The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-05-11
THE BOERS
AGGRESSIVE
Roberts Still Lingers at
BIoemfontein.
REASONS FOR THE DELAY
Wepener Relieved - Mafeking Still
Holding Out - An Arsenal at
johannesburg Blown Up,

NEW YORK, May IA dispatch to
the Tribune from London says: A sig
nificant item of intelligence has been
received from Cape Town. The Ex-
press correspondent In that city says
1t is asserted on good authority that
General Hunter has been sent TO Kim
berley to command strong column in
tended for the relief of Mafeking. 1t
will include Bartons Fusileers Brigade,
which has lately been brought round
from Natal and a strong contingent of
horses and guns.
The Times correspondent in Bloem-
fontein gives some interesting partic-
ulars respecting the manner in which
many Free Staters have abused the
leniency and clemency hitherto shown
to them by Lord Roberts in the capital
Itself. A secret society was formed to
maintain communications with the
Boer commandos and to promote the
re-armament among the bughers. The
existence of the conspiracy was grad
ually brought to light, and the fed
marsha has made up his mind that in
the future couspirators must be pun
ished.
The mobility of the Boer forces must
be something uncanny if all accounts
are worthy OF credence, for they are re-
ported as arriving a BrandfoTt on
Friday night from Wepener and Daw-
etsdorp; as re,irIng to Ladybrand and
returning to Thaba NChu on Satur-
day and as holding their ground in
strong forces in front of General
French on Saturday. The British ma
neuveIs are equally mysterious. A
general advance northward is describ-
ed as impending yet French Is alter
.nate.y described as harassing the enc
my with artillery fire and cavalry
skirmishing and as thwarting General
DE Vets efforts to turn the British
flank. General French has four in
fantry brigades and a large cavalry
force and c.early must have some mo-
tive for halting at Thaba N'Chu and
playing with the Beers instead of Wig
orously attacking them.
The advance northward cannot be
undertaken until the force east OF
Thaba N'Chu has been dispersed, yet
for three or four days there has been
skirmishing with the Beers rear
guard, until 1t has been re-enforced
from Ladybrand. If Generals Brabant
Wepener to Ladybrand these dilatory
tactics are ineligible, since General
French In that case would have an
adequate motive for holding and anus
Ing the Boer force at Thaba N'Chu
The distance Is fifty miles and there Is
reason to believe that this march has
been undertaken, although there is no
direct proof. With Ladybrand oecu
pied by General Hart, General De
Vets retreat eastward would be cut off
and General French would be in posi-
tion for attacking De Vets COM
mandos and following them northward.
The situation as far as 1t could be
made out at midnight was essentially
unchanged. Three divisions of Lord
Roberts army were available for a
direct advance upon Brandfort by the
railway from Bloemfontein; two cav
airy brigades and the mounted infan-
try divisions were at Thaba NChu
with the Eighth and Ninth Divisions;
the Third Division was within support
ing distance of De Wetsdorp and GEN
erals Brabant and Hart were either at
Wepener or on the way to Ladybrand.
The indications still seemed to point
TO turning movement from Thaba
N'Chu northward to the Vet river, with
with the Sixth, Seventh and Ninth
Divisions cooperating near the rail-
way line. Lord Roberts secrets, how
ever, are so well kept that forecasts
are of little value.
Experienced soldiers say that Lord
Roberts will secure the southern sec
tlon OF the Free State against ralding
operations by drawing a Gordon across
the country and permanently occupy
ing Sannans Post. Thaba N'Chu and
Ladybrand, and that he will then push
on as rapidly as possible for the Vaal
river knowing that Steyn's men will
not fight in the Transyaal and that the
strength OF the Dutch forces will be
heavily reduced.
The Boer army is well led and shows !
no sign of abandoning the struggle |
Its generals have recovered from the
panic caused by Paardeberg and have
demonstrated their ability to impede !
the advance of the British army and
harass 1t on the flank without expos
ing their commandos to serious risk
of capture.
A private dispatch from Mafeking
confirms the previous reports that the |
garrison was going strong" at the
middle OF this month. General Car
rington's force is already either head |
Ing for or arriving at Marandellas, |
twenty-five miles from Salisbury. II |
Is far cry from Marandellas to Mafe- |
king, What General Hunters division |
will do after leaving Mafeklng is one
OF Lord Roberts secrets, and Sir Red
vers Buffers future work In Natal is
another.
A fresh outbreak of reproaches from
the Ameer OF Afghanistan against the
British Government tends to confirm
the suspicion that Russian intrigues
are In progress.
Latest From Mafeking.
LONDON, May /, 4:25 p. ma dis
patch from Mafeklng dated April 20,
says:
THE Beers have been busy for sew
eral days blowing up the railways
sonthwards.
There was little firing during the
mas xUaak