The sun., 1900-03-13
.OQD ROBE KS IS0NOPP0SED
So He Reports Rrgardi g His
Advance on Sund y in the
Free State.
MOVING ON BLOEMFONTEIN
Rumors of the Relief of Mafeking
Continue 10 Circulate in Lon
den, But, as Usual Lack
Confirma tion The
Cape Rebels.

the deyelopmpnt of more strenuous resist
ance than the Beers have SO far nttempt-
cd. The distance between Lord Roberts
and the Free State capital is now SO
small-only about % nies-that 1t IS
apuarent The Beers either contemplate
making Il determined stand ON the out
.kirts of the town or, for strategic fea-
sons best known 10 themselves, are al-
lowing Lord Roberts to occupy 1t after
merely harassing his advance.
The numerical superiority OF the bilt-
ish troops leaves no doubt i'll the minds
Of the critics here that Lord Roberts VIII
accomplish his temporary objective, the
occupation Of Blocmfonten.' The COM
mander in chiefs latest dispatch. am
notlncng that General Cintacrc is at Be
thulic bridge and the specials saying Cen
eral Gatacre commands the bridge ap-
proachcs put the Beers in that vicinity
between two British forces, .Aasyogel
kop. whence Lord Roberts sent his last
cable message. being 100 miles almost
due north Of Bcthulic.
However, there is a large eXpanse OF
plain between them, and the main body |
of the Beers now confronting Lord Rob
crts with his ceaseless activity may be |
quite able to cover the retreat of the |
burghers confronting General Gatacre.
Once the British are in possession of the
railroad from Bethulie to Bloemfontein
the junction at the Free State capital of
Generals Gatacre and Roberts would
be matter Of very few days.
| Commenting on the fact that Lord
| Roberts found the Beers holding posi-
| tions in part of the country supposed to
have been left open, the st. James Ga
zctte says:
mo more damning Indictment was ever
preferred against any cavalry.
MafeIsing Rumors.
Rumors Of the relief of Mafeking con
time to circulate, but fail of amy con-
| firination.
From Natal, which General Butler so
enormously declared was clear of Bocrs.
and from Cape Colony, where General
Kitchener's stern hand is upon the rebel
lion. there is no news Of any Importance.
The war office has issued the following
dispatch from Aasvogcl kop under date
of March II;
I'VE were unopposcd during The march
Yesterday. The officers / left at tho last
camp to record the list of casualties have
not vet arrived The following addition
al casualties are known, however:
SKILLED IicHtcnnnts Il. y. Parsons
| ana y. Y ~ lllt I@NN'-s
nent
Worndcd-Llltcnant G. Berkeley ise-
vercly). lloyd Arm and G. II. Raleigh.
"Grnrral t,atacre reports that he was
within j; mile OF the Bethnlie railway
bridge yesterday. The bridge was par-
tinlly destroyed, and the enemy W;lH hold
! ing the opposite hank."
In the house Of commons \. j. Balrunr
I. TIN first lord of The treasury apd govern
: npmt lcaGal, replying 70 question rs tC
whether. consistently with public inter
Gsts, liz cDuld state the essential cDndi
tioMs on which alone thn government
! would entertain peace proposals from tht
: Sou{h African republics, promised that
pallrrS in This connection would shortly
:, bc presented to the house.
At the commencement Of the debate il
!, the house Of commons on the army csti
!, mates the parliamentary secretary fol
!. the war office, Mr.. George Wyndham. dc
clalCl that recent events did not justify
at the present time any dimnution in th'
provision for the further conduct Of th'
! campaign in South Africa. Tho iinancia
cost Of the war; he declared, was not i'm
= mcdiatcly altered by fluctuations Of fail
y ure or success. Ii would be rash at pres
1 ont to think that the number of month
i
y Africa was likely to he materially short
= ened, so the government estimates i'll
y cluded what was believed to be enough
= money to continue the efforts at ful
!, y pressure for another six months and 4
- half pressure for six months thereafter.
What the Scots Endured.
IL The hardships experienced by Genera
n. Macdonald's highland brigade and tn
~ suffering il underwent in its march t
"A Koodoosberg are described graphically b
i. Il correspondent of The Standard in
l. letter Just at hand. Tho trying climati
=. tt.triitions of the South African weld
~ ;le pointed out. and the danger of moN
~ ing heavily equipped infantry III such
H. country long distances in the heat Of til
tc day without Il proper waiter supply
emphasized From the experiences {
the hghlandcrs il is evident that the i'll
pcrial forces must follow the rivers {
ito railway lines i'll the advance to Pretori;
lc- The Standards man says:
~. Men seized with sunstroke, writhin
lro and gasping for water, were lying evel
iii 80 Yards or So along the route to ko
he doosberg. Fortunately, the river hei
comparatively near water was eventun
val ly procurablc. and the men all got in
g camp Mt the drift by / o'clock. A few
ms the cases turned out to be really seriou
an. Two rsp We're lost altogether. One
ro. them Was found two days later by a p
m troll of lancers. He was in a raving co
,llc dition and died soon after being broug
into camp.
Each man was carrying 130 rounds
ammunition in pouches hung on
stomach and attached with an arrane
cen ment of straps which closely resembl
sey the ordinary mule harness used hel
ing Hung on his back was heavy overcoi
which since the march from Orange riv
the began has, SO far as have observed. nc
on er been used once. Then there are t
one water bottle, canteen, rife and 9th
WIS necessary articles, altogether, with u
i. form, making up a burden OF about
pounds The kilt is quite unsuitable
"a such a march, Thorns caught the ki
orr. and tore the bare legs of the highland'
;a,, in the most cruel manner"
Inc The Cape Rebels.