New-York tribune., 1900-11-23
CONDITIONS IN THE TR4NsT44L.

THE BOERS ARE DEMORALIZED AND STARV-
ING. But KEEP Up GUERILLA WARFARE.
The following extract from a letter recently
received in this city from an officer in the Brit
ish army IN South Africa throws an interest
ing sideIight the present condition OF things
in the TransvaaL The letter was dated Koomati-
poort, TransvaaI. October 3:
I'm here now. and at the end Of all things ex-
goes on forever The Boers are completely
guns but I believe they intend to continue
which is very siIIv of them as their people are
starving. We got here the day before Pariia-
ment dissolved. Were marching twenty five
miles a day 70 work il off in time, 105 degrees
five miles no water which was bad for our
horses We had left the main column fifteen
days before with one days forage and Two days
ralIons' 70 Jake an lInposslo4e mountain called
Kaapsche koop, and have had nothing ever
since. not even water cart However, We fed
our horses on dour and ourselves on anything
We could get which the Beers had left in their
flight. They had IOured kerosene over several
hundred tons of Hour and set IRE to it. but II did
not burn much The Sunday before gave
them real good doing up, and destroyed seven
Of the Irish-Anertcan brigade. All OF them
fight cleared the country.
I was at Lourenco Marques for a day. and
very sorry for himself. He mas grown a mus
taChe 70 show his disgust for the Dopper Beers
who deserted his cause There were fully one
thousand Boer merCenarles, an awful lot q
scondrels, With no money and nothing 20 do.
waiting for their cC nsUIs 70 ship them OUT The
American dynamiter. who has blown Up all the
bridges and destroyed as much Boer property
as ours, the Portuguese have put in jail Tor
threatening our CorSUl-CSeneral- They say liz
IS wanted for murder in America ROJha RS..-
and Steyn have gone north by the Sable River
with The seat Of Government in the pockets %
their trousers and convoy Of food. We made
a dash after them sixty miles through chick
bush veldt but too late 10 90 them much dam
age. Two CT our men, a white scout ana
Kafir. were killed BY lions Any amount -
Now We are enrraining for Pretoria but last
night a message came from ''SohS" saving ne
from here. coming out az No-ksrust, a little
jaUnt of 2J0 miles so: and as since Rlaarl-
fontein we have marched over 500 miles. our
horses. which. moreover. don't thrive on -four
are somewhat weary II is rather a necessary
undertaking, however, as the Amaboona Rre'r
Boor) are there IN some numbers. with ho-des
of sheep and cattle, and the Swat Queen saws
are causing trouble Besides. we have ALWAYS
neglected the Swazis grossly. although they are
of men here who followed our mounted infantry
in The whole Brigade OF Guards !. 900 strong.
Gordons (ot Dargai farne). Royal Scots $40
strong: Royal Irish. Naval Brigade and th-aA
batteries OF artillery, one OF ponpouns and The
5-inch guns. The Beers blew up Long Tom"
just across the Incomati. where they had a big
milton and piles of rifles I have couple Of bis
Of him. and the breech end. which with the
carriage Is intact. we have shipped OF TO Lord
'rBobs'' 10 take home with him.
Rather nice weather here, but I believe very
bad fever country after December l. and bad
for the garrison of 500 we are leaving behind
We have captured 160 or more locomotives ana
ten miles OF closely packed rolling stock r70s-
OF il on the Selate Railway, all in good or5ar
and a valuable asset. All employees have haar
active belligerenIs. with the knowledge and co~
sent Of their directors. and the whole concern
should be- and I hope will be, contraband Of
war.