The sun., 1900-02-17

hanDam, encountered aUU I5oerS wi1r
TWO guns, holding a kopje commandino
| .he valley leading to the drift. The fight.
ing lasted all day long. and the Beers dis.
appeared during the night. Thirteen men
reported missing from Hannay's force
| are prisoners. They were captured
| treacherously."
A Boer dispatch from Lourenco Mar.
ques dated Thursday, Feb. Is. says the
initial attack on Coesberg Feb. 12 re.
suited in federal loss of 8 men killed,
IL wounded and prisoners. The Brit
ish, IT is added, were driven out of their
camp, and one of their Maxims was cap
tured
The news of General French's entry
INTO Kimberley was received on the Stock
Exchange here with rousng cheers. No
boom III stocks was created, but salts
factory, strong undcrtone prevailed. De
Beers rose rs, but subsequently fell IA
on a Paris rumor that General French
had merely fallen into Boer trap.
A dispatch referring to the condition Of
Ladysmith is regarded as reassuring
There is no further word from General
Butler, and nothing startling is expected
to occur in Natal in the immediate fu-
ture.
According to dispatch from Chieve.
ley dated Wednesday, Feb. IA, it has
been ascertained that the British artil-
lery, during last weeks fighting, rendered
two large Boer guns and one Nordenfeldt
ineffective.
A Sterkstroom dispatch of Wednesday,
Feb. Ia, says that Colonel Eagar, who
was wounded and captured at Storm
berg, died Feb. ID. The Beers turned his
body over to the British at AIoteno.
There is considerable alarm at Naauw-
poort owing to the report that Il Boer
force has occupied position on hill
eight miles off that town.
A mutilated dispatch from Cape Town
dated Wednesday. Feb. IA, says some
grenadiers went through body of so
Bocrs four times and that only II Of
them escaped. As the grenadiers form
part of the AEodder river column, this
bayonet chaiSae may be connected with
Lord Roberts movement.
Suffering In Ladysmith.
a newspaper correspondent who was
IN Ladysinith, from which place he es-
capped on Feb. 10. arrived at Durham on
Feb. II. He had cabled tile following
report, which was written before he left
Ladysmith:
Since the furious cannonade in the
early part of the week quietness has
regned. The hills on which the relief
columns lyddite shells were bursting in
hundreds Il few days previously are now
occupied by grazing cattle. Farther away
on the north side Of Spion kop the Boer
laagers can be seen. evidently bigger
than before, which shows that they have
n a Of fi,,ip Al,
the present time.
Much disappointment is felt at the
nonappearance of General Butler, as |
from the severity of the fire every heart
was glowing with hope and excitement
at the prospect of immediate relief. Not
that we are at all in the blues, for every
one capable of shoulderng ii rifle is con
fident in our ability to hold the town
against any force the Beers are capable |
of putting in the field. Still the contin
ued dict of horse and mule flesh is get |
ting monotonous, although the health Of
the camp, taking everything into consid |
eration. is better than could he expected |
Entcric fever and dysentery have abated.
The camp fever is not virulent, but is in.
creasing slightly.
''Fhe scarcity of vegetables is very try.
ing to the troops. Luyurics are beyond
the means of the majority. Eggs are &c
dozen, Il small fowl costs 1Ss
i'd, pumpkins are II shillings cAch. for 4
small vegetable marrow 6 shillings i
asked. for tin of jam 12s. 3D., Il tin Of
milk Ts. I'd, box of sardincs 3 shillings
and tobacco is 30 shillings Il pound. 4
case of whisky was ratlled for E145.
The Beers are smuggling tobacco into
camp through natives. A local factory K
turning out excellent horse sausages, and
another is making nourishing soup, which
is much appreciated by the troops, who
certainly have increased in strength since
that food has been served out"