The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-11-28
FULL OF PERPLEMTlES
is THE BRITISH SITUATION IN SOUTH
AFRICA.
THEIR CHIEF CITIES BeSIEGEDl
No Signs for succor f,r Them iu TN
Near Future - Outlook Regarded as
Gloomy Mareking I'm Worse Plight
than Britishers Have Heretofore Ad-
mitted-Fcars or am Uprising or Beers
In Cape Colony Beers Disregard or
the White Flag.

the White Flag.
London. November 25.-The position
lr Natal remains full ~ pernl,Sisl,s.
which H., censorship has lncr.asoc
| Although a division ana a hall have
| now reached Durham. ,hat place is
| practically poweriess until supplied
with cavalry and artillery. ard until
these arrive the situation wiz un-
doubtedly remain grave.
With three beleaguered garrisons I'm
Natal, beside Kimberley and Mafeking.
and no signs OF succor I'm the Immediate
future, IL is no wonder that the outlook
| is regarded distinctly gloomy to-
/ night and that the most possible Ia
made OF General Methuen's success
such as IL was. That battle de- ,ided
| nothing and IL seems certain that many
experts are OF the opinion that the
story oGthe return OF pursuing avail
| ry without getting I'm touch with the
| retreating Beers indicates that the
| cavalry discovered in time that IL IL
mad gone on IL would soon have been
| on the Pretoria race course with its
| comrades of the hussars.
| Ii VIII not surprise any one greatly
| IL the Beers are shortly again discov-
| cred in an entrenched position near the
spot from which General Methuen has
just evicted them.
From no other point can even n
| semblance OF success be reported Ma
| feking is apparently in worse plight
| than the Britishers have hitherto
cared TO admit, and st is difficult 90
see how it can be relieved for some
time to come. While the official dis
patches from the Boer hear laager ont
side OF Ladysmith. dated November
| 24th, showed that the town was still
| flying the Union Jack on Friday, the
cheerful tone OF the message and the
| evident anticipation OF the speedy re-
ducton OF Ladysmith is not calculated
| to cheer anxious relatives.
The reported silence OF the British
guns also again arouses fears OF a
shortneSS OF ammunition. and the fact
| that the Beers have just placed I'm po-
sitiop another siege gun shows that
they have not yet done their worst.
The arrival of the German officers
some OF whom, it is understood, gained
large experience in reducing fortified
Gowns in 1S10-'11, is calculated TO lead
to a change OF tactics which will add
to the suspense OF the sorely tried gar
rson.
The situation in the northern portion
tory as 1t can be. Beers are turn
| ing up in all directions
a cape Town dispatch received at a
late hour tonight reports that the en-
emy have blown up "A railway brfdg
between Rosemead junction and Mid
dleburg, with the object OF preventing
an advance from Port Ellzabeth This
was effected by small commando
which, Ii is stated, remains I'm the
neighborhood. The effect OF blowing mn
this brodge will tend to isolate Naauw
Poort which was recently re-occupied
oy the British and must delay the ad-
vance or the troops just arrived at
| Port Elizabeth
| Ihe grayeSt news from Cane Town
today comes from the northern part
or the colony, where, IL is now evil
Dent, numbers OF Dutch farmers have
arisen and Joined the invading Free
state forces in the Herschell and Bark
| ey-East districts.
ulspatch from Queenstown Cane
| colony General Gataches headguar-
ters, announces that found hundred
colonial rebels, including an ex-magis-
rdte OF Barkley- East, have Joined the
enemy at the latter place and tha.
the whole force Is reported To ne
| marching on DorCrecht, whence AZ can
operate and possibly intercept Generel
Gatacre's advance to re-occupy Storm
perg junction. a stragetic point from
| n L.
rect touch, through the railroad with
General French at Naauw Poort. and
tnus with the British base at De Aar
Another dispatch says that refugees
arriving from Queenstown asser. thai
Ladygrey has been occupied by the
colonial farmers and that IL Is feared
there is general movement In favor
Of the Beers
Further dispatches from Belmont
cohlrmlng the treacherous use Of the
white flag by the Beers are arousing
Indignation. The troops engaged are
bitterly complaining and IL Is feare,!
the result Will be refusal to give Inc
Beers quarter.
An incident similar to the one which
occurred at the battle OF Glencoe, when
an officer was shot by a wounded Roer.
IS reported by The London Times cor
respondent az Belmont who SAYS that
Lieutenant Blundell, OF the grenadJrr
guards, was shot by a wounded Boer
whom he v as tending. Such state
nents Sppea- incredible, but they arr.
now confrem officially, by :he p:otest
or Genera: Nethuen, who has sent a
message .c the Boer commander, say
ing: must ack you to warn your
wounded not to shoot our officers 4
must warn YOU not to use dumdum
| bullets or use the flag OF truce treach-
I erousiy. Such action Is cowardly I'm
the extreme and cannot countenance
IT."
The reported determination of tho
United States TO compel Kruger to al
low Consul General Marcum to eyer
else his rights as British agent at Pre-
tor1a mas created an excellent impress
slon mere and has called out yar1os,a
expressions OF satisfaction ana gra.
itude. s'a'-
4