The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-11-09
Darkest Page of War.

London, Nov 9.-To the eyes of mili-
 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-
 ous sorties. If he can keep the British flag flying over Ladysmith until he is relieved the campaign will turn fresh page, and, with the advance of Sid Red promised more cheering reading,
 Queen Has Confidence in White.
 This feeling of reier inspired by re- cent good tidings, is nevertheless tinged by a certain alloy of anxiety lest Gen eral White should again make some fa-
 tai miscalculation involving a repeti- ton of the Nicholson's Nek disaster. Her majesty does not share this anxiety and apparently is sangune of his abil- ity to pull through successfully. It is asserted that 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 confi- dence in his generalship. The purport of this letter has been cabled to Gen eral White by the Marquis of Lans- downe
 British ReinfOrcements.
 The most interesting news tonight is dispatch from Estcourt announcing the departure of a strong force of mounted troops and artillery for des- tination not given in the advices An other message announces the arrival at Estcourt and Pietermaritzburg within the last few days of endorsements from Durban, and that $500 troops are as- sembled ready for a readvance to Co., lenso when the opportune moment ar- rives. The latter dispatch throws light upon the former: and the force which left Estcourt Monday has doubtless re- occupied Colenso, and possibly is now advancing cautiously up the railroad toward Ladysmith, General Whites sor- tie of Friday. almost to the banks of the Tugela river, encouraging it's com mander in the hope of joining hands with him.
 Joubert Draws in His Horns.
 General Joubert, the latest advices would indicate, drew in, his horns after engagement and his since the southern Boer contin- gents, leaving only outposts on the line from Ladysmith to Colenso. The Boers who occupied Colenso about the middle | of last week retired without damaging | Bulwer bridge over the Tugela river on the railroad as far north as the village | of Nelthorpe, seven miles south of La dysmith. Evidently they nurse hope of eventually utilizing both in their de- scent on Pietermartzburg 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 covering the ad- vance of the Estcourt force.
 British Positions Strengthened.
 At Estcourt and Pietermaritzburg the within the last few days, and they are now believed capable of holding their own against any Boer 'orce which General Joubert would, at he present juncture, risk sending against those towns Both are likely to oe strengthened before the week is out oy a further naval force and even by he first detachment of General Buffers lrmy corps
 No Troopships Eav. Arrived
 None of the troopships has arrived The one which it was predicted might each Cape Town at the earliest on is as yet unannounced and even when it does arrive there it will have hree days steaming to reach Durban, Natal. As many as 4,500 additional FOODS were expected to be in Cape Town harbor by this time, but the only rrivals at Cape Town were the Su- , natra from Durban with wounded, the , southern Cross from Gibraltar with , nuIes and the collier Wenvoe. Of { curse it is possible that dispatch boats ave been sent to meet the troopships l with instructions to proceed direct to )urban, and in that event the war of ice statement that no one has arrived t Cape Town would be literally accu- ate, even though several should be half t ,ay between Cape Town and Durban. I
 situation al Mafei>niS. The situation looks brighter at Mafe- '. ing, where the Boers are apparently at the unexpected resist ! nee, a large body of their force having Y. cen detached to the south to assist in he investment of Kimberley, around mich the cordon is drawing tighter. ,yidently the Boers intend to make a oncentrated effort to capture Kimber- | " and their arch enemy, Cecil Rhodes. c he reported departure of a BoerI con- t ngent from Pretoria with German ar | fiery gunners moving in a southerly | irection is taken to mean cooperation Il , the invasion of the northern positions [ f Cape Colony, an undertaking which | nus far has not progressed very rap V lily. lo