New-York tribune., 1899-11-18
BOER LINES ADVANCING.
aOSDoN CLURMEN RUB THEIR EYES
BRITISH FORCE IN SOUTH AFRICA
HEAVILY REINFORCED.
fpY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.

fPY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l
1ondon. Nov. IS, ! a. m-The Beers have
quickly followed UP their success in entrapping
a hundred Dublin Fusiliers and Natal Volun-
.ee-s by advancing in strong force toward Est
court. They were reported yesterday TO be
within five miles of the town with eight guns
and there were unconfrmed rumors toward mid
night that the British garrison might be COM
peled TO fau back Clubmen rubbed their eyes
in sheer amazement over the thought that Lower
Natal was stu exposed TO attack, although over
23Oo0 men from the army corps had arrived in
South Africa and 9,123 troops had been dis
patched to- Durham They found it still more
difficult 70 understand the situation when the
military experts. who had been keeping close
tally on the Admiralty returns. assured them
that 6421 men had landed and reinforced the
earrisons in Lower Natal. which previously had
a strength Of over 45OO men. including the
naval brigade With this evidence that the
British forces could not be less than 1000 men,
they could not comprehend how there could be
anv risk Of the isolation and investment Of Est
court or any necessity for a retreat. The STU
s+ion in Lower Natal was not obscure as the
-or,o rrorgers imagined. General Hildyard's
cecond Brigade had been sent TO Durham with
the Coldstreams from the First Brigade ana
the Sixth Brigade and Fusilier battalion iroN"
,bA Third Division. and all had arrived except
+bA co,dstreans and the ID Devonshires This
Was q strong infantry force, Of which the "a
West Yorkshires had reached Estcourt Inc
Garrison there was weak in artillery unless the
naval brigade had brought up its guns from 'i'e
.A,,s and on this account it might not be pre-
ro-ed for attack from the Boer guns Ihree
ho,.eriAs Of field artillery were disemoarheu
.o-o the Armenian at Durham yesterday Du'
time would be required for carrying 'he'n uP
the country and getting the horses lnto coiiN'-
ton after their long voyage
MUCH TINE NECESSARY.
Cool military experts to whom I'D, 49,
e-aaLing contended that everything cou'N nv
dome in a dav: that the men and stores mus pe
taken off the ships that arrangements
made for feeding the troops anu a'i'i'a,9'
49,. pia+er,raritzburg was seventy miles IN
land They also predicted with cohnuen'' ''a'
,be poars would retire when the relief coIuin"
,ka,, 70 destroy bridges and break up the ran
wavs behind them. The Bocrs IN lhls ieSpeI'
viii ha less considerate and serviceaole 10 'heiI
foes than General Yule was when ne retred'eu
from Glencoe upon L>adysmith without p'o"i"s
VI bridges or interfering with the railway s'
vice for Joubert's camp before Ladyslnlth'
The War Office issued yesterday General bu'-
iers account Of The armorcd train aInOuscaue'
Confirming previous press dispatches anu mn"
inizing the affair. but admitting that one nun
dred men were missing Comments upon th'S
EPISODE ,r The clubs were bitter. although every
one had good word for the gallantry or Lieu
tenant Winston Spencer Churchill bh'iaPP'D
again" and "Win our officers ever DC ."
guard against these hunters strategems were
the excanations heard on every side Inc reaI
point % the criticism the lack OF eoou
scouting which has been radical defect IN the
British campaign from the outset. as Carleton
White and Yule could testify. The commander
a. Estcourt was however, forced 10 reconnoitre
with an arrnored train from lack OF enectiVe
cavalry. The only mounted force which coulo
be sent out after the return of the battered en-
gine and tender consisted Of troop Of NataI
Carbneers and Of the Light Horse. These
troopers retired after an ineffective skirmisn
with tire enemy. The only cavalry reserves al
Cape Town are the Aldershot company or
mounted infantry, with a machine gun section
and force OF six hundred Lancers arriving
yesterday. The Admiralty has something to
answer for in sending cavalry and field artillery
on slow ships. but scant provision has been