The Wilmington daily Republican., 1900-03-06
RELIEF OF MAFEK[NG.
This Is the Next Task Facing the
the British Army. =
B0ER RAIDERS VERY ACTIVE

In Northwestern Cape Colony, and
Martial Law Has Been Declared.
Beers Preparing For Guerrilla
Warfare In Zoutpansberg District.
London. March 6.-Mafeking is to be
relieved as soon as the British force
already ON the way to Kimberley can
raise the siege. This force Is de"
scribed vaguely as Strong" The KIM
berley Light Horse is mentioned as a
component. In view of the fact that
the Kimberley Light Horse is under
the control Of the De Beers company,
Lord Roberts visit to Kimberley prob
ably had to do with an arrangement
with Cecil Rhodes to use this COM
pany of troops.
Mr.. Rhodes and Colonel Kekewich
have had differences of policy, 1t ap-
pears, which did not end with the re-
lief Of Kimberley, '"What shall l do
with him?" Colonel Kekewich Is said
to have wired to Lord Roberts, who
half humOrously replied, according to
a story circulated at the clubs, Put
him in chains"
Lady Sarah Wilson wires The Daily
Mail from Mafeking, under date of
Feb. 10, as follows: "The food ques-
ton is becoming difficult. A soup
kitchen has been organized and horses,
stray dogs and heads and feet Of oxen
are utilized. The town Is on strict
rations."
Fresh intelligence as to what Lord
roI ic A0in ponco1 QDQin
This silence is taken to mean that
something has happened or is about
to happen.
Boer raiders are uncommonly active
in the northwestern section OF Cape
Colony, where they are stirring up the
Dutch. Martial law has consequently
been declared.
Mr.. Chamberlain's request for $500
additional Australian bushmen is un-
derstood to be explained by the fact
that the war Office requires this force
for the pursuit of irreconcilable Beers
who, according to the intelligence de-
partment, haye been quietly collect
ing great quantities Of ammunition and
stores In the mountain Businesses OF
the Zoutpansberg district, in the north
of the Transvaal, where they are pre-
pairing to carry on guerrilla warfare.
A dispatch to The Standard from
Osfontein, dated Sunday, says:
Lord Roberts army now occupies
most advantageous. position. The
Sixth division, under General Kelly
Kenny, is posted Oh the right and
holds all the kopjes for distance OF
five miles south Of the Modder. The
Seventh division, under General
Tucker, is in the center, Immediately
south Of the river, and General Col
vile, with the Ninth division, is on the
north bank. The cavalry brigade, un-
der General French, is posted on the
left front, and the mounted infantry,
under Colonel Ridley-Martyr, on the
right front.
The country around consists Of wide,
grassy plains, broken only by ridges
and isolated kopjes. A body OF the
enemy has taken up position on one
of the latter, a fiat topped hill to the
north of the river, five miles beyond
General French, who today took out
horse artillery and shelled them. An
other force, 1000 strong, holds an
isolated group of kopjes south of the
Modder and in front of the British
mounted infantry. Their position is
surrounded on all sides by level plains,
over which the Beers must make their
way in order to reach the river. As a
consequence their situation appears
precarious in the extreme.
The veldt is now in beautiful con-
dition. Water is plentiful, supplies be-
ing obtainable not only from the river,
but also from numerous small springs.
The health and spirits of the troops
are excellent. The British cavalry and
mounted infantry have been recon-
noitering the enemy's positions. There
has been little fighting.