Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-12-28
THE BOER WAR
Beleaguered British Garrisons Said
to Have Food Enough to Last
Two Months.
GUESSING AT BRITISH PLANS
Believed That the Invading British Will
Attempt to Go North By 0ir-
cuitous Routes to the
Transvaal.

London, December 28.-The war offic
has received the following from Cap
Town, dated December q: At $3.50 yes
terday evening the Beers on the souti
side of Magersfontein opened a heav.
fire for some time. This morning thu
naval brigade fired at the enemy at tn
gade is reconnoitering in northeast
erly direction. Lieutenant Master
made an extended reconnaissance west
ward and northward.
Enslein reports all we'll. The farmer
We're glad to see our men. They wer,
suffering from want of food. l estab
lished market here, where l can pur
chase fresh milk and vegetables, selling
farmers tea and other articles they car
not otherwise purchase. A heavy rair
fell last night. Gatacre and French re.
port no change in the situation Baden
Powell reports all well December 12
Cape Town, December 2S.-Colone
Otter, commanding the Canadian
contingent of troops, Is to join the staff
of General Butler, all the members Of
which are proceeding to Natal, indicat.
ing Buffers sphere Is shortly to be con.
fined to Natal.
A man named Green, a former SER
geant major in the British balloon de.
partment, Is among the Boer prisoners
~, 40 60 H1;, 10,
serted from Aldershot in 1893, and ad-
mitted he has been for some time in the
service of the Beers, and instructed
them in intrenching. He says there
We're $4,000 Beers at Magersfontein, q,
900 of whom We're engaged in the bat
tie. The Boer losses, he asserts, We're
heavy, the trenches being full of dead
Green further declares that if the at
tack had been pressed the Beers would
have yielded. He says the Boer horses
have to be taken to the Modder river
as water Is so scarce at Magersfontein
London, December 28.-In view of the
apparent supineness of the British COM
manders in preventing the daily
strengthening and extending of the
Boer positions along the Tugela and
Modder rivers, now considered practi-
cally impregnable, many experts are
coming to the conclusion that the Brit.
ish have given up the idea of carrying
These positions by assault, and will
await transport with the rANAlry re-
quired to give their forces the necessary
mobility Then they hope to be in %.
sition to besiege the Beers in their re-
spective positions while General Rob-
erts carries out the original plan of the
campaign-that of advancing straight
north ON Bloemfontein, other generals
de'taching sufficient mobile troops to
reach their goals by circuitous routes
There is nothing in the official or best
independent reports to indicate that the
beleaguered garrisons are in any spe-
cial straits calling for immediate relief
The latest advices from Kimberly
where shortage was most feared, re-
port plenty Of food. The interesting
feature of to-days news are patriotic
offers of service from Indian princes.
London, December 2S.-The latest in
dependent news from Ladysmith says:
THE field Notifications would now
withstand any organized attack the en-
emy is likely to deliver. There are suf-
fcient foodstuffs for two months. The
question Of forage might be trouble
some, but since the rains there has beer
some grazing within the lines. There Il
no horse sickness. The casualties caused
by our shell fire are increasing, and the
Beers are reported as becoming ner.
vous They fear night sorties, and con
stantly open heavy fusillade on an i'm.
aginary attack"
The German officials promptly stop.
ped the Beers from recruiting In Dana
raland. Neither men nor horses are per.
mftted to cross the border.
Durham, Natal, December 27-Harry
Escombe, former premier of Natal, diet
suddenly on the street this afternoon.
A German farmer named Stucke ant
Rev. Mr.. Hartes, director of the Hano
verian missions of Natal, have been ar
rested at Estcourt on a charge of aid
ing the Beers. They claim the protection
of Germany.