Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-02-03
Ninety Thousand TO Be Sent Out
to Lord Roberts.
500 noERs CAPTURED.
Large Number snid TO Have noen En-.
trnpped-ssory OF tho Relief Of
MnrckinE Disposed Of Owners orn
New Kirk steamer, >cizea by tho
British. TO he Given Opportunity
10 Provo That she Did No, ln,ona
10 Trado win tno Boers.

London, Feb. 2-DIspat ches from sew
eral points in South Africa merely tell
of dcsultory shell firing and the move
mcnts of patrols, though Cape Town
mentions n ruInor that General French
has captured eight hundred Beers,
where and when not being announced.
NINETY THOUSAND MEN
Sensational rumors are current that
the militia ballot net will DC put in
force February Il, and that General
Lord Roberts. the commandcrin-chief
of the British forces In South Africa,
has cabled for ninety thousand addi-
tional men, which, 1t is added, the Gov
ernmcnt has promised to give him. send
ing fifty thousand militia and volun-
tecrs and forty thousand militia re-
serves.
II is also said that the volunteers
will be modified forthwith 1t is even
assorted to-day that the Cabinet has
specially dealt with those matters.
The military ballot act makes every
unmarried man between 1S and 30 years
old liable to serve for five years
TO BE DECORATED.
The Gazette this evening says 1t Is
Victoria Cross on Captains Cong'rove
and Reed. Lieutenant Roberts and Cor
poral Nurse for their attempts to save
the guns at the battle OF Colenzo.
STORY DISPOSED OF.
Lorenzo Marques, Thursday. Feb. L.
A dispatch from Gaberones dated jan
nary 90, describing a reconnaissance of
some OF Colonel plumer'S forces around
the Boer laager southwark seeems to
dispose of the story that Matching has
been relieved. On that date the Rhode
sians captured two Transvaal flags and
{. drove off the Boer outpost before re-
turning to Gabcrones.
A SEIZED STEAMER
Cape Town. Feb. 2.-The Supreme
Court has decided TO make no order of
contscation in the case of the steam
ship Mashona, at present, in order 10
give the owners an opportunity to
show within three weeks that she had
no intention TO trade with the enemy.
The steamship Mashona. from New
York, November 3, 1899. for Algoa Bay,
with a cargo OF general merchandise,
including flour, was seized December S
by the British warship Partridge.
AROUND LADYSAIITH.
London, Feb. 3-d:10 a. m.-Helio-
grams flashed from Ladysmith three
days ago say that the Boer invest
ment lines there were-t thinning .tffd
that the besiegers were moving in force
toward the Tugela, indicating that a
collision was expected there. This in
tclllgence bears out other signs that
General Butler purposed n fresh at
tack
WAR OFFICE CLOSE MoUTHED.
The War OGlce continues to reveal
nothing OF what has happened in Ma
tall Without exception the military
critics regard with dismay the pros
poet of q renewal OF the assaults unless
General Butler has been heavily REIN
forced, and there Is nothing to indi-
cate that this Is the case.
Lord Kitchener has been travelling
from army to army in Northern Cape
Colony and General French. by in
structions, is now in Cape Town con-
sulting with Lord Roberts.
MODDER RIVER DEFENCES.
Large engineering constructions are
proceeding at Modder River, suggesting
that Lord Methuens fortified camp has
been selected rs the base from which
to invade the Free State Numerous
sidings. platforms and warehouses are
being built, and a permanent railway
bridge Is we'll advanced.
German strategists assert that the
topography of the country would make
invasion easier from Kimberley and
the district northward than from the
more rugged region of Sterkstroom or
Colesberg.