The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15

the Orange Free State.
railroad from Durham TO Pretoria was built an d
the most i'm portant among them Is the adm inis-
trativs town OF the district Wakkerstroom.
some miles to the east OF the railroad. where
the Beers are saidto have mounted a big gun to
defend the place. with its county building"
and its few stores and churches and hundred
or SO houses. against attack. Voksrust. right
on the railroad. whore 10 now encamped the
first large force the Bosrs sent to the frontier.
Ia railroad station and so Is Sandspruit which
Is on the road about fifteen miles to the north
west. and the Boer camps are now scattered
along between this place and volksrust. This
last named place is right on the frontier and is
confronted by Charlestown on the other side OF
tho border. and their chief Importance comes
from tho fact that they are places whore the
customs are collected by the respective gov
ernments.
Newcastle. about twenty-five miles south OF
Charlestown. 10 the headqua tors OF Sir George
White. who has about IL. 900 British troops in
that neighborhood to oppose any attempt OF
the Boers to advance on Durham. 1t is town
OF considerable importance. with hotels. banks
and newspapers Almost all the Newcastles
in the world are centres OF the coal trade and
this is the case with Natal's Newcastle. for all
around 1t 10 the carbonferous district OF the
colony. about 1.40O square miles in extent
with some seams over ten feet thick. 1t is es-
timated that two billion tons OF good coal are
stored up In these hills fer future use. There
are perhaps a thousand Europeans in New
castle. Between it and Charlestown are the
battlenelds that proved so fatal to the British
in the war of 1s80-s1. at Ingogo. Majuba Hill
and Laings Mex. as the British are now spell
ing the name. though Greswell and other au-
fhOritaftya 70 T Nal
The British forces thus far have been
rsndezvouslng at Newcastle. Dundee and
Ladysmith all on the line OF the railroad Dun
dee Is the nearest Of these towns to Zululand
and 5000 soldiers are stationed there to guard
against the Boer invasion OF Natal from that
district OF Xululand which became a part OF the
South African Republic few years ago Dun
dee 10 4 small mining town and fourshng
coal-mining centre. Ladysmith on the
other hand 10 bustling commercial town. the
centre OF trade for oil that northern part OF
Natal and the junction where the railroad from
Durham to Pretoria meets the line that runs
northwest to Harrlsmith ami Bethlehem In
the Orange Free State. Thus trade goes
brisIly on from Ladysmith through the two
passes over tho DrakenberR mountains lead
ing In one direction into the Orange Free
State and in the other into the TransvaaL
The town has about 5000 Inhabitants most
Of whom are Europeans. There is q strong
British garrison at Ladysmith and 1t is daily
being reinforced. Thus We see at this main
point OF interest. on the one hand. 4 few Boer
hamlets where the largest force OF Beers has
been mustered. ready to defend the plateau or
to invade Natal; and on the other. a few Natal
settlements. only one OF which is OF consider
able SIZE where British troops are waiting to
repel a hostile advance.
The next gathering point OF Boer troops to
the west is at and near Harrismith in the
Orange Free State. where a force OF the troops
OF that republic 10 on guard to prevent a British
invasion through the pass along the line OF
railroad between Ladysmith and Harrismith
This lie known as Van Resnen's Pass. and Har-
rismith. which was named after Sir Harry
Smith. a former English governor at the Cape
10 thriving town and centre Of trade be-
tween Durham and the Orange Free State.
The British can win their way into the Bo or
republics through these two passes. It Is be-
lieved. only by hard fighting and at the cost OF
many lives. 1t isreported that on this account
they will attempt only the defence OF these
passes against any effort the Beers may make
to pass through them and invade Natal; and
that the British will seek an entrance into the
South African Republic on the west, striking
across the border from Vryburg or MafeknR.
and making for Klerksdorp. which 10 the
terminus OF railroad line running east to
Pretoria. Klerksdorp Is a busting town close
to the Vaal River and about 5000 Europeans
live there. It is one OF tho gold mining centres
OF the Transvaal and Is on one OF the main
trade routes to the capital OF the country. Tho
purpose OF tho British would be to seize the
railroad terminating there. and use 1t. II pos
sible. In their advance on the capital.
Tho Boers are watching this western frontier
as they expect an attack on that side. They
have force OF several thousand men in tho
neRhborhood OF Maieking and that British
settlement is in a state OF great alarm az II
also fears an attack. The town Is on tho line
OF railroad from Kimberley to Buuwayo and
is the headquarters OF the British occupation
In Bechuanalanh.
The Beers also distrust the British intsn-
tlons on tho northern border. as they think it
very likely that an attempt will be made to in
wade the TranSvaal from the settlements in
Rhodesia. whence Jameson set out on his III
starred raid. The British population OF that
part OF Rhodesa bordering on the TranRvaal is
not accurately known. but the miners and tho
soldiers who have been permitted to settle on
aiotmsnts Of land might undoubtedly supply
several thousand men. and IL the RhodeSians
have any stomach for another raid into the
Transyaal. Fort Tuli. near tho northern edge
OF the Boer country. is regarded as tho proba-
BILE point from which they will strike across
the border.
II the report Ia true that tho Portuguese will
permit tho British to utilize the railroad from
Delagoa Bay for the invasion OF the Transvaal,
the Beers will have to guard another pass in
the mountains, but they would probably be
able to make 1t very dificult for their enemies
to get through tho rift in the Lebombo Noun
tains by which the railroad gains the plateau
and goes on its way to Pretoria. This rift IL