The Portland daily press., 1900-04-09
Whole Free State in Arms Be-
cause of Recent Reverses.
Eeers Exhibiting Increased Activity i"
the Natal District.

London. April 9.-460a. m.-when
1t IL borne l n mind that all the despatch
90 from the front are severely censored,
there 10 little In todsy's news to Lrins
satisfaction to Englsnd. Assurance tn at
nothing need be feared. even II the rail-
ways and telseraphs ara cut and Bloen-
| fcntein isolated. together with the news
that the ladies and other civilians are
bsing ordered away. do not augur well.
There are rumors from Cape Town tina,
The telegraph wires were already cut yes
terday Sunday aud also that the Hus-
sars who were sent to the relief Of the
Royal Irish rifles, are also missing. al.
though pro bably those are the outcome
If Boer exaggerations designed to en-
courage the turghefs.
The attempt o. ssss. GuIsiile TO catch
The Boo. iesders ia confer nee at Rsi-
fontein, failed, probably as usual, beoause
If the lack OF cavalry.
The results Of those serious checks to the
British arms is that the whole Free
Stats is up again and that the Beers are
fall Of activity over the entire fsIi.
"a helated Boer despatch says that bay
Duets were being mads for the foreign
legion under the late Gen. Mareuil.
Tue Beers are boastirg that the Coles
burg and Stormberg commanders, mum
erinR 6COO, with ten cannon and many
wagons, have gotten safely through, thus
lsrformIng "magnIncent strategic
eat"
A Boer account OF the Bloemfoutein
water works affair. says; 'Col. Broad
,sad evacuated Thaba N'Chu owing tc
he advance OF Commandant Olivier from
The south. The Federal troops found the
British camp In peaceful slumber, with
ut sentiDel or an outpost to give the
alarm. Gen. De Wet Immediately placsd
IONS and the commandoes In such posi-
ions as to surround the British who dio
not have time to recover from their SUI
PRISE"
The Cape Town correspondent of ths
Times, discussing the affair, says:
"The details only serve to bring out
clearly the marvt lous olaverness of the
Roers, no less than the marvellous care
lsssnsss and improvidenos of the British
Ulcers whom. IL would seem, no eerles
Of disasters win ever teach TO keep wide
awake.
"The Roers In Col. Broadwood's rear,
drove nis force into the psrty at the drift
exactly as partridGss are driven TO gun,
At the drift itself as each wagon descend
cd the hollow, 1t wks shown which way
o drive, 50 as not to block the convoy.
When the guns arrived. the trap was sIl
lear again for their reception. As ons
Vho was present said; "It was like
cloak room. The Beers politely took
your rifle and asked you kindlylto step
o ons side. There was nothing else for
Iou to do
The American scout 5urnham. testifes
20 the terrific pace with whi ch the Boer
1ommandoes cover the ground and the
sase with which they move their guns,
The Bosra are displaying increased ac-
siyity in Natal, but there is no sign that
EN-. Butler is moving.
Mafeking was stiil besieged on April /.
the garrison was suffering severely from
a7k OF bread, and u mixture of oats,
bran aud msalies was going duty for
5he article which Is descrihs as ''ooarse
n substance, of the color of ain serb read,
md of the consiEtSncy Of Norwegian
5ine."