The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-05-18
MARCHING
ON PRE- TOR|A
Roberts Crosses the
VaaI River.
SOME LIVELY FIGHTING
The Beers Preparing to Make Stand
in Their Mountain
Businesses.

WARRENToN, May 8, evening.-The
Vaal river has been successfully cross
ed at Windsorton by Barton's brigade
with whom is General Hunter, COM
handing the division. The Beers have
evacuated Windsorton and Klipdam
They are trekking northward and are
fighting for all they are worth. Barton
is hanging on to their rear and she'll
ing them vigorously. Judging from
the clouds of dust, the retreating Beers
must be in very large numbers.
The Beers today vainly attempted to
reach the British new gun with their
artillery, but some of the shells from
the big gun effectually silenced them.
Natives report that the Beers are va
eating Christiana, many of them ad-
hitting that the situation is hopeless
and apparently are trakking from Kip
dam and Windsorton northward,
The Beers Retire.
LONDON, May THE troops which
Lord Roberts led out from pleasant
quarters around Bloemfontein few
days ago have taken great spring for
at a single bound at least within strik-
ing distance of Winburg If not already
within its gates. The Beers were fore
ed to evacuate their positions at Brand
fort without making serious effort to
hold them, and on Saturday evening
Lord Roberts reported that he himself
had reached Vet River, a few miles
southeast of Winburg, on the main
road from Bloemfontein. The pas
sage was stoutly contested for some
hours, but toward dusk General Hutton
and his mounted infantry turned the
right flank of the enemy and forced
their way across the river in the face
of heavy fire.
Meanwhile smart fighting had been
going on along practically the whole
widely extended British front ranks.
General Hamilton, who it will be re-
membered fought his way north from
Thaba Nchu, thrust himself between
two Boer commandos that were en-
deavoring to join forces. The House
hold Cavalry, Twelfth Lancers and
Kitchener's Horse had the golden OPP
portunity for which they have long
waited of charging a body of Beers in
the open. Such chances have been few
in this company. Those Beers who
survived this first lesson in the shock
of action of the British cavalry broke
and fled, leaving number of dead and
wounded on the ground. General
Hamilton was able to push on toward
a drift on the Little Vet River, which
is described by Lord Roberts as diff
cult, and it is clear that this force was
acting as the extreme right wing of the
British army. General Macdonald's
brigade, which was also acting on the
right dislodged the Beers from group
of kopjes under cover of the naval
guns.
OF equal interest Is the news which
comes of General Hunters operations
on the extreme left. He crossed Vaal
River at Windsorton ON Friday, and
pushing ahead found the Beers in
strength near Rindam.
The brunt of the fighting fell on Cen
eral Bartons union brigade. The Flu
siliers carried ridge after ridge over a
front of four miles and drove the enc
my before them. To the north the I'm
perial Yeomanry chased the Beers for
some miles, while at Warrenton yester-
day General Paget's brigade moved to
force a passage of the Vaal.
Further Particulars.
LONDON, May 8, 4:2O a. m.-The
Beers are everywhere retiring before
the British except on the Natal frontier
and at Mafeking, to the inner circle Of
their defenses. They appear determin-
ed not to fight until the Kroonstad |
hills are reached.
Lord Roberts Is expected to do an
other forty or fifty miles and then wait
for time in order to bring up supplies
and repair the railway. There are one
or two hints In the dispatches from the
front that he may rest for few days at |
Smaldeel.
General French's 10000 cavalry has
not been mentioned in the official or
unofficial dispatches for four days. 1t
is by no means likely that he is idle.
and the conjecture Is that he is either
toward Kroonstad or raiding
the Larybrand district. Fifteen thou
sand British are now operating on the
western frontier of the Free state. AS
the deadlock at Warrenton has been
broken and the Beers are retreating
there is nothing formidable, except dis
lance, between Warrenton and Mafe-
king. The most hopeful 'advices from
Mafeking OF April 22 were that the gar
rison would be barely able to hold out
for a month. At that time the fever
was spreading. According to advices
from Maseru Basutoland several thou
sand Free Staters are north OF Lady
brand, where they have collected great
herds. The district Is rich in food for
men and horses, and the Beers seem
resolved not to move northward, but to
be preparing to resist where they are.
If they are let alone they will menace
the line OF communications after the {
main British army has passed into the
Transvaal.
Roberts at the zand.
LONDON, May 8, 4:10 a. m.-Four |
thousand British cavalry watered their a
horses at Zand river Monday, twenty S
1--we miles beyond Smaldeel where I
Lord Roberts continues to date his dis
patches. The scouts who have been '
the country for miles along c
he stream have found no Beers south a