The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1900-12-27
PRICE FIVE CENTS I

Clements. The authorities are quite
alive to the ugliness OF the present
situation in South Africa. and addii-
tional contingent of 5000 mounted in
fantry will shortly be sent out. Gen
eral Kitchener, it is stated, is to be
allowed an absolutely free hand
BRITISH WE'RE BAGGED.
ALIWAL NORTH, Dec. ia party
of Brabant's Horse, consisting mainly
OF raw recruits, engaged a superior
force of Beers December 18th near
Zastron, Orange River Colony, losing
killed, 16 wounded and 120 taken
prisoners.
dispatch has been received by the War
Office from Lord Kitchener:
PRETORIA, Dec. 15.-Five officers
and 316 men, Magaliesberg prisoners,
have been released.
The Beers surrounded and captured
l20 OF Brabant's Horse in a defile in
Zastron district.
Colonel Bloomfield, moving on Vry-
held, defeated the Beers with heavy
loss, driving them from Scheeper's Mex
and capturing quantity of arms. The
Scheeper'S Mex movement occurred
, December 18TH
The Beers who attacked Vryheid
December 10th, lost 100 killed and
| wounded before they retired. The
| fighting lasted all day, the enemy
drawing off at 1880 p. 10. The British
loss was 6 killed, 19 wounded and 80
missing. Our casualties include two
officers, who died of their wounds.
"DETAILS OF FIGHT.
| LONDON, Dec. 1.-THE Magalies-
berg affair is described as follows in
a dispatch to the Standard from Reit-
fontein: The scene of the engage
ment was horseshoe-shaped depres-
| sion. The Northumberlands occupied
the center. General Clements camp
was pitched 1000 yards lower down at
the eastern point of the horseshoe and
| Colonel Legge's camp was about 800
yards distant
General Delarey's 1000 men, against
whom General Clements had fought
repeated actions, were suddenly, un-
known to General Clements, re-enforc-
ed by 1900 from Warm Baths under
Commandant Boyers. At daybreak
Colonel Legge's pickets deserted what
seemed to be fresh force of British
troops thirty yards distant The
strangers were challenged. They re-
piled with a volley, revealing 400
| Beers in khaki. The firing became
heavy and the noise aroused Colonel
4 Legge's troops, who arrived just in
: time to save the Outposts from capture.
A furious engagement ensued. Artil-
llery was brought up and compelled the
! Beers to retire. Colonel Legge followed
up THE withdrawal. but was shot dead
E by bullet through the head.
Al -.
arrived. The staff suffered severely
lbut General Clements appeared to have
q a charmed life. While mounted men
n were driving the enemy back along a
a slope thickly covered with dead Beers
Ella deafening rifle fire suddenly broke
d out on the plateau above. The sig
s nallers photographed that the North
y umberlands were being attacked. Gen
q eral Clements, convinced that the!
o would easily hold their own, deposet
q the remainder Of his forces on th'
n flanks and rear of his two camps.
L AT 4:30 a. m. heliOgraph from tn
western peak announced that tn
le Beers were about to overwhelm tn
rt Fusileers. General Clements was una
l. BILE to send adequate help, but dis
oI patched Yeomanry to climb the hill
Is side and create a diversion. Befor
the Yeomanry could come into actio
is the Beers had overlapped the North
er umberlands and were in possession 9
ne the entire horseshoe, flying down o
l. the Yeomanry, entangled by the bush
1T es and bowlders The Northumbel
We lands made a magnificent defense a
1g long as their ammunition lasted. Az
al cording to Boer accounts, many, eve
ne when resistance was hopeless, die
e. fighting.
ce General Clements, now left with n
I'D men, made superhuman efforts again
nt- the bullets from the Beers pouriI
'r- over the peaks and managed to sa'
N his guns and camp equipment. He r
lily tired in splendid order, and at 4 p. I
Ise started to march to Reitfontein, fgh
he ing a rear-guard action all the wa
rd and arriving the next day at a. N
mel Lord Methuen, according to anoth
're dispatch from Lord Kitchener, dat
IN yesterday, attacked and captured
ast Boer laager near Lichtenberg, Decer
on ber 14th, securing large supplies
no cattle and sheep and consideraf
me quantity of ammunition.
aor A further dispatch from Lord Kite
Ok ener. dated Pretoria, December 16i
by says that Lord Methuen has official
len confirmed the report of the death
ar General Lemmer, the Boer commando
III -