The Bowbells tribune., 1900-05-18

turning of the Biggarsberg position
was effected by bolt movement.
The Beers had evacuated Helpmaak-
ar. but were making stand Mon
day evening at Blckcplaagte, seven
miles from Dundee. The corps on
the spur regarded it as a rear guard
action intended to cover the retreat
of the main army. At the same time
Gen. Hildyard took Indobay and 1t Is
reported the Beers withdrew in dis
order. Gen. Butler, employing his full
strength, is expected to push on. His
first marches were forty-five miles in
three days. He is thus breaking into
British territory which has been ad-
ministered for six months by the
Trarsvaalers as though it were part
Of the republic, they holding courts
and levying taxes. His success. there
fore has political as well as military
Importance. While Lord Roberts
infantry were entering Kroonstad,
where they will rest a day or two,
his horsemen have penetrated eigh-
teen miles northward. Two hundred
Beers who had hidden in the river
jungles near Kroonstad have sur
rendered to the British and took the
Oath of Allegiance.
According to a dispatch from Bennett
lBurleigh to the Daily Telegraph, dated
Thursday, May 10, Paul Botha and
Macdonald. members of the Free
State volksraad. demanded that the
chairman should call for meeting to
sue for peace, as further resistance
was suicidal, and proposed to make
President Steyn prisoner.
Nothing definite has been heard
about the expected relief of Mafeklng.
A Cape Town correspondent wires
that relief is imminent. fixing Tues
day or Wednesday as the probable
date. InGuirers at the war office are
told that the relief will be made pub.
lie as soon as received. The latest
supposition about Gen. Hunter is that
possibly he is marching up the north
bank of the Vaal with a force suf-
ficient in cooperation with Lord Rob.
erts to make Boer defense further
impracticable. A dispatch from
Bloemfontein says that Gen. Rundle
is advancing toward Ladybrand. His
troops and those of Gen. Brabant are
stretched over a distance of thirty
miles The Beers are described as
quite disorganizad and as retreating
northward. President Steyn's lieu
tenants are trying to rally them. The
same
Stories of DisinteEration
come from nearly every point where
the English correspondents are. Mr..
Hollowell. formerly a correspondent
at Mafeking, who was put over the
Transvaal border, telegraphing from
Lourenzo Marques, Sunday, says: j..
"JuGging from talks have had
with the Beers the end of the war
will come in a month or six weeks.
Mr.. Steinkamp, chairman Of the raad:
who Travelled with me. said that II
the burghers were pressed from Pre-.
toria. they would retire to the district
of Lydenburg mountains, which had
already been prepared. He added
that the burghers would stand firm,
but he feared they were too broken
in spirit. I gathered from him that
the whole available force OF the
Transvaal was now in the field. the
final Communicating having taken
place last Thursday, and only the
personal magnetism Of President
kruger kept his burghes together.
At the British hospitals In Bloem'
fontein the deaths from enteric fever
average eight to ten daily.
More Than He Supposed.
London. May 15.-Roberts reports
|. from Krconstads that the casualties
among the cavalry during the fight
ing at the Zand river May 10 were
H.