General Methuen said
that, when called upon to fight for ms
flag. he preferred to fight foe worthy
of his steel rather than savages whose
sole recommendation was bravery. lie
then expressed the hope that he ana
his men had gained each others con-
fidence, and would do all their duty to
the country, as Englishmen should
General Methuen also described as
'dastardly" the conduct OF the Boers
in firing on ambulance wagons, Vne
shooting of a British officer 10y a
wounded Boer and the Beers use OF
dum-dum bullets: but he refused to
believe that these acts were charac-
teristic of the Beers. He gave them
credit. until convinced to the contrary,
that. they, like the British wished to
fight fair and square.
Those who are acquainted with Cen
eral Methuen think his terse descrlp-
ton of the battle of Modder river fore
casts "a fearful butchers bill.
Little attention was paid here to the
flimsy fabrication announcing the fall
of Ladysmith. The dispatch caused
frenzies of joy in Paris, but it is i'm
possible to make a Briton believe that
after wi,hstanding the siege so long,
General White, with the thunder OF
General Clerys guns at Colenso telling
of the coming relief. would relinquish
his position while ammunition or |
man was left. The news of the British |
success will speedily spread far and
wide among the Beers.
The war Office officials today reiter-
ate that they have received absolutely |
nothing to indicate the slightest like
1ihood of Ladysmith surrendering, |
while on the other hand, they expect
the place will be relieved shortly.
+ah Il
ernaTitzburg would have hardly dealt
with belalted details of the situation at
Ladysmith if there was anything Sc
rious to report. Since then has come
the dispatch from Estcourt saying Gen.
eral 10 pbert is Fastening back TO op-
pose Colonel Baden-POWell. This is
incomprehensible here, and it is gen.
orally supposed that names have been
mixed up. But in some quarters con-
lectures are ventured that the besieg-
ers of Mafeking have Withdrawn south
ward and permitted Colonel Baden
Powell to leave that place, and that he
is now in communication with Colonel
Plumer of Fort Tuli, traversing the
TranSvaal.
It is claimed that if General Joubert
is travelling in an omnibus he must
be sick or wounded.
4 dispatch from Cape Town, dated
Mon Jay, Nov. q, gives reports of the
nervousness of the Beers of the Orange
rec State border. Some OF the BOer
forces. it is added. have been hurried
ly withdrawn from Laaygrey and Bark
ley East.
ALL WE'LL At KIMBERLEY.
LONDON. Nov. 30.-The War OficeI
today makes the following dispatch
public from the commanding General
at Cape Town under date of November
20:
kimberley all we'll to November %
Rail and telegraph open to Modderl
river. Gatacre reports the following