The Topeka state journal., 1900-01-31
HOLDS TUCELA.
Butler Thinking of Making
Another Effort.
To Force His Way Through
the B0er Lines.
WHITE HOLDING OUT.
100 Americans Enlist In the
British Service.
French Makes a Reconnaissance
and Is Driven Back.

Cape Town, Tuesday, Jan. 30.-Gen.
eral Butler still holds the Tugela drifts
and will possibly renew his attempt to
force his way through the Boer de-
fenses before long. In any case Lady
smith is capable of holding out for
considerable time.
AMERICANS SERVE ENGLAND.
London, Jan. 31.-A special dispatch
from Cape Town says $50 American
scouts who arrived there as muleteers
have enlisted in the British forces.
FRENCHS MOVEMENTS.
Rensburg, Cape Colony Friday, Jan
26.-General French reconnoitered yes
terday with a force of hussars, Innis-
killings, four guns of the Royal artil-
lery, mounted infantry, the Yorkshire.
regiments.
Turning to the northeast he ap-
preached the Boer position at Rietfon-
tein, nine miles beyond Colesburg on
the wagon bridge road which the en-
emy have been fortifying with a view
of falling back when they evacuate
Colesburg
Cautiously approaching General
French sheIled the enemy, who replied
with artillery and infantry fire.
The British, who were we'll protected
suffered very little. An officer and nine
men were wounded, one of the latter
OF whom has since died, and three men
are missing. AS the Beers were found
IN great force, confirming the reported
re1nforcementS, and in a strong posi-
tion, General French discontinued at
tack and returned to camp.
FIGHT AT CROCODILE POOL
Lorenzo Marques, Monday, Jan. 29.-
Special dispatches from Pretoria dated
Thursday, January 25, report that a col
Ision occurred at Crocodile Pool be-
tween Boer outposts and the British,
who were in overwhelming force. The
burgherS at first retired but on being
reinforced drove the British from their
position. The Beers had two wounded.
BULLER STILL BLUFFING.
London, Jan. 31.-The Cape Town COR
respondent of the Daily Mail, tele-
graphing yesterday, says:
General Butler yesterday (Honday)
read the following Message from the
queen to Sir Charles Warren's force:
must express my admiration of
the troops during the past trying week,
especially of those regiments you spec
ify, and Of the accomplishment of your
arduOus march
General Butler told the men that
they ought not to think because they
had retired from their position that all
their work was of no avail. On the
contrary, in his opinion, they had
gained the key to the road to Lady,
smith, in which he hoped to be within
a week.
"Then General Butler called for
cheers for the queen, which were heard
for miles around
It is now known that the cabinet de-
voted much of its discussion on Satur-
day to the mobilization of the fleet
Nothing was settled, except that until
further security to the home coasts had
been obtained by naval preparations,
the Eighth division shall not be sent to
South Africa.
On Monday the admiralty issued or
ders that the channel squadron, in
stead OF leaving Portland this week for
Gibraltar, as previously directed shall
assemble on February 5 off Eddystone
and proceed to Bantrys for fort
nights exercise off the Irish coast, thus
keeping in home waters for a time
This decision to delay the Eighth di-
vision at a time when reinforcements
are so urgently required may mean
only that transports are yet not avail
able, and that the division will embark
when the shipping is ready.
The mobilization of reserve Warships
if such a course shall be determined
upon, would be of the utmost import
ance. There is nothing in the inteIli-
gence possessed by the public to cause
the cabinets prolonged discussion of
this matter, and the inference is that
the fleet may be mObilized as a gen
eral warning to other countries to keep
their hands off the Transvaal or the
ministry have definite knowledge that
the neutral powers purpose to take
some advantage elsewhere while Eng
land is busy in South Africa.
One thing is certain Ten thousand
men, all ready to go to South Africa
are detained for reasons of which the
public has no knowledge There is talk
of forty seven military battalions being
embodied. These are all of the military
not previously wanted. A sharp outlook
is being kept on volunteers for the var
ious South African regiments. The
Daily Chronicle says:
Three suspicious characters were re-
jected by headquarters in one regiment
Monday. Two were unmistakably of
Boer origin. The third whose English
was faulty, had been a German officer"
Such scraps of information as can be
gathered regarding the movements of
the armies in the field seem to indicate
that the relief of Ladysmith has been
abandoned for the present and that a
concentration of the British invasion of
the Free State is in progress In addi
tion to General KellyKenny's movement
General Brabant, chief of the Cape
Colonials, has arrived at Sterkstrom.
The natives report that three Roer
guns have been removed from Spytfon-
tein to Kimberley. The Beers are ap-
parently making a special effort to re-
duce the place quickly. The Kimberley
garrison was safe last Sunday.
MESSAGE FROM LADYSIITH.
Ladysmith. Sunday, Jan. 2S.-(HeIio-
graphed to Swartz Kop, north of the
Tugela- river.)-The news of the pro
longation of the siege resulting from
General Buffers failure is received with
fortitude. We can hold on. The gar
rison is healthy, CHEEKY, and conf
dent. Disease is disappearing. and
there is no horse sickness. The rains
give plenty of grass. We can hear Gen.
Buffers guns still working, and it is
rumored in camp that he is advancing
along another line. The Boer laagers
around are again full of men, who have
returned from the Upper Tugela. The
Beers have also taken I'D a new Do