Daily inter mountain., 1900-03-05
Is Received From the South
African Front,
BOERS ON THE DEFENSIVE
Have Abandoned Their Policy OF Doing
the Attacking--The Colonial Troops
Have Done Well-LadySmith Was
Near Starvation.

OOrQrecnt, cape 1UlU4ly, ouANoS'
March 4.-9 a. m.-General Brabants
colonial division. after night march, is
now attacking the Beers in a strong po-
siton at La Buchagne's Mex. on the ROAD
from Dordrecht to Jamestown.
The engagement is proceeding with
great yigor and the Beers are gradually
retiring before the British shell fire from
three nositions. A heavy rifle fire is be-
ing EXCHANGED where the British are en-
saeing the Beers on the right flank. So
far the Beers have had no big guns in
action.
Evening-General Brabant's advance
today was most satisfactory. After
marching and bivouacking over night,
the force reached the strongly en-
trenched positions, which they occupied
and now hold, the Beers being on the
opposite hill.
The British will remain tonight in the
captured positions, although the Beers
brought two guns into action and made
determined efforts to retake them. The
British losses are six killed and eighteen
wourled
London March $40 a. m.-Her ma
jesty has abandoned her intended VISIT
TO the ltdllHll IllNVId StllO has oCSANSN ~
remain at home. Her decision to give
UP her customary spring holiday is ac-
counted as another proof of her deep
interest in and devotion to the welfare
of her people On Thursday she VIII
come to London for brief visit remain
ing until Saturday, and she will undouDt-
edly receive a splendid ovation. Her
heartfelt, homely dispatches to the gem
erals in the field and her visit to Nettley
hospital have greatly endeared her to
her people.
Bevonl the signs of a general retreat
Of the Beers throughout Cape Colony
there is little news from the front. Lord
Roberts in his dispatches to the war
office thus far published says little. but
he is undoubtedly active in some direc-
ton.
The Onsland. the organ of the Afri-
ssThe Beers will now confine themselves
to the defensive, abandoning an offensive
policy"
Abraham's Kraal, as shown in the war
office maps, is a group of three kopJes,
situated at the junction Of fNraalsprult
with Modder river. 1t is a natural point
of concentration which the Beers could
make extremely strong. but after the
proofs of the mobility of the army or
Lord Roberts it may be doubted whether
they will make really serious attempt
to bar bis advance there.
Noticeable feature of all the recent
oneraticns at the theater Of war has been
the active employment OF colonial 1ofces'
which is in marked contrast to the policy
adopted at the beginning of the war,
The Australian colonies have decided to
provide the $500 men Mr.. chamberlain
recently asked for.
1t is now seen how near Ladysmtn was
to starvation and the exhaustion or am
munition The town could hardly have
withstond another Boer assault or nave
held cut much longer.
The Daily News has a dispatch from
I.adysnaith whion says that the supplies
on hand We're only enough to provide full
rations for four days. The town NIGH
have held out another week, but scarcely
beyond that.
DURHAM Friday March 2-Correspond
ents who have returned here from Lady
smith say that the relief came quite un
expectedly. At noon on Tuesday the fir
ing of General Buffers army seemed t
recede instead of approach, and the gar
rson was consequently depressed. Every
body was startled to hear the garrison
AZ gun firing. 1t had not been uset
much of late owing to the diminishing
ammunition.
On hurrying out it was found that tn
Beers were trying to remove the big gu
on Bulwana by the erection of derrick
This proved that something extraordi
nary was happening. The other garri
son guns then directed their fire ON Bull
wanna, with the result that the Boer
We're compelled to abandon the attenp
with the derrick. Later on they place
the gun on a wagon, which capsized i
a donga.
During the afternoon. whenever tn
Beers We're seen approaching the Births
resumed the shelling OF Bulwana Abou
o'clock terrific thunder storm brok
over the town just after a message ha
been photographed from Wagon hill an
the Beers were in full retreat Other off
GERS said thy believed they could descr
British cavalry, but most people SUI
posed that the wish was father to tn
Thought
AS soon as the storm ceased the Bri
ish re-opened on Bulwana, gradual
concentrating the fire on the left ar
driving the Beers before them with tt
object OF preventing the enemy fro
hamperng any British approach
An hour later a party of British hors
men could be seen crossing the fiat belo
Bulwana, at a distance of SOME mile
1t is impossible to describe the excit
ment and enthusiasm among the troo]
that followed. Most of the townspeop
had been driven into the houses by IL
storm and did not learn the good ney
until later
The storm broke out again at o'clo,
iD the evening and continued until
O'Clock the next morning. 1t must ha
seriously hampered the retreating Boel
The British gunners kept a sharp watt
to prevent any further attempt to r
move the Bulwana guns.
The British naval gun was fired at i
tervals through the night and in Il
morning a force was sent out to 10,
after the gun and to occupy Bulwana.
Lord Dundonalds force went after ii
retreating Beers. while 1000 Of the be