Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-13
Is Increasing in Natal and
On the Border.
IS LACK OF FOOD
Among Their Forces and They Are
Also Hampered by Their Heavy
Artillery-Ladysmith Is Being
BOmbarded.

London, Nov. IS. 4:3o a. m.-This
mornings news from the seat of wal in
south Africa continues fairly satisfac-
tory. The official cables are not very
detailed With regard to the Belmont in
cluent, Which, except for the loss of Col
onel keith-Falmoner, was not a very
serious affair.
There are signs of greatly increased
boer activity in Natal and along the
western frontier All the dispatches
tend to show that the British are hold
ing out ably. Colonel Baden-Powell re-
ports that all was we'll at Mafeking on
NOV. 4, while nothing adverse is heard
lfoln the latter point and confidence is
lett IN General Whites ability, previous
experience having shown that the Boer
artillery is not very effective, it is be-
ginning to be proved hat the acquisi-
ton OF artillery, which has destroyed
the former mobility of the Boer forces,
mas also failed to give them any COM
pensatlns advantage. On the contrary,
the reverse is the case. It is held here
that it the Beers had not been hamper
ed by the transport of heavy guns and
their rescue from tight places. General
Joubert might ere this have been in
Pietermaritzburg. Unless the Beers
heavy artillery justifies itself by reduce
ing Ladysmith. it will again hamper him
in the eyentual retreat from Natal, when
General Butler send the relieving force.
1t is believed that the Boer retreat will
be made over the Draakensburg range
into the Z~outspansberg district, where
preparations for provisioning and main
tanning the Beers is said to have been
made for the last stand anu where it will
be difficult to dislOdge them.
Already it is rumored that they are
i'll straits for food around Ladysmith and
may. therefore, be obliged to abandon
the siege.
Dispatches from Estcourt say it has
been ascertained that the British have
laid concrete beds for firing the lyddite
naval guns, showing that there is no
foundation for the fear that the lyddite
ammunition at Ladysmith has been ex-
hausted. 1t is also reported from the
same quarter that some fires have been
seen in Ladysmith, indicating that the
t'oer bombardnlent has been to some ex-
tent effective.
A special dispatch from Capetown con-
firms earlier report that it was General
Butler who ordered the British evacua-
ton of Stormberg and NaauWpoort, as
he considered the frontier line too weak
and too much extended. 1t is under
stood. however, that Naauwpoort will be
toatll co oooll GS tIit u q III
from Queenstown is ordered.
Strong bids are being made by the
Beers for the support OF the Cape Dutch
but without much success, although it
is believed that the Dutch farmers. es-
pecially in Picquetberg district. are arm
ed with Mansers and are Watching the
course of events before joining the Beers,
From Stormberg it is reported that the
Free state forces are working slowly to-
ward Dofdrecht with a view of attack
ing Queenstown and cutting off the towns
northern district of Cape Colony. The
wounded are recovering in a BILE
manner. The Mauser wounds are small
and heal rapidly. Many of the wounded
apply for permission to return to the
front.
The fact that the latest two official dis
patches We're received from General Sir
Walker. and not from General
Butler. seems to Indicate that the latter
may have already left Capetown. A
Brussels telegram announces that he has
actually reached Durham. This is Ger
premature, but he may have start
ed