The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-09
BRITISH BELIEVE THAT
TIDE OF WAR HAS TURNED
They Now Look For More Cheerful News From the
Scene of Action in South Africa.
Indications That General White Will Be Able to Hold Out
Until Buffers Forces Arrive.

Lcneon, Nov. 9.-To the eyes of mill
tary experts the darkest page of the
war is now being written But even
that is Illuminated with bright pas
sages such as General Whites victori-
Gus sorties. If he can keep the British
flag flying over Ladysmith until he is
relieved. the campaign, will turn a
fresh page and with the advance of
Sir Redvers Buffers force the British
public is promised more cheerful read
ing
This feeling of relief. inspired by re-
cent good tidings is nevertheless
tlnged by certain anxiety lest General
White should again make some fatal
mlscalculation involving a repetition eff
the NicholsOn's Mex disaster. Her ma
Jesty does not share this anxiety and
apparently is sanguine of Whites abil-
ity to pull through successfully 1t is
asserted she has written to Lady White.
expressing sympathy with her husband
in the trials and difficulties he is now
experiencing. and assuring Lady White
OF her own undiminished confidence in
his generalship. The purport of this
letter has been cabled to General White
by the Marquis of Lansdowne
Movements at Estcourt.
The most interesting news tonight is
dispatch from Estcourt announcing
the departure of strong force. of
mounted troops and artillery for des-
tination not given in the adyices. An
other message announces the arrival at
Estcourt and Pietermaritzburg within
the last few days of reinforcements
from Durham and that $500 troops are
assembled ready for an advance to CO.
lenSo when the opportunity arrives
The Ia far tnH ierht
the former. and the force which left
Estcourt Monday has doubtless reoccu-
pied COlenSo and possibly is now ad-
vancing cautiously up the road toward
Ladysmith. General Whites sortie of
FRIDAY almost to the banks of the Tu-
gela river encouraging its commander
in the hope of joining hands with him.
General Joubert. the latest advices
would indicate. drew in his horns after
Fridays engagement and has since
withdrawn the southern Boer contin-
gent, leaving only outposts on the line
from La6ysmith TO Coienso.
Beers Haye Retired. !
The Beers who occupied Colenso
about .the-middle of last week retired
without damaging BuIwer bridge over
the Tugela river. or the railroad as far
north as the village of Nelthrope.- seven
miles south of Ladysmith. Evidently
thew nurse hone of eventually util-
iZing both in their descent on Pieter-
maritzburg.
Meanwhile the British are also able
to use both. as they have already done
in running up an armored train, which
may at the present moment be cover
ing the advance of the Estcourt forces !
At Estcourt and Pietermaritzburg the
defensive works have been greatly I
strengthened within the last few days
and they are now believed capable of /
holding their own against any Boer .
force which General Joubert would at
the present juncture send against either
town. Both are likely to be strength /
ened before the week is out bysa fur
ther naval force and even by the first /
detachment of General Buffers army /
corps.
Buffers Troopships.
None OF the troopships have arrived.
The one which it was predicted might
reach Cane Town at the earliest on
Mondav is as vet unannOunced. and
even when it does arrive there it will
have three days steaming to reach
Durham. AS. manv as six transports
with 4,5OO troops were expected to be in
Cape Town harbor by this time, but the
war office last evening issued a state
ment to the effect that the only arrivals
at Cape Town We're the Sumatra. from
Durham. with wounded; the Southern
Cross, from Gibraltar. with mules, and
the collier Wenvoe.
OF course it is possible that dispatch
boats have been sent to meet the
with instructions to proceed
direct to Durham. and in that event
The war office statement that not one .
has arrived at Cape Town would be
literally accurate. even though several
should be half way between Cape
Town and Durham.
The situation looks brighter at Mafe-
King. where the Beers are apparently
at the unexpected resist
ince, a large body of their force having
been detached to the south to assist
n the investment of Kimberley, around ,
which the Gordon is drawing tighter
Evidently the Beers intend to make
effort to capture Kimber-
ey and that arch enemy. Cecil Rhodes.
Invasion of Cape Colony.
The reported departure of a Boer con- /
ingent from Pretoria with German ar I
illery gunners. moving in a sOutherly {
direction, is taken TO mean co-oDera-