Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-05-12
BRITON PROCLAMATIONS
Ignored by the Beers, Who Leave
Their Homes to Fight. 49,.
GLOOMY TIDINGs FROM MAFBKING

The whites Living on N Quart of
PorrIdge and Pound of Horse
Sausage Daily Everything Else
Eatable Has Gone.
London, May 9.-Four thousand cav
airy watered their horses at Zand
River Monday, % miles beyond Small
deel, where Lord Roberts continues to
date his dispatches.
The scouts who have been searching
the country for miles along the stream
have found no Beers south of the
river. The enemy are laagered in un-
known force on the north bank
Thus the British advance guard is
within 40 miles of Kroonstad. The
Free Skaters, in the expectation that
kroonstad will speedily become unten-
able, are, according to information
from Lorenzo Marques, preparing to
transfer their government to He'll
bron, little more than so miles north
east.
The proclamations Of Lord Roberts
appear to have little effect upon the
inhabitants of the invaded districts
Every farm is found deserted exceut
by the women and children. All the
men are away fighting.
Reports at headquarters are now
wiring freely concerning the incidents
connected with the occupation of Small
deel. Some evaporation is expressed
at the ease with which the Beers es-
cape with their transports before the
very eyes of the British. For in
stance, when the British entered Small
deel the Boer OK wagons colly out
spanned only five miles away, as If in
contempt of the ability OF the British
to overtake them.
Lord Roberts is described as rightly
unwilling to sacrifice his horses for the
saks of comparatively minor ad-
vantage. Nevertheless, the waste of
horsehesh, IN spite Of all precautions,
Is enormous
Smaldeel is a village Of only score
or dwellings, but 1t expanded In one
night to vast canvas city and the
glow OF the camp fires was like scene
In an iron smelling district. The city
is likely to fade away in a day by the
immediate progress Of the infantry TO
Zand River.
The tidings from Mafeking are
gloomier than ever. Everybody there
has an empty stomach and a pinched
race. The natives are no longer given
even porridge, and the whites now
have nothing but a quart of that sub
stance and pound of horse sausage
daily. Everything else eatable has
gone. insufficient food, wet trenches
and cold nights are deadly to the
health OF the garrison. This informa-
ton comes from reliable natives. Lady
sarah Wilson, under date of April 81,
says:
THE Beers now number $500, in
GLIDING young Eloff, President Kru-
gers grandson, who' has sent for six
more guns"
The Mafeking correspondent of The
Times, who also emphasizes the ex-
IRENE gravity of the situation, SAYS:
1t is impossible to ignore the signif-
icance or Colonel Baden-Powelrs ref
erence to the hardships endured by the
women and children, among whom
many deaths have already occurred.
The sommissariat is holding a certain
stock or foodstuffs In reserve for use
In the direst extremity"
The British column IS reported TO
have reached Taungs, so miles north
OF Warrenton. According to Pretoria
advtces the British are nearing Vry-
burg, which is half way between War
renton and Mafeking. General Hunter
IS probably not in personal command
or this relief column.
His forces embrace $1,000 infantry
and from 5000 to 5000 horsemen. an
army far greater than has hitherto
been supposed. Lord Methuen is ap-
parently a subordinate. While the re-
lief column is moving towards Vry-
burg Gen. Hunter is APPARENTLY prepar-
Ing an orderly advance northeast along
the Vaal river, to participate in the
Pretoria advance as Lord Roberts left
flank
Cape Town correspondents learn that
an iportant movement in Natal is ex-
pected within the next four days. Gen.
Butler is rapidly completing his trans
port organization.
The proceedings OF the Transvaal
volksraad indicate President Kru-
gers VI diminished tenacity of pur-
pose. In the course OF the debate he
said that, should he be sent to ST.
Helena, the republican cause would
still go on. Gems. Louis Botha and
Lucas Meyer are in Pretoria, consult
Ing with the -olksraad.
A dispatch from Maseru, Basutoland.
dated Tuesday, said:
Lord Roberts rapid advance has
confused the Beers, who are holding
the roads between Wepener and Clo-
colan, along which continuous
stream of wagons and cattle has been
proceeding northward for days. On
monday some of these countermarch-
ed, and the herds got into an inextri
cable middle, the Beers not knowing
which WaV tn firm %