The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-25

was merely an artillery duel, in which
the Beers came off decidedly the worse.
Although there is no reason to doubt
the accuracy of the dispatch from
Cape Town to The Daily Mail regard
ing General Yule's movement, it is
curious that General Whites telegram
to the war Office makes no mention of
joining of forces. SO that 1t is i'm
possible to confirm or deny the news.
General Yule's movements were ac-
tuated by sound judgment, since he
soon would have been surrounded and
in a desperate position. The COM
bined forces at Ladysmith, now
amounting to some 10000 men, will be
amply sufficient to act on the defen-
sive.
The colonial Office last evening pub
lished cable dispatch received from
the British high commissioner in
South Africa. Sir Alfred Miner, COM
municating significant dispatch from
Sir Godfrey Lagden, the British resi-
dent commissioner in Basutoland, call
ing attention to the recklessness OF the
Basutos, who, he says, he has been
trying to calm. The resident commits
sioner adds: Our policy, however,
has been made difficult by the buster
ing of the Beers. who have freely
stations. Those threats, combined
with intriguing, have contributed to
arouse excitement among the natives.
l wish to place 1t on record that the
Beers have unwisely attempted to
shake the allegiance of the Basutos
and Illustrate our efforts toward tran
guilty. The Beers. therefore, are re-
sponsible for any commotion and for
the alarm regarding native invasions
which now prevails"
The colonial Office has received a
cablegram stating that President Steyn,
of the Orange Free State, has issued
a proclamation annexing that part or
Cape Colony which Is north of the
Vaal river. This means Griqualand
West. and Bachuanaland. and is ap-
parently in consequence of the Free
State forces having seized the railway
and all stations north of Kimberley
except Mafeking unless Mafeking has
fallen since the last news from there,
which Is week old
The following advices have been re-
ceived here from Maseru, Basutoland,
dated Oct. %:
A reliable native lately visited
lager of Orange Free State troops
just opposite Masuru. He found 1t to
consist of wagons. surrounded by turf
piled three feet high. He noticed only
few Mausers. The Boer commandment
questioned him regarding the feeling
of the different Basuto chiefs, princi-
pally the paramount chief, Lorothodi.
and in order to draw the commandant,
the native replied that the chiefs sided
with the Beers.
Thereupon the commandant said the
two republics wished to kill the Brit
ishers and to take over and govern
the Basutos, restoring to the latter
that part OF the country which the
Free State formerly took from them.
As to the Britishers, those whom they
failed TO kill they would drive into the
sea.
The commandant wished a decision
on the part of Lorothodi and the other
chiefs as soon as possible-whether
they would fight the Beers or the Brit
ish-because his contingent was anx-
ious to help the Beers elsewhere. He
acknowledged that his men were afraid
of the Basutos. because their wives
and families, as we'll as their cattle.
were within reach Of Basuto incur
sion. and he said he was prepared to
enter into an agreement with the
chiefs, signing the same, to give a
very substantial recompense to tho
tribesmen for assisting the Beers.
Failing this, II the Basutos would give
q written undertaking not to assist
either side. the commandant said his
forces would withdraw from the b.
sutoland border and go to the assist
ance of their countrymen where the
fighting was hottest. The Beers on
the Basutoland frontier, according to
the best information obtainable at
Maseru, number about $500.
A dispatch from Ladysmith says
that General Symons, who was wound
ed in the battle with the Beers at
Glencoe, being succeeded by General
Yule, is progressing toward ultimate
recovery.
A private telegram from Delagoa
Bay says man who has Just arrived
there from Johannesburg asserts that
the Transvaal government has appro-
priated $50 beds in private houses in
johannesburg for wounded troops
from the front. The Boer organs, ac-
cording to this informant, are doing
everything to minimize the. Boer losses,
and all sorts of misstatements and
misrepresentation are employed
No one would DO bothered with constipa-