The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-01

Ike the Br1IlSn, wished 10 uSul Ialr am
square.
Those who are acquainted with Cen
aral Methuen think his terse descrip-
ton of the battle of Modder River fore
casts a fearful butchers bill"
& There was very little attention paid
here to the f1imsy fabrication announc-
ing the fall Of Ladysmith. The dis
patch caused frenzies of joy in Paris,
but it is impossible to make a Briton
believe that, after withstanding the
siege SO long, General White, with the
thunder of General Clery's guns at Col
enso telling of the coming relief, would
relinquish his position, while ammuni-
ton or man was left. The news of
the British successes will speedily
spread far and wide among the Beers.
The War Office to-day reiterate that
they have received absolutely nothing
to indicate the slightest likelihood of
Ladysmith surrendering, while, on the
other hand, they expect the place will
be relieved shortly
General Buffers dispatch from Pie
termaritzburg would have hardly dealt
with belated details of the situation at
Ladysmith if there was anything ser-
Gus to report. Since then has come a
dispatch from Estcourt saying General
Joubert is Fastening to oppose Colonel
Baden-P Powell. This is incomprehensi-
bic here, and it is generally supposed
that names have been mixed up. But
in some quarters conjectures are ven
tured that the besiegers of Mafeking
have withdrawn southwark and permit
ted Colonel Baden-Powell to leave that
place, and that he is now in communi-
cation with Colonel Plummer of Fort
Tuli, traversing the Transvaal
1t is claimed that if General Joub ,rt is
travelling in an omnibus he must be
sick or wounded
A dispatch from Cape Town dated
Monday November 81, gives reports of
the nervousness of the Beers of the
Orange Free State border Some of
the Boer forces, it is added, have been
hurriedly withdrawn from Ladygrey
and Barley East.
LADYSMITH SAFE.
LONDON, Nov. Bottle War Office
to-day makes public the following dis
patch from the commanding General
at Cape Town, under date tof Novem-
Der Doth:
AT Kimberley all was we'll up to No
vember I'D. Rail and telegraph lines
open to Modder River. Gatacre reports
the following from General Butler,
dated Pietermaritzburg, Wednesday.
November Doth:
Mitchell, a telegraphist, has Just
made his way out of Ladysmith to Wee
ne xrrha l.
message:
On November 9th we beat back the
Beers with great loss to the enemy. Our
Our total casualties We're remarkably
small. There We're only eight men kill
ed during the siege by shells, and in all
the battles, ETC., only a hundred men
have been killed or wounded.
l left Ladysmith on the night of
November Doth. Since November 9th
no attempt has been made to attack
Ladysmith in force.
BOER LOSSES AT BELMONT AND
GRAS PAN.
ORANGE RIVER, Monday, Nov. 81.
-Boer prisoners here report that the
number of Beers killed at Belmont is
believed to be 40 and at Gras Pan 400.
Among the prisoners are several with
enormous red crosses on their sleeves.
1t is reported that they fought with
the artillery.
SITUATION AT MAFEKING.
LONDON, Nov. 30.-Colonel Baden
Powell, under date of Mafeking, No
vember Both, has sent the following to
the War Office, through General Fores-
OF
All well here. Cronje has gone with
commando and with about twenty
wagons to Riceters, Transvaal. leaving
most of the guns here with Marico and
Llchtenburg contingents, with orders to
shell us into submission. Bombardmenr.
with very small results.
The enemy's sentries drew US out
saturday by making a showing of go
ing away and leaving big gun appar-
entity in state of being dismantled
Our scouts found the enemy hidden in
force, so we sat tight.
THE enemy's 94-pounder became
damaged, and has been replaced by an
other, more efficient / am daily push
ing out our advance work. with good
result. The health of the garrison is
.
AT KIMBERLEY.
KIMBERLEY, Nov. 24-By way of
klokfontein, Nov. 27.-There were
few rifle shots early to-day from the d.
rection of Wright's Farm, but this was
regarded as merely one of the numer-
Gus Boer tricks to draw our men out by
inducing us to believe that the reliey-
ing forces are drawing near.
This afternoon the Beers blew UP two
large culverts near the rifle butts, en-
the railroad line toward Spytfontein.
The news of the proximity OF the re-
lieving forces greatly cheered the gar
rison and the inhabitants A few Beers
were seen to-day, but it is believed that
the enemy is in only small bands
around Kimberley, lots of fifty or so,
the greater part having gone to Spyt-
fontein, where firing is believed to
have been heard about noon
From Kaffir sources comes a report
that there are two large Boer laagers
at ELEPHANTS Dam, with $50 wagons for
water supply. The Beers have cut the
existing dam three miles distant, al
lowing the water to run down toward
their laagers into an old dry dam on
the farm. This is believed to be the
Free State base of operations on the
western border.
The official estimate places the num-
Der of Boer shells fired during the bonn
bardment at about 1000, and ours at
no less than 600. AS the enemy's shells
so frequently hit soft, sandy ground,
the explosive effect is greatly neutra-
lized. All our wounded are in a very
condition.
An armored train proceeded toward
Dronfield to reconnoiter but this imne-