Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-05-10
ROBERTS ADVANCING.
The British Cavalry Water Their
Horses at the Zand River.
The OCCUPATION OF SNALLDEEL.


London, May 9.-Four thousand
British cavalry watered their horses
Of Zand river Monday, rs miles be-
ycnd 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 laagered in un-
known 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 informa-
tlon from Lorenzo Marques, preparing
to transfer their government to
Heithbron, little more than SO miles
northeast.
The proclamations of Lord Roberts
appear to have little effect upon the
Inhabitants of the invaded 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 in
cidents connected with the occupa-
ton of SmaIdeel Some evaporation
10 expressed ut the ease with which
the Beers escaped with their trans
ports before the very eyes of the
British. For instance, when the Brit
ish entered Smaldeel, the Boer OK
wagons cody outspanned only five
miles away. as II in contempt Of the
ability Of the British to overtake
them. Lord Roberts is described as
rightly unwilling to sacrifice his
horses for the sake Of a comparative
" minor advantage Nevertheless,
the waste of horseflesh, in spite of all
precautions, is enormous.
6maldeel is n village of only score
cf dwellings, but it expanded in one
night to a vast canvas city, and the
glow Of the camp fires was like
scene in an iron smelling district.
The city Is likely to fade in n day by
the immediate progress of the in
lantry to Zand river
The tldings from Mafeking are
gloomier than ever. Everybody there
has an empty stomach and u pinched
face. The natives are no longer given
even porridge and the whites now
have nothing but quart OF that sub
stance and a pound Of horse sausage
daily. Everything else eatable has
gone. Insufficient food, wet trenches
and cold nights are deadly to the
health Of the garrison. This informa-
tion comes from reliable natives.
Lady Sarah Wilson, under date Of
April ~, says: "'Ihe Beers now num-
ber $500, including young Eloil,
President Krugers grandson, who
has sent for six more guns
The Mafeking correspondent of the
Times, who also emphasizes the ex-
IRENE gravity of the situation, says;
1T is impossible to ignore the fatal
Significance of Col Baden-Powells |
reference to the hardships endured
by the women and children, among
whom many deaths have already oc-
Cured. The commssariat is holding
o certain stock of foodstutfs in re-
serve for use in the direst extremity"
The British column is reported to
have reached Taungs, 80 miles north |
OF Warrenton. According to Pre-
toria advices the British are nearing
Vryburg, which is half way between
Warrenton and Matching While the
relief column is moving towards
vryburg, Gen. Hunter is apparently |
preparing an orderly advance north
east along the Vaal river, to partci-
pate in the Pretoria advance as Lord
Roberts left flank.
The president of the Transyaal
vclksraad reiterates President Kru-
gers undiminished tenacity of pur-