The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-25
Stream Deep and Banks
Are High.
Present Positions OF the Two
Opposing Armies.

London, May %, ASIA. m.-Lord
Roberts infantry advance is delayed at
the Rhenoster river for day or two
by the depth of the stream, which is not
fordable. The banks-which are precipi-
tous, are forty feet high. A pontoon and
temporary bridge construction are under
way. The railway has not been damaged
to any great extent between Kroonstad
and the Rhenoster. : The Transvaalers
have offended the Free Staters by destroy
Ing their splendid bridges when retiring
to Kroonstad. They refrained from do
ing this on the retreat to the Rhenoster I;
but now they are destroying the railroad
and bridges, almost completely north of
the Rhenoster. The British troops are in
the form OF crescent with horns thirty
miles apart with General Frenohs cav
arly on the left, within 80 miles of the
Vaal and General Ian Hamilton S
mounted men on the right, within thirty
miles of the Vaal. The center of the
crescent is about forty miles from the
Vaal.
Seventy or eighty miles to the left
Lord Methuen is advancing up the Vtal.
Boer kilograms say that 5000 British
with ten guns are near Vrederfort which
is close to the Vaal and close to Parys.
One correspondent refers to the advance
as promenade" Another describes
it as a "Boer hunt"
The Free Staters are pictured as bolt
ing like hares' at the first sight OF the
British. The latter, according to one
writer, do not even find women and chill
dren, as the fleeing farmers take their
families with them, in consequence Of the
reports current among the Transyaalers
that the British kidnap all children over
twelve years OF age.
The Boer rear guard was composed OF
Russians, to whom was committed the
task of destroying the bridges. They also
looted freely. What the Beers are doing
Is an absolute mystery. The embargo on
news out of Pretoria for the last "a hours
has been complete. Such shreds of infor-
nation as the correspondents at Lourenco
Marques have picked up, do not illumi-
nate the Boer designs and dispo sitions
further than that the movement toward
Lydenburg continues and that referen-
dunn ON the question of continuing the
war Is going ON among the Boer lighting
men. II may be fortnight before the
results of this singular vote are fully de-
termined.
In Natal General Dartnels volun teers
occupied Mount Prospect Monday. Lord
Dundonald's cavalry Is at Firmstones
near Ingomog. His infantry rests at
Schoenshoogte. These names are all Of
fateful memory In the first Boer war.
They face Laing's Mex, where the Beers,
through the range glasses of the British
are occasionally visible.
In the march across the Biggarsberg
all the farms, except one, were found
vacated A temporary bridge had been
finished at Waschbank. Trains now go
TO Dundee. General Butler said the best
way to celebrate the Queens birthday
was TO repair the railway to Newcastle
and every man was put to work. Earl
De La War;, who was supposed to have
been captured at the time Of the disaster
that befell the squadron of Bethune's $
horse, contrived to escape. He lay all
night with a wounded leg behind an
ant heap, reaching the camp the next
day.
As the railway is now open north of
Mafekin9, an abundance of provisions Is
entering the town, plenty. of flour and
meat and few luxuries. The telegraph
messages win probably come from Mafe-
king direct over the Northern route in a
day or two.
South Africa has another infliction.
An extraordinary issue Of the Gazette at
Durham, announces the death Of an East
Indian from the bubonic plague. The
government has put into force the most
stringent preventive measures but fears
are expressed that the pestilence may get
among the troops.