Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1900-03-23
THE SEAT OF WAR.
KRUGER COMMUNICATING WITH
the BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
Lord Koberts' Advance on Rloemfen.
tein-Gafacre Sweeping Through
the Country Like a CycIone-Presi-
dent Kruger Says the Fighting In
the Free state Will be Desperate<
Collapse of the War Expected Very
Shortly.

London, March 22-4:12 a. m.-Seyeral
kilograms have passed between Pres!-
dent Kruger and the British govern
ment, in addition to the SalisburyKru-
ger correspondence already published.
The Foreign Office received a dispatch
from Pretoria yesterday. The contents
OF these communications cannot be OBJ
tanned. So far as the military situa-
ton is concerned there Is practically no
change. Lord Roberts is quickly max
ing preparations for the next move. As
necessary to beginning Generals Cat
acre and Brabant are swiftly moving
from point to point in the southern dis
tricts of the Free State, dispensing or
| accepting the surrender Of any remain
ing Beers, thus ensuring the safety of
Lord Roberts communications before
starting toward Pretoria
A correspondent of the Daily News at
Springfontein, in describing these
| movements, says: General Gatacre Is
sweeping through the country like q
cyclone, with flying columns in all d.
rections. His sWiftness and strategy
have proved Of inestimable value to
Lord Roberts. The rebuilding Of the
railway bridge at Norvaps Pont will oc-
| cupy two months. The temporary
bridge will be completed in about ten
| days. Meanwhile supplies are trans
| ported in an aerial tramway across the
gap. These works necessarily delay the
| providing Of supplies for the advance"
| Lord Methuen's movements north OF
| Kimberley are believed to be a prelude
| to the gathering Of a column of twenty
| thousand men, with Kimberley as a
base, to strike eastward from Fourteen
Streams into the Transvaal.
The long and anxously awaited news
| of the relief Of Mafeking has not yet
| been received.
Mr.. Schriener, the Cape Premier, has
granted the request Of the Mayor Of
| Cape Town that a public holiday be
| proclaimed throughout the colony on
| the relief Of Mafeking.
| London, March PA dispatch to the
| Standard from Bloemfontein, dated
| Tuesday, says: -Four thousand Trans
walters from Colesberg trekked on Sat-
urday and Sunday to the northeast, 60
| ing by way of Basutoland border. They
| will probably be caught at one of the
passes.
| "a striking feature of the advance on
| BlOemfOntein was the abandonment Of
| our communications with Poplar Grove
| Lord Roberts, confident in the ability
| date needs of the army, deliberately
| left the enemy at Abraham's Kraal to
| do what they liked. The result fully
! justified him. The enemy to the south
! were paralyzed by the boldness and
| rapidity of the stroke, and Generals
| Clements and Gatacre were enabled to
| cross the Orange river almost without
| opposition"
A dispatch to the Daily Mail from
| Pretoria, dated Monday, March 10Th,
| says: president Kruger returned from
| Kroonstadt yesterday. He says the
| fight in the Free State will be desper-
| ate. I am informed that the Transyaal
| government has taken no resolution to
destroy mines or property as a last re-
sort"
The Cape Town correspondent of the
Daily Mail, telegraphing Tuesday, says:
"I have just arrived from BlOemfontein,
where l learned that no further move
ment is probable for three weeks, as nee
gotiations are proceeding. I failed to
ascertain the nature Of the negotiations,
or whether Sir Alfred Miners dispatch
from Cape Town is connected with
them, but l should not be surprised If
the war collapsed quickly"
A Daily Chronicle correspondent at
Bloemfontein, telegraphing Tuesday,
says: "The civil government has been
reorganized. Mr.. J. A. Collins, under
Secretary of the Interior in Steyn's ex-
ecutive, has been appointed Lenddrost.
Steyn is regarded as guilty of faulty.
but not Influenced by nepotism. He
was always Kruger's tool. 1t has been
rumored that he has reaped financial
benefit from this connection, but the
report is not substantiated. Mr. Fis-
cher played the part of Steyn's Mephis-
tOpheles.
The Cape Town correspondent Of the
Morning Post says: On the best au-
thority I learn that the real objective
of the Fischer Wolmaranzs deputatfon
is Russia. 1 also hear they have taken
away all the secret discriminating docu-
ments from Pretoria, thus making 1t
difficult to implicate Steyn and the
BOndites.
The Melbourne correspondent of the
Times says: The Governor of South
Australia has received from Mr.. Cham
berlain a telegram to the effect that
the British War Office will offer ia
commissions to Australians in the in
fantry and royal artillery.
Ladysmith, March 21.-It has been
ascertained that the accidental removal
of stones covering some Boer graves
after the fight at Peters Hill, Febru-
airy 2Sth, revealed thousands of split
and sOft-nosed bullets.
Princess Christians hospital train
arrived TINS morning. IL was. the IlfSI
train over the new ColensO bridge. The
railroad is open to Elandslaagte, where
a camp has been established. Draken-
berg and Bggarsdorp are closely
watched by the British cavalry.
London, March 21.-Colonel Challice,
Of the army service corps, sails for the
island Of st. Helena tomorrow, in order
to make the necessary arrangements
for the accommodation there of Cen
eral Cronje and the other banished
Beers 1t is still doubtful whether all
the prisoners will be sent there. owing
to the feuds between the Transvaalers
and the Free Staters. If all the Beers
are sent to ST. Helena a considerable
increase in the strength Of the garrison
will be required
Cape Town, March 21.-Cecil Rhodes
sailed for England to-day.
Mazeru, Basutoiaad, March 21.-The
proclama ton of Lord Roberts Is appar-
entity effective, as the Free Staters are
surrendering to the Basutoland officials.
The occupation of Thaba Nchua and
Rockville by the British officials ha:
produced an excellent impression, con-
vincing the Basutos that the authority