The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-29
MARCHING TO PRETORIA
BRITISH MAKING LIGHT OF OBSTACLES
IN THEIR WAY
ANOTHER ENEMY IN THE FIELD
The Bubonic Plague Appears at Dur
hamburger OmcIally Announces
That johannesburg VIII be Defended
Two sharp Skirmishes British De-
feated In One OF Them-BulIer's Ad-
vance Checked Position OF Roberts
Army-Its Advance DELAYED.

London, May 25.-3:35 a. m--Lord
Roberts infantry advance IS delayed
at the Rhenoster river for a day or two
by the depth of the stream, which Is
not fordable. The banks. which are
precipitous, are forty feet high. A pom
toon and temporary bridge construc-
ton are under way.
The railway has not been damaged
to any great extent between kroon-
stad n Rhenoster. h Transvaalers
have offended the Free Staters by de-
stroying their splendid bridges when
retiring to Kroonstad. They refrained
from doing this On the retreat to Rhe
noster, but now they are destroying
the railroad and bridges almost COM
pletely north of the Rhenoster.
The British troops are in the form of
a crescent, with horns thirty miles
apart, with General French's cavalry
on the left within twenty-three miles
of the Vaal and General Ian Hamil-
tons mounted men on the right, with
in thirty miles of the Vaal. The center
of the crescent is about forty miles
from the Vaal.
DUET lcItSIdIHS say mat o,UVU BrltlSn,
with ten guns, are near Vrede fort,
close to the Vaal and close to Parys.
One correspondent refers to the ad-
vance as a promenade" Another de-
scribes it as a "Boer hunt" The Free
Staters are pictured as boiling like
hares" at the first sight of the British.
The latter, according to one writer. do
not even find women and children as
the fleeing farmers take their families
with them in consequence Of the re-
ports current among the T~ransvaalers
that the British kidnap all children
over II years Of age.
AS the railway is now open north Of
Mafeking, an abundance of provisions
is entering the town, plenty of flour
and meat and a few luxuries.
South Africa has another infiiction.
An extraordinary issue of The Gazette
at Durham 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 hat the pesti-
lence may get among the troops.
Boer Camp, Volksrust, Tuesday, May
22.-The British crossed the Buffalo
river and were within sight of our po-
sition yesterday. They are busy en-
placing heavy cannon at Schuins-
hovgte, near the scene of the battle on
the Ingogo river in 1881.
IL is reported that fighting occurred
at Botha's mex yesterday.
Chris. Botha, brother of the COM
mander-in-chief, has been appointed
assistant to the commander-in-chie1
and has given great satisfaction. He
has revived the fighting spirit in many
of the federals.
In an ambush between Nquatu and
Mount Prospect eight British were
killed and thirteen wounded.
Cape Town, May 24.-President Kru-
ger, it is announced here, has issued a
proclamation saying he will defend
johannesburg and calling upon all the
Beers to fight to the bitter end.
A BRITISH DEFEAT.
Pretoria, May 23.-An official bulle.
tin issued here today says: About
sixty British cavalry came into col.
lision on May goth with eighty of tn,
Swaziland commando at Scheeper'
mex. The flirting lasted an hour. The
British lost twenty-seven killed
twenty-five wounded, and eleven were
taken prisoners. Twenty-Five horses
two MaximS and a quantity Of ammu'
milton were also captured. The federal!
lost n killed and n wounded. They
assisted to remove the wounded anC
bury the dead.
"The advance guard at Hebron re
tired on the main body at the northern
border.
According to Free State advices
the British yesterday were at Greey
ling's drift, on the Vaal river, twenty
five miles from Wolmoranstad, with
large force.
ION Sunday Kalbe engaged the Brit
ish between Hebron and Lindley
The federals had to retire before al
| -