Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-01
North Of Tugela Number
Over 1000 Men.
BLUE BOOK PUBLISHED
Which Gives Correspondence That
Took Place Before War Was De-
clared-Churchill's Description Of
the Fierce Battle Of SpiOnkOp.

London, Feb. IA a. m.-The supple
mental lists of casualties fill two col
umns in nonpareil type in the morning
papers, making 1900 reported thus far
from General Buffers operations north
of the Tugela. The Daily Chronicle esti-
mates that the total exceeds 1000.
The 40 per cent at Spionkop Is greater
than any British force ever suffered ex-
,cept perhaps at Albuera, Spain, in 1911.
The admiralty has warned all half pay
naval officers to hold themselves in read
mess for service. This, with the fact
that able seamen not thoroughly expert
enced have been withdrawn from the
channel squadron, Is taken to indicate
the early mobilization of the reserve
fleet, especially A division.
At a meeting of the army and navy
members of the house of commons yes
terday a resolution expressing absolute
confidence in whatever the government
though necessary commanded only two
votes. Instead of this a resolution was
adopted calling for the immediate for
nation of a home defense force.
Lord Salisbury has called another cab
met council, which will meet Friday or
Saturday to consider the situation.
Public spirits are at very low ebb. A
blue book has been published containing
a quantity of correspondence relating to
the defense of the nation. 1T contains
urgent letters and kilograms from the
Natal government from dates as early
az May last up to the outbreak of hostil-
tiles, asking reinforcements. On August
3 Mr.. Chamberlain wired:
arrangements to send 1000 troops are
in progress"
The Natal ministry grew more alarmed
and on September s implOred the impe-
rial government to avoid a rupture until
further reinfOrcements had arrived. Five
thousand, seven hundred men We're or
dered from India.
The correspondence shows that Sir
William Penn-Symons thought 1000 men
would be enough to secure the integrity
Of Natal, and this view was apparently
concurred in by the Cape authorities.
Tn Prince Of Wales has sent the col
lection of bamboO walking sticks which
he made during his Indian tour, for the
use OF invalids and wounded soldiers
from the Cape.
London, Feb. 1.-The correspondent of
the Times at Lorenzo Marques, tele-
graphing yesterday, says:
Information has been received here
from the Transvaal that the war depart
ment, convinced that it would be useless
to storm Ladysmith and that the bonn
bardment will continue ineffective, has
decided upon a change of tactics. Huge
quantities of timber and sandbags and
hundreds of kaffirs have been sent from
johannesburg and Pretoria for the pur-
pose Of damming Kip river some miles
below Ladysmith, the idea being to flood
the town and to drive the soldiers and
inhabitants out of the bomb-proof caves,
so as to expose them to shell fire.
"The Portuguese authorities are at last
exercising a stricter surveillance. The
governor has notified the consuls that
they must personally guarantee that APP
plicants for passports are not going to
assist the Boer army before passports
will be granted. 1t is rumored that he
had also conveyed a hint to Herr Pott,
the Transvaal consul, or serious conse-
quences if he continues to infringe on
the neutrality Of the port"
New York, Jan. 31.-Winston Spencer
Churchill has cabled the Evening