The sun., 1900-02-28
LORD ROBERTS.

strength of his force win be cornmunicat-
ed later. hope that her majesty's gov
ernment will consider this event satisfac-
tory, occurring, as it does, on the anni-
versary Of Majuba." u
ID. In the house of lords the Marquis OF
I,ansdowne, secretary of state for war,
read the following dispatch from Lord
Roberts, which was dated Paardeberg
Feb. 27, 11:20 a. M:
From information received from the
Intelligence department it became ap,
parent that the Boer forces were becom.
ing depressed aud discontented. This, nc
doubt, had been accentuated by the dis
appointment caused by the fact that the
Boer re-enforcemcnts had been defeated
81 resolved, therefore, to bring pressure
to bear on the enemy's trenches. We
pushed forward so gradually as to con,
tract his position. and ut the same time
bombarded heavily. This was materially
added to by the arrival of four inch
howitzers, which were brought from DE
Aar In carrying out these measures
the captive balloon greatly assisted in
giving the necessary information as to
the disposition of the enemy
DashinE Advance by Canadians.
AT 3 o'clock this morning a most dash
ing advance was made by the Canadian
regiment and the engineers, supported by
the First Gordons and the Second Shrop.
shires, which resulted in our gaining a
point 900 yards nearer the enemy and 50
yards from his trenches, where our men
intrenched and maintained the position
till morning. 1t was a gallant deed, wor'
thy OF our colonial soldiers and one
which, | am glad to say, was attended
with comparatively slight loss.
"7his apparently precipitated matters.
AT daylight "A letter signed by Cronje
was sent in under flag of truce, in
which he stated that he surrendered un-
condtionally.
"In my reply told Cronje he must pre-.
sent himself at my camp and that his
force must come out of their laager after
laying down their arms.
''At Z O'Clock / received CrOnje. and in
the course of the conversation Cronjc
asked for kind treatment at our hands
also that his wife, grandson. private sec
retary, adiutant and servants might ac'
company him wherever he might be sent
/ reassured him and told him his request
would be complied with | told him a
general officer would be sent with him ia
&uDp lOWH W iilStiit HiS btihN tiNH'NN
with proper respect and that he would
start today.
1.-THE prisoners number about 5000 and
will be formed into commanders under
their own officers. They will leave here
today. reaching Modder river tomorrow
whence they will he sent to Cape Towr
in detachments.'
Many Free Stnters Captured.
II was later announced that Lord Rob
.erts has notified the war Office that the
number of Boer prisoners approXimates
1000. of which about 1,15O are citizens
of the Orange Free State. The remain
der are citizens of the Transvaal.
A press dispatch says
The condition of affairs in the camp OF
the Beers was something frightful. They
had run entire+y out of food, except the
trek cattle. and these were eaten rs rap
! idly as they were killed by the British
shells. Their ammunition had given out
and most of their artillery was badly
damaged by the British fire. Most Of
their wagons were burned.
The laager was strewn with tht
Lorpses of the dead. lying in the broad
cht unburied and fostering. The wound
were in an awful plight. The hospita
rms was insufficient to attend to them
they lay about the lnager in heaps
ne CRYING plteouslx, others shrieking il