Evening journal., 1900-05-04
$4,000 BRITONS HELD BACK
BY BUT 1000 BOLD BOERS
Roberts Big Army Advances Slowly With Poor Sue
Cess-BOers May Evacuate Brandfort and
Ladybrand in Short Time

London. May 4.-Gen. Broadwood's
!, cavalry brigade has reached Isabetfon-
tein, 2S miles north OF Thaba NChu.
Gen. Ian Hamilton is bivouacked at
Jacobs Rust. 10 miles north of Thaba
NChu. Gen. fuckers division Is NOV
Ing eastward from Karee Siding. The
divisions OF Gen. French and Gen.
Rundle are In and near Thaba N'Chu.
Thus Lord Roberts has $4,000 men
operating clear OF the railway along
front OF 40 miles.
He is advancing slowly, with some
successes, but nothing decisive. Yet,
at all points OF concentration, the
Beers appear In force sufficient to COM
pei the British to proceed with eau
tion. Their wide front in a rugged
country makes turning movements or
hand difficult.
The Beers. Mr.. Winston Churchill
says, have enormous herds OF cattle
and hocks of sheep gathered in the
southeast. These they are driving
northward.
Observers at headquarters i'm Bloem-
fontein seem 10 think that the Beers
are preparing TO evacuate Brandfort
t-AAA ---"H "a anu AAN AANNAn NAAAA M0lu~
ing Thaba N'Chu district are estimated
at 1000. They have among their guns
4O-pounder. One correspondent,
wiring from Bloemfontein Wednesday,
at 1855 D. m, said the British hoped
TO cut off the whole commando.
The correspondents at Kimberley
have been forbidden to communicate
for several days. the deduction being
that forward movement is under way
there. The Beers IN Natal are rest
less. Two hundred crossed Sundays
river Wednesday and tried 10 engage
the British outposts.
Tho Bloemfontein correspondent OF
The Standard, telegraphing May 2,
says.
Il have just ridden hither from
Thaba N'Chu, along the line Of our
advance east of Bloemfontein. The
distance is fully 40 miles. and yet al
most every point OF concentration Is
contested by the enemy.
"Gen. Rumble. with the Eighth di-
vision, is posted on our right flank.
with orders 10 guard a strong and
bodily outlined frontal position IN
country OF a decidedly difficult nature
There the Beers have posted number
OF guns OF superior weight and range
to our own. However. they show no
disposition to do more than keep in
touch with US and TO harrass our ad-
vance.
Further 10 the west Gen. Ian Ham
ilton, with his division OF mounted in
fantry, Is pressing northward. en-
countering only a desultory fire. The
Highland brigade, from Vaal Krantz.
has been engaged. while Gen. Tucker.
commanding the Seventh division, has
moved eastward from Karee Siding
and has returned south. followed by
the Beers.
Nevertheless the cavalry. owing to
the greater numbers of the enemy,
have been prevented from completing
the movement that was intended to en-
circle the Beers on the march to
Brandfort. and the enemy are now pre-
pared to OFFER stubborn opposition on
an entrsnched hill to the southeast
of Kroonstad.
They will probably abandon that
position as soon as their stores have
been moved north of Vet River.
Gen. fuckers attempt to advance
on Frankfort showed the enemy TO be
In considerable strength. The Colonial
cavalry we're engaged, and they lost
20 horses while under fire from pom
poms. The Beers were, however, driven
from their position"
I'm yesterdays fanklng movement
Captain Towse and fifty Gordon High