Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-02-24

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upon his being overtaken. One story
had it that be had been surrounded
and the British had given him time
limit in which to surrender or fight
Another story has it that instead OF
striking direct for Bloem fontein, Cronje
marched up the bank of the Modder
river, receiving numerous re enforce
ments by rail and on foot from the
vicinity Of Ladysrnith and northern
Cape Colony, until his army has be,
come strong enough to take care ol
itself. This, probably, is the real state
of affairs, and if so the situation OF
the British is not so encouraging as
they would wish it. The mobility
that enabled them to relieve Kimberly
and follow Cronje, seems to have been
secured at the sacrifice of large guam
titles of stores, or rather by leaving
these stores in their rear, and it may
be question as to whether the Beers
will allow these stores to make con
nection again. Cut off from their sup
plies, the flying squadrons of French
and Kitchener are in bad way.
The following from the New York
Sun gives some idea of what the Brit.
ish might expect to encounter in their
proposed march from Kimberly:
If the British succeed in marching
east to Boemfontein they will travel
all the way at height of 1000 or
5000 feet above the sea, or greater
elevation than the tops of our Cats
kills. They find the country almost
treeIess, except at few centres where,
by assiduous irrigation, clumps of tim
ber have been induced to flourish
The vast plain, always Deficient in tim
Der, has now a smaller supply than
ever, for the country has been secured
far and wide to provide timbering for
the diamond mines at Kimberly. 1t
was estimated in 1896 that over a mil
lion trees had been cut down for the
purpose of the great Kimberly indus
try. So the march over the plain
would be very dull and monotonous il
the Beers were not likely to make it
exciting.
Very little water will be found along
the direct route. This is the driest
part of the Orange Free State, and the
pastoral people who inhabit it take
the greatest pains to collect and hus-
band every drop Of water. In this
way only are they able to maintain
pleasant gardens and orchards at the
clusters Of farm buildings that are
thinly dotted over the wide-spreading
sheep ranges. The distance from
Kimberly to Bloemfontein, as the bird
flies, is 81 miles, and from the posi-
tions on the Modder river, now in the
hands of the British, about IS miles.
But such a march, under the hot sum-
mer sun by d large army with a long
baggage train could scarcely be made,
even if unimpeded by an enemy, in
less than five to seven days. There Is
only one river to cross on the direct
route, and that is the little Kaal tribu-
tary of the Modder, within IL miles OF
Bloem fontein. Unless water can be
carried for thesneeds of the expedition,
it may be necessary to make the north
ern detour along the Modder which
would add about 80 miles to the length
of the journey; but would bring the
expedition within days march OF
the capitol.
There will be no opportunity. to re.
plenish the food supplies from local
sources unless the Boer herders lack
the time to drive their focks to the
east beyond Bloemfontein. Except
around Kimberly, this west-central
part of the state is wholly pastoral
region. There are nearly 100000
sheep and 1,0OO,0 900 cattle in the coun-
try, and if the British travel through
the state to the Transvaal by the di-
rect route which would bring them to
the Vaal Uhe Transvaal frontier) at
its nearest approach to Pretoria, they
will pass all the way through the re-
gion of vast domains parcelled out to
the burghers for grazing purposes. The
agricultural region lies 60 to 80 miles
10 the east in q narrow belt along the
eastern frontier. This is the granary
of the republic, and produces large
crops; but it is far from the direct
line of the British advance, and is
bordered in part by the mountain re-
gion, where the Beers have been hold
ing Gatacre's men and other British
forces in check on the Cape Colony
side of the frontier.
Scattered here and there over the
gently undulating plain are hills or
bill ranges rising several hundred feet
above the general level and offering
the opportunities for effective resist.
ance which the Beers know so well
bow to utilize. West of Bloemfonteln,
however, they are not so numerous as
east of it and in the Transvaal. The
capital lies in stony, treeless plain !;
but in the town itself there are verdure
and trees and little east of it is an
emineuce that the Beers kept fortified
during the years of their early troubles
with Great Britain. 1t undoubtedly
brislles today with the best works the
burphers could build for the defence
of their capital. 1t will be no easy
matter 10 capture Bloemfontein, al
though its natural defences are not 50
81. -f hn m OF