The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-15
NEWS FROM NATAL
Strain on the Ladysmitl Garrison
Increasing.
THE OTHER BESIECED POSTS
Beers Fire at Modder River -JoU-
bert Takes Vacation Ma
crum's Graphic Pictures.
The OTHER BESIECED POSTS

LONDON, Dec ga budget of news
from Ladysmith which arrived today
brings the history of the beleaguered
garrison up to November 20. In spite
of the rumors of a retrograde move
ment upon the part of the Beers, sto
ries just received show that the garri
son, although still strong, was suffer
ing from confinement, restricted diet
and the increasing volume of the Boer
artillery fire. especially that Of addi-
tional heavy caliber guns placed in
position of thousand yards from the
western defences. The dispatches re-
late that the Beers had discovered the
most valuable points of the garrison,
and that the shelling was becoming
disagreeably effective. The rations
had been reduced and there was a
great deal of sickness. Nevertheless,
the troops of the garrison were in
every way preparing to meet the as
sault which it was anticipated the
Beers would make in final effort to
reduce the city The belief was cur
rent in Ladysmith that the Beers Were
preparing for retrograde movement
after another attack. Several bodies
of burghers We're reported to have
been seen on November 2S moving in
the direction of the Draakensburg
range while on November 20 detach-
ments were observed journeying
northward with wagons. Discord be-
tween the Transvaalers and Free
Staters was also reported. There was
no indication, however, that the Beers
were preparing to dismantle their gun
positions, but the idea was prevalent
in some quarters of Ladysmith that
the continued shelling Of the palce
was intended to. cover the retirement
of the Boer forces towards the Trans
vaal frontiers.
A Pretoria dispatch, received via
Lourenzo Marques, Monday, December
f. however, announced that a BOer
council of ar, December 2, was plan
ming renewed assault on Ladysmlth.
A dispatch from Frere, dated Sun
day, December 8, reports that in Col
oneI Lord Dundonald's reconnaissance
near Colenso fifteen Beers were killed
and many wounded. The road bridge
across the Tugela river is intact. The
same message reports that President
Kruger is anxious that the burghers
leave Ladysmith in order to oppose
the British marching in the direction
of Pretoria from the west. Advices
from Putterskraal, the headquarters
of General Gatacre's division, dated
Saturday, December 2, say the Beers
entered Dordorecht that morning.
This, it is added, is probably Groeb-
ler's force of $50 men from StOrmberg.
BESIEGED BRITISH POSTS.
NEW YORK, Dec. ga dispatch to
the Tribune from London says:
While the War Office has received
intelligence that Mafeking was safe
on November 20, it admitted the in
vestment there was closer than ever
before. This is confirmed by the Pail
Mall Gazette's correspondent, but
Reuters dispatches, one day later,
show that the Beers are using new
shells filled with a high explosive
from a lotion gun, and that the Sit
uation is serious. Colonel Baden
Powell has under him a dozen we'll
known officers of the British army, in
addition to Lord Edward Cecil of the
Grenadier Guards. This group of Off
GERS connected with a dozen regiments
includes Colonel Hore, Major Vyvgen,
Major Anderson, Lord Charles Ben
tinck, Captain titzclarence, Major
Cooley and others with powerful So
cial connections in London. There
will be a strong pressure brought to
bear upon the War Office, for the dis
patch of a relief column to Mafeking
when the ground is clear around KIM
berley. Neither Lord Lansdowne nor
Sir Redvers Butler will be likely to al
low the Prime Minister'S son to be
sent as a prisoner to Pretoria. Colonel
Plumer is again reported officially as
holding his ground, with slight losses
in skirmishes.
From Natal only the press dispatch
es which came through yesterday were
forecasts of the terrible battle impend-
ing on the Tugela river. These dis
patches were innocuous enough to
pass the censorship, as were also sew
eral belated messages from Ladysmith.
The most Ominous one was from
George Lynch to the Echo, dated No
vember 26, which stated that the
Beers had captured $50 head of cattle