The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-02-16
BOERS ON THEIR FLANK.
General Joubert Is Marching With
Six Thousand Men.

Durham, Feb. lit is rumOred here
that General JOubert is marching with a
column OF 5000 men to outfank General
Butler.
London, Feb. 12-The Pietermaritz-
burg correspondent of the Daily Mail.
telegraphing yesterday, says:
The Beers have occupied Blows farm.
south OF the Tugela, which is under an
hours ride from Chieveley and have
turned the homestead into a hospital.
On the farm are hills commanding both
bridges over the Tugela, as well as
Forts Wylie and Molyneaux, from which
a view of Buluwana and Ladysmith is
obtainable. There is much apprehension
here regarding the BOer movement, and
the authorities are on the alert.
London, Feb 12.-The latest dispatches
from the front showing the real reasons
for General Buffers retirement and his
intention to try again quite destroy the
comforting and ingenious theory that
the movement was an elaborate feint to
facilitate the main advance of Lord
Roberts, theory which obtained accept
ance largely because of MIR Balfour's s
misleading statement to parliament.
These seemingly useless references and
prevaricatiOns on the part OF the gov
ernment and the war office are beginning
to be criticised severely. No word has
yet issued from the war office regarding
General Buffers latest attempt although
the correspondents are allowed to tele-
graph with a fair amount of freedom
and thus far only partial list OF casu-
alties has been published. The dating
OF messages from Frere Camp may in
dicate that General Butler has withdrawn
all his forces there.
Ladysmith's Case Hopeless.
The London newspapers having be-
come accustomed to checks, maintain q
hopeful tone, but the situation is much
more threatening than it seemed to be a
week ago. Proofs of the terrible mObil-
ity and strength of the Boer artillery,
together with the rumOr that General
Joubert is taking the initiative with the
object OF cutting General Buffers com
mUnlcatlOns are in no way reassuring.
Even the most sanguine persons begin
to see that it is quite hopeless to expect
the relief of Ladysmith, while it is clear
that if it be impossible for Butler to
reach Ladysmith it is equally impossible
the garrison, exhausted by sickness and
prlvatlons, to cut way out.
Reports OF the BOer advance through
Zululand are disquieting Ii they should
be able to strike at GreytOwn, General
Butler would be compelled to turn his at
tentiOn to the eastern side OF Natal.
The fact that Lord Roberts arrived at
MOdder River Friday seems to show that
he has been on a round of inspection OF
the chief commands and that the main
advance is not so near as has been sup
posed.
Kimberley Short of Food.
Startling intelligence comes from Kim
berley in the Cape newspapers Just re-
ceived by mail in London. 1t appears
that since January s the rations at
Kimberley have been for the most part
hOrsetlesh, so repugnant to women and
children that many refuse to eat. 1t al
SO appears that the death rate has been
heavy and that the privations of the
garrison have been increased steadily.
This news is startling because the cen.
sor has not allowed it to be cabled. Pos
sibly such conditions explain the pres
ence OF Lord Roberts at Modder River
and the apparent preparations for an
o1U hot