The Worthington advance., 1900-04-13
BOFR AND BRITON.
The Latest Dispatches Regarding the
Situation In the south
African War.

The Latest Dispatches Regarding the
Situation I'm the south
African War. ~
Pretoria, Friday, April 6, via Louren-
70 Marques.--1t is reported@that Gen.
De Wet attacked and defeated a large
force of British cavalry at De Vets
dorp, southeast of Bloemfontein, cap
turing $50 prisoners and: q large guam
dity of ammunition and camp stores
and#inascting shsavysloss. The. federal
loss was 'twoakilled and four wounded.
A4iisquiet with the other commanders.
London, April 9.-The Cape Town
correspondent Of the Daily News, tele-
graphing Friday, says: &''Owing to: a
lack Fof: horses and to the sufferings of
the men from; pneumonia, due to thin
clothing, Lord Roberts has decided not
to make big move until the troops
are provided with thicker uniforms,
H. London, April 9.-When it is borne in
mind that all the dispatches: from the
front are severely censored. there is
little in the news to bring satisfaction
to England. Assurances that nothing
need be feared, even if the RAILWAYS
eand Ttel<grRphs are cut and Bloemfon-
tein isolated, together with the news
that the ladies and other civilians are
.beingordered away, do not augur we'll.
-. There are rumors from Cape Town
that. the telegraph wires were already
cut yesterday, and also that the hus-
sars who were sent to the relief of tho
Royal Irish rifles are also missing, al
though probably these are the out
come of Boer exaggerations designed
to encourage the burghers.
The attempt of Gen. Colville to catch
the Boer leaders in conference at
Reitfontein failed probably, as usual.
because of the lack of cavalry.
The results of these serious checks
to the British arms is that the whole
Free State is up again, and that the
Beers are full of activity over the en-
tire field.
The Beers are boasting that the
Colesberg and Stormberg commanders
numbering 5000, with ten cannon and
$50 wagons, have gotten safely
through. thus performing ''magnifi-
cent strategic feat"
Mafeking was still besieged on April
1. The garrison was suffering severely
from lack of bread, and a mixture of
oats, bran and mealies was doing duty
for that article, which is described as
"coarse in substance, of the color of
gingerbread and of the consistency of
Norwegian pine"
Bethany, Saturday, April 9.-Gen.
Gatacre's force has returned here
without having found any trace of the
ill-fated British column captured by
the Reddersburg commando. It is i'm
possible to estimate the British losses,
but, as the men fought stubbornly, it
is probable that these were large.
Bethany, Orange Free State, Thurs
day, April 5.-The five companies of
British infantry which were surprised
by the Reddersburg commando while
marching across the country via De
Vets dorp made plucky stand, but,
as the Beers had three field guns and
the British none, the latter were COM
PEELED to surrender. Gen. Gatacre ar
rived too late. Reddersburg was al
ready reoccupied by the Beers, and
the enemy are now threatening the
lines to the south.
Maseru, Basutoland, April 5.-The
Ieoccupation of Ladybrand, Thaba
N'Chu and the Bloemfonteins. water:
works by the Beers, in the very sight
of the Basutos. who. recently wit
messed the expulsion of the Beers by
the British, is far the most important
aspect of the situation here. in view
OF its probable effect upon the ma
tive mind. Already the natives are ar
guing that the British have suffered
|"revesses'ra ~shouads%heaBritish evac-
uate Wepenor, the results, so far as
the natives are concerned, are likely
to prove disastrous. All hope to see
Gen. Brabrant advance and drive the
enemy before him.
Lourenzo Marques, Friday, April 6.
"A runner who has just arrived here
from Sobobo's kraal, Swaziland, says
Sobobo has been killed and his women
have been tied up with ropes. Unrest
is increasing in the country, which is
in most unsettled state, bordering
on a reign of terror, in the absence of
'white mans law" Many natives
have been threatened: and i'm one dis
trict they have been completely killed
off. A messenger from Bromersdorp,
Swaziland, says the Beers are making
presents to the queen, and are seeking
permission, to pass through Swaziland