The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-08

l and retreated. AS the story Wa' brought by runners it should be receiv, ed with caution, as the unreliabilty
 of these "Kaf1lrgrams" Is notorious According to this report the Boers 1 opened a furious bomgardment during the morning of December 4, continued 1t for hours, when the British finally silenced the Boer guns, made sortie and hard fighting followed the Boers retreating after very heavy losses, es- timanted at hundreds
 The despatches from Frere camp par tially confirm the retirement of Free State burghers from the vicinity of Ladysmith, but do not indicate that the retreat was the result of a defeat on the previous day, while the statement in the same dispatch that the Boers were firing on Ladysmith shows the Boer guns were still active.
 It ie also pointed out that all sug- | gestions of weakening refer to the Free Staters. Apparently the Transvaal Boers are still full of fight, thought it is reiterated that they are short of sup plies.
 | According. to a dispatch from General Schalkburger's laager, dated December 3, the French and Austrian military at- taches had arrived there, while the German attaches had gone to join the Boer forces along the Tugela river, where a collision is momentarily ex- pected.
 Perhaps an explanation of the re- tirement of burghers from Natal can be found in a dispatch from Modder River, December g. saying that strong Boer force, estimated to number 5000 men, was reinforcing General Cronje from Natal The same dispatch says everything points to the probability of a great engagement to be fought at Spytfontein. The Boers are massing on the hills there, are vigorously build ing stone defenses and are digging rife pita in every direction
 The Boers' redoubts on Lazaretto Ridge, west of Kimberly, are also being extended, showing that the rumors of their intentions to abandon the at tempt to stem General Methuen's ad- vance are unfounded. The British have shifted their camp few hundred yards away from the battlefield and are set ting down for week. There are some
  depends on General Gatacre's advance There is undoubtedly large concen- tration of Boers ahead of General Meth uen. Practically the whole of their Mafeking forces have joined the Kim berly besiegers.
 An official account of the sortie at Kimberley November 2S, when the Brit ish casualties, as cabled yesterday, oc- cured, says:
 The British demonstrated toward Wimbledon Rife range. The enemys guns were positions from the ridge at Spitskop to Wimbledon siding. Major Scott-Turner with the mounted troops, attacked the enemy's right flank cap turing laager and three redoubts. The enemy in 8 fourth redoubt made a stubborn resistance, when Major Scott Turner was killed The British captured many shells and destroyed other stores"
 The same dispatch gives reports from Colonel Kekewich. dated Decem- Der 3 and 1, showing the Boers were increasing in numbers around Kimber- ley.
 The Boer advance in the northeastern part of Cape Colony is becoming re- markable. The local farmers are flock ing to the Boer laagers, the townspeo- pie, in many instances, welcoming the invaders with every demonstration of joy. The annexation of British terri / tory proceeds daily. The reported Boer successes have made a great inn pression among the Basutos.
 Advices from Pretoria say the gov ernment has allowed two cable mes sages to reach Winston Churchill. The mint at Pretoria ie coining 100000 sov- ereigns monthly.
 The war office has been notified that the British had five killed and twenty five wounded in the sorte from Kim berley November 25, including three CO., lonial officers.
 Special dispatchea from Lourenzo Marques dated Thursday, December g. say President Kruger is only prevented from going to the front by the objec- tions of the members of the executive Mrc. Kruger, it is added, is ill
 The Times prints a letter from an American citizen who left Johannes burg because he was liable to be inn pressed and who had learned that the United States consul was unable to pro- tect him. He complains bitterly that the American flag was not respected in Pretoria; that his passport was not rec ognized and that his position was prac- .l~>, 1>I