Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-09
GLOOMY T|D|NCS
EVERYTHING EATABLE IN MAZE
KING HAS BEEN DEVOURED.
IMPORTANT MOVES AT NATAL.
Kroonstadt Will Soon Be Untenable-
Roberts Finds Farms Deserted
By Men.

London, May 9, 4:10 a. thou
sand British cavalry watered their horses
at Zand river Monday, 25 miles beyond
Smaldeel. where Lord Roberts continues
to date his dispatches. The scouts who
have been searching the country for miles
along the stream have found no Beers
south of the river. The enemy are lag
cred in unknown force on the north bank.
Thus the British advance guard is within
As miles of Kroonstad.
The Free Staters. in the expectation
that Kroonstad will speedily become un-
tenable. are. according to information
from Lourenzo Marques. preparing to
transfer their government to Helthplon. Il
little more than so miles northeast.
The proclamations of Lord Roberts APP
pear to have little effect ON the nhabi-
tants of the invade districts. Every farm
is found deserted except by the women
and children. All the men are away
fighting.
Correspondents at headquarters are
now wiring freely concerning the Incl
dents connected with the occupation of
Smaldeel. Some evaporation is express
ed at the ease with which the Beers es-
capped with their transports before the
very eyes of the British. For instance,
when the British entered Smaldee,. the
Boer OK wagons coolly outspanned only
five miles away, as if in contempt of the
ability of the British to overtake them.
Lord Roberts is described as rightly "un-
willing to sacrifice his horses for the sake
of a comparatively minor advantage
Nevertheless the waste of horsetlesh. in
spite of all precautions, is enormous.
Smaldeel is a village of only a score of
dwellings,. but it expanded in one night to
a vast canvas city, and the glow OF the
campfires was like a scene in an iron
smelling district. The city is likely to
fade away in a day by the immediate pro-
gress of the infantry to Zard river.
The tidings from Mafeking are gloomier
than ever. Everybody there has an emp
ty stomach and a pinched face. The ma
tives are no longer given porridge and the
whites now ave nothing but a quart of
that substance and a pound of horse
sausage daily. Everything else eatabie
has gone. insufficient food. wet trenche
and cold nights are deadly to the health
of the garrison. This information comes
from reliable natives. Lady Sarah Will
son.. under date of April q. says:
THE Beers now number $500. includ-
ing young Eloff, President Kruger's
grandson. who has sent for six more
guns
The Mafeking correspondent of the
Times who also emphasizes the extreme
gravity~o of the situation, says:
1T is impossible to ignore the fatal
significance of Colonel Baden-Powell's
reference to the hardships endured by the
women and children, among whom many
deaths have already occurred. The COM
missariat is holding a certain stock of
foodstuffs in reserve for use in the direst
extremity
The British column is reported to have
reached Taunss, so miles north of War
renton.
According to Pretoria adyices. the
British are nearing Vryburg. which Is
half way between Warrentorr and Mafe-
king. General Hunter is probably not in
personal of this relief column.
His forces embrace 1000 infantry and
from 5000 60 5000 horsemen, an army far
greater than has hitherto been suppos-
ed. Lord Methuer is apparently a suh-
ordinate. While the relief column is
moving toward Nryburg. General Hunt
er is apparently preparing an orderly aa-
vance northeast along the Naal river, to
participate in the Pretoria advance as
Lord Roberts left flank.
Capetown correspondents learn that an
important movement in Natal is expect
ed within the hex four days. General
Butler is rapidly completing his transport
organization.
The president of the Transvaal volks
raad reiterates President Kruger's undi-
minished t%enacity of purpose. In the
course of the debate he said that should
he be sent to st. Helena the republican
cause would still go on. Generals Louis
Botha and Lucas Meyer are in Pretoria
consulting with the volkraad.
A dispatch from Maseru, Basutoland,
dated Tuesday, May s. says: Lord Rob-
erts' rapid advance has confused the
Beers. who are holding the roads between
Wepener and Calcolan. along which a
continuous stream of wagons and cattle
has been proceeding ~northwards for days.