Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-23

ing, reports heavy fighting Monday al
ternoon. The British briskly fired on
the French cannon and Boer targets
The Beers replied. bombarding the
British forts with good effect The loss
OF the British Is unknown. One Boer
was wounded.
New York, Nov. pa dispatch to the
Tribune from London says
II Gen. JOubert were In possession OF
all the war news contained In today :
London Journals he would not have a
single helpful cue. He would be forced
10 pick and choose among a dozen
different estimates OF the strength OF
the British force In lower Natal and on
the southern and western frontiers or
the Free State, with the certainty that
every one was below the mark. lie
would not find any clew 10 the dis
tribution or composition OF Clery )
troops between Estcourt and Durham,
nor a single glimpse Of what Is going
on within Gen. Whites lines at Lady
smith He would also have reason TO
question his own sanity were he to at
tempt 10 reconcile the conflicting the
cries advanced by military writer's re-
speeding MS SllaAtbsf IHtiNN'"NN w
jects and point OF view.
Equally unintelllglble is this mass OF
rum0rs and contradiction TO English
readers. They know that Hildyarf Is
al Estcourt with naval guns, the pro-
yincial horse and portion OF the Sec
ond brigade. and they suspect that Bar.
ton is at Moot river with a portion OF
the sixth brigade, while the remainder
Of Clery's army Is scattered at various
points lower down. with reinf0rcements
still az sea, and three batteries Of Held
artillery and possibly several companies
Of mounted infantry somewhere on the
shore. Otherwise they are completely
in the dark respecting the situation IN
Natal. and know as little OF the maneu-
yers Of their own army as Of the mys-
terIous tactics Of Joubert's forces
which. IN unknown force, either for
looting or serious warfare, have flung
themselves between Estcourt and
Pletermaritzburg and cut on communi-
cation with the sea.
This situation causes bewilderment,
but no alarm. Confidence Is inspired
by the superiority Of numbers which
the British army now has In lower
Natal and on the borders Of the Free
state. and by the assurance that Lady
smith is doubly safe when a portion Of
Joubert's force has been withdrawn
for series Of southern raids and for
hazardous operation Of blocking Clery's
advance.
Military men IN close touch with the
war office assert that no misgIyings are
entertained there. and that no news Is
withheld from the public, They add
that Gen. Butler has sent TO lower
Natal Clery and Hildysrd, two Of the
best strateglsts IN the British army,
and that they must understand the
situation fully. II nobody IN London
does. No expert attempts TO explain
how these generals can keep In con-
slant touch with the enemy without
better arrangements for scouting than
have been reported hitherto. Lord
Methuen, on the Orange River, Is well
equipped In this respect. for he has a
fine cavalry force. His troops are feel
ing their way toward Belmont and
have discovered the enemy there en-
camped with q few guns Whether
they advance TO Kimberley or into the
Free state, the effect will be 10 draw on
the Dutch Commands now lowering