Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-15
MONTHS, NOT WEEKS
Will Be Necessary for PaCiRca-
ton of TransvaaI.
Army of Natal at Last Effects Junction
With Roberts.
8oer geld Exhausted and Kruger Is Striking
on Paper Money.

London. June $3.50 A M.-That
Commandant Gen. Louis Botha should
have been able to stand for two days
against Lord Roberts and then retreat
without losing any guns or having any
Of his men captured is taken to mean
that he has force which the British
must still reckon as formidable when
acting defensiveIy. The pacification Of
tn whole Of the TransvaaI especially
the wide spaces far from the railways,
is looked upon as a business requiring
months rather than weeks.
Meanwhile everything goes well for
the British arms. A Boer bulletin is
sued. June l., at Machadodorp said:
Both wings Of the federal forces
touched the advancing enemy, at ] A.
NJ. yesterday, east of Pretoria. Fight
ing continued until dark The enemy,
though in overwhelming numbers, were
checked along a line of So miles; and
the burghers succeeded in driving back
their right wing five miles. Two burgh-
ers We're killed and 10 wounded.
Another Machadodorp announcement
is that the first regiment of Gen. Bull
as force to attack Almonds Mex was
@annihiiated, 7" but as the British were
in overwhelming force. the burghcrs
were compelled to abandon the Mex
A dispatch from LUurenZO Marquee.
dated yesterday. says: President
Kruger is holding on to his gold and
issuing paper notes from a press in his
executive car. The Boer governments
coin stock is exhausted, and the officials
are now paying out plain gold discs
unstamped. Some who have declined
t. accept notes have taken their saIar-
les in gold bars. The Boer govern
ment is still paying out much gold in
that way.
Two steamers arrived at LourenzO
Marques. yesterday, bringing several
thousand tons Of supplies consigned to
Portuguese merchants. but destined for
the Beers. one hundred Americans.
Frcnchm"n, Germans and HollanderS
hIye arrived there by various steamers
en- route for the Transvaal Mr.. Grove.
the british consul general, has large
stocks of clothing for the British pris-
Uners, but he Will not forward these
until hc gets assurances that the Beers
will not take them for their own use
Gen. Butler will be unable to ad-
vance further until ne gets supplies
He will probably wait until the tunnel
has been cleared. Nearly every farm
house his troops passed flew white
flag. The British took nothing without
paying for It, and a brisk business was
done in milk, eggs. bread and chickens
by thrifty house wives, who We're pleas
10 to get 50 much English money. One
woman whose husband and two sons
have been tighting said: You British
are unlike our people. They took my
horses in exchange for sheep and meal
and made me make butter. which they
never paid for. l am sending to have
my men come home at once
Usually the first question a Boer wo-
man puts Is: VIII my husband be
shot if he IS captured" One Young
and he went on his knees begging the
British patrol not to shoot him.
Gen. Rumble had a sharp skirmish
at FiCk5b burg. June II. The Beers had
been aggressive along the whole Ficks-
burg Senekal line and menaced Ficks-
burg in force. The British outposts re-
tired to the village. Gen. Rumble held
the attention Of the Beers in front with
two guns, while yeomanry were sent
round to their rear and drove them off.
with loss to the British Of three
wounded. TWO patrols We're also
wounded
President Steyn is at Uitkop His
presence there is supposed to account
for the Boer acticity.