The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-20
No WORD FROM MAFEK|NG.
t RELIEF, HOWEVER, Is EAGER
LY LOOKED FOR
Intimation That the MassinG of the
Troops In That Direction Presage.
n Movement on Pretoria indie
pendent of General Roberts.

LONDON, March 20, 4 a. m.-The war
office has had no news up to this hour
confirming the report of the relief of
Mafeking. but George Wyndham, parlia-
mentary under secretary for war, reply
ing to a private inquiry in the lobby of
the house of about midnight.
smilingly said:
Il think 1t is all right"
Not Quite Collapsed.
The Free Staters seemingly have not
quite collapsed. They are in considerable
force around Smithield, though much
dispirited.
Communicating British Subjects.
A British spy from Rouxville reports
that Commandant Olivier and a COM
mando are going to Kroonstadt. The
agents he left behind are using desperate
means to raise recruits, Communicating
British Beers under penalty OF death.
Kroonstadt, where the Beers are con-
centrating, Is thirty miles from Bloem-
fontein. 1t is surrounded by a country
of hills and Jungles.
Gen. Gatacre is now resting at Spring.
~fontein, preliminary to joining Lord Rob-
erts.
BuIIer Expected to Fight Soon.
Gen. Buffers work before Ladysmith
has given him an experience which is
about to be used In forcing the Biggars-
berg range. 1t is believed that 25. 900 of
his 10000 men are about to engage Gen.
Botha's force, and the next news of fight
ing will probably come from Natal.
The leaders of the Northumberland are
circulating a petition in Cape Colony,
asking the imperial government not to
take away the independence of the Beers.
Thirty-two thousand additional troops
for South Africa are now at sea.
May he Given n Chance.
1t appears likely that the converglng
Of the troops toward Mafeking indicates a
much more serious purpose than merely
its relief.
Judging from Lord Methuen's presence
nearby passage of the Vaal at Fourteen
Streams, keen observers believe Lord
Roberts mediates an advance In force on
Pretoria by way Of R~ustenberg This
or Kienksdorf. and would probably COIN
eide with an advance by way of Bloemfon-
tein and Natal. Thus Lord Methuen may
be given the chance to redeem his reputa-
ton, as has been with Gen. Gatacre.
Col. SchieI Becomes QuarreIsome.
CAPE TOWN. March Blowing to tho
quarrelsomeness of Col. Schiel. the Ger
nan officer in charge of the Boer artil-
lery, who was wounded and taken prisoner
at the battle of Elandslaagte. he has been
removed from the prisoners camp to a
transport.
zen. WHITE Sick mt Cape Town.
CAPE TOWN, March 1s.-Gen. White,
the defender of Ladysmith, has arrived
here, but is too I'll to permit of a public
reception being given In his honor.
Canadians mt Caranavoroon.
CARANAVoROoN. Cape Colony, March
19.-The Canadian mounted rifles. under
Col. Herchiner. and the Canadian artil-
lery. commanded by Col. Drury, have ar
rived here with a contingent of yeomanry.
The presence of this force here has had
an excellent effect in the district. II is
reported that a large force of insurgents
Is in the vicinity of Van Wycks vlei.
Sir Alfred Miner starts North.
LONDON, March 2.-A dispatch from
Cape Town. dated Monday. March 10. saws
that Sir Alfred Miner and his private sec
rotary left Cape Town that evening by a
special train. The dispatch does not indi-
cate Sir Alfred's destination and there is
a possibility that he is going north on a
peace mission.