The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-25

very little above normal, distress is wholly
absent, and danger is purely incidental
THE Beers have been repulsed for seven
weeks, and without the walls of Mafeking
an almost impregnable defense has been
constructed. The Beers stand off five miles
and isaell the--town, with perfect safety,
while under cover of their fire they pro-
ject their advanced trenches daily few
feet nearer the town. We have endeavor-
ed with our artillery and by night sorties
to check their progress, but the sapping
of Mafeking continues, and is al once
very serious, If not our sole, danger.
Should their trenches advance much fur
Their it will be impossible TO move about
during daytime at all, and, although we
have Thrown up bales of compressed hay
and sacks of oats to act as shields against
the enemy's bullets and the flying splin-
ters of passing shells, there is no hour
in the day in which the streets of the
town are not sprayed by Mauser bullets"
Laying Low" in Mafeking.
The Mafeking correspondent of the Pail
Mall Gazette, under date of Nov. 20, also
states some interesting features.
when the guns first engaged u.s." he
writes 1--WE passed the time by keeping
tallies of the number of shells fired, but
everybody has given that up now. We
know that up to date 1900 projectlles have
flown over US or burst in the town vet
by the shells only totals up to about half
a dozen or so. If the people only continue
to act on Col Baden Powell's advice and
lay low like Brer Fox I am certain
that the list of casualties will not be ma
terially increased.
81 would back an Egyptian battalion
against Cronje's commando for marks
manship. The Boer fires so high that his
bullet comes flying over the town more
than 500 yards from the mark. He is used
to the Martini, and has not been practiced
much with the Mauser The trajectory, or
curve, described by the Martini bullet
fired at 600 yards is something like for
ty-five feet, while the trajectory of the
Mauser is very fiat. The Dutchman knows
little or nothing of the theory of musket-
nv, and probably eleVates the barrel of
the new arm at. or almost at, the same
angle as the old one for a particular
range"
The loss suffered by Cen French at
Colesburg, where the Suffolks were so cut
up is matter of general comment for all
correspondents. The Daily Telegraph's
charge d'affairs at Cape Town says:
Gen. French, who was not present, and
who has hitherto displayed so much eau
ton, will feel this reverse acutely Only
the other day he indirectly reDroved the
Tenth Hussars for having incautiously
| approa ched a dangerous position. 1t is
the old and monotonous story-too much
| bravery, not enough caution. The Natal
Witness relates that after the battle of
| Colenso a Boer soldier came upon the
corpse Of a private Of the Connaught
Rangers. He had stripped it Of valuables,
when his eye fell upon a crucifix, sus-
| pended by cord around the brave fell
| lows neck. Intently the burgher gazed
| on the emblem, and then hastily replaced
| the booty he had annexed, covered the
dead mans face, and quickly disappear
ed"
The Times correspondent with Gen.
French thus writes regarding Colesburg:
at appears that only a few hours af-
ter II had been decided to make the night
attack the intention was known to the
Beers. who occupied the hill and waited
for the Suffoks until the charge was
made, and, being already In position,
while our infantry were stumbling up the
hill in the dark over loose stones the
enemy naturally held a great advantage,
and were able to shoot our men down as
fast as they advanced.
what Night Attacks Have Taught.
"The Suffolks had been ordered to wear
soft shoes, but only about half were do
ing so. Their bayonets were fixed, but
none got near enough to use them. The
experience gained by these night attacks
I'm such rough country so far Isl
First. That the Dutch or half-breed
Dutch employed in our Cape police and
in some companies OF scouts find means
of acquainting their blood relations Of
the intentions of our generals, and so
prepare for whatever is going to occur.
Some foreigners also have found billets
in the scouts, whose relations with the
enemy previously have been very close,
"seeand- That ,fewer lives would