The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-09

F The Beers mold n poSitlOn EsliL sWstS oiA
Z the direct old between Rensburg and
Colesberg. They shelled Porter,s Hlli5
yesterday Intellectually.
MACDONALD is FIRM.
MODpER RIVER, Feb. Ts-Generalf
sAIacDonald maintains his position at
Koodoesberg Drift. His movement has
evidently disconnected the Boers and At
the same time safeguards the operations
of portion of the Belmont garrison in
the direction of douglass, where there
are still q few Beers.
The British casualties till now are two
men. The Ninth .Lancers made several
attempts to draw out the Beers, but
were unsuccessful. The British hold the
highest portion of the Kopje, the Beers
position being on the lowest. portion
Owing to the steepness of the southern
slope of the Kopje it is impossible to
mount artillery. The usual daily she'll
ing here continues: The outposts report
that the Beers are making advanced
trenches in the open plain in front OF
Magersfontein Drifts presumably to pre-
vent the British horse and field artillery
from approaching within range of their
position.
MORE DOUBT THAN ENULTATION.
LONDON. Feb S.-o:l5 p. M.-News OF
the greatest Importance may arrive at
any moment. yet here there is mora
doubt than exultat;on, for. even if the
recollection of General Buffers two disas-4
trous failures after auspicious starts
were not keen in the mind of the public,
the list of casualties published to-day
would be a sufficient reminder OF tne
tremendous difficulties of his task. His
occupation of Vaalkrantl. the key to the
lower ridges while a praiseworthy and
gallant achievement, by no means signl-
fies that he and General White will inevl-
tably join hands.
Before General Butler there are several
days of hard fighting, and any ATTEMPT
to forecast the result would be valueless.
Ii based on precedent. which can hard.y
b,: done in warfare. it would be bound to
be in favor of the Beers. for. apparently,
the conditions have not materially aitec-
cd since the last fruitless attempt
On the other hand. the British troops
are smartng under defeat ana VIII u!'-
doubtedly be nerved TO more desperate
efforts than ever before, and if furious
eallantry can carry General Butler over
the kopjcs that face him, Ladysmith VIII
be relieved within week.
But SO far British bravery has ceen'
in the main, effectually misguided
It*is more than likely General Barton
at Chieyeley is strong enough TO advance
on the Tugela and GENDER valuable as
sistance from the southeast, while tne
bclearuere garrison itself. according to
the latest dispatches, should be aoie 10
create potential diversion when General
Butler mas overcome the initial difficult
ties which lie in the kopJeS immediately
| north of the Tugela.
BARELY a SI<1RMISH.
Turning from the transcendental inter
est in Ladysmith, the whole war area
| presents I scene of important activity.
The Boer attack General Gatacre's
forces, reported February 18th. fizzled
ort The artillery of the Burshers. after
| sl.alling the camp. retiring upon the ar
| rival of British reinforcements. The af-
| fair scarcely warrants being cafled a
| skir1nish The British casualties were
| one man killed and four men wounded.
! The latest a.lv!ea> from Ster.-.s;rom
| announce that General Gatacre,s cavalry
| is in pursuit of the Beers. While MOTH
| ing has, resulted from this affair 1t In
| dicatos that fi1e Burghers are fully alive
| to the Importance of the concentration
| which is on the verge of occurring be-
tween the forces of General Gatacre,
I<elly-Ilenny and Trench and they do
| not hesitate to take the aggressive
| against established positions in an at
| tempt to thwart it, though it is believed
| that a sufficiently large body of troops
willfgsoon he fnaSsed at Coiesberg to en-
| sure the 1nopposed advance Of the in
| .radinS army when it is ready to start. Z
That it is not prepared for this move
| at present. and that all this activity is
| merely preliminary to what is known as
Field Marshal Lord Roberts main
| movement" is evidenced by a dispatch
from Cape Town, under date of February
! 7tb. announcing that the Transportation
! Department was advertising for oxen and
| drivers Without these it would be hope
| less to carry on the invasion, and it must
| be month before they are ready.
OPINION DIVIDED.
| Another preliminary is that General
Roberts has only just sanctioned tho
formation of, the l%w Colonial Yeomanry,
| consisting of a troop of one hundred men
| for each district OF the colony, to pro-
| tect the loyal farmers. This force Will
! be ofticered from among the local yeo-
men.
Opinion is divided as to whether Field
| Marshal Lord Roberts and General kitch-
! ener have gone to the Moduer zRaVeT. or
| to Sterkstrom- General MacDonald's ac-
| tfvity In the former locality. combined
with the belief that the Goldberg move
| ment is to draw off q portion of the
Free State force, has given rise to the
| hope that General Methuen will shortly
| be enabled to make a successful attack.
resulting in the relief of Kimberley
| while the gradually thinning forces sur
| rounding Mafeking will altogether melt
| away
| Sir John Gordon Sprigg, the former Pre-
! mier of Cape Colony. has cabled to Mr..
| Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary. in
behalf of the Imperialists of Cape Colony,
| consra tulating him on the governments
overwhelming majority in the House OF
| Commons and declaring the governments
..polcy. if steadfastl,- pursued. would Sc
cure South Africa. under British supre-
| macy, permanent prosperity.
| -