West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Thursday 11 October 1900, page 5


CA.IBLEGRAMS. THE BOER WAR. BOERS RE-OCCUPY FICKSBURG. SIX TOWN rOLICE CHASED. London, October 9. A party of 100 Boers has re-occupied Ficksburg, a border town of the Orange River Colony, to the north-east of Bloemfontein. They chased six members of the town police across the Basuto border. CHASING THE BOERS SOUTHWAklD. London October 9. Generals Rundle and Hunter with a Colonial Division, are driving the Boers from the Basutoland frontier southwards. British forces have also been despatched from the west and south, with a view of surrounding the enemy. KRUGER'S VISIT TO EUROPE. London. October 10. Mr. Kruger, the ex-lresident of the Transvaal, who is proceeding to Europe in a Dutch man-of-war, will, it is announced, land at Trieste. He will proceed thence overland to Brussels. GENERAL BULLER. RETURNS TO ENGLAND. London, October 10. General Sir Redvers Buller is about to return to England. He is expected to arrive at Maritzburg, en route to Durban, on the 15th inst. CAPE COLONY POLITICS. MR. MERRIMAN AND. THE WAR. London, October 10. In the Legislative Assembly of Cape Colony yesterday Mr. Merriman, an exMinister of the Crown, submitted a motion deprecating the publication by the Imperial Government. without his (Mr. Merriman's) permision, of his letter to President Steyn on the eve of the war. The motion was negatived by a majority of three. PROVISION AGAINST RAIDS. SMALL TOWNS TO BE GARRISONED. London, October 10. Lord Roberts, it is stated,' intends garrisoning all the smaller towns in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony. The object of this course is to check raiding, and to prevent the Boers in the field from obtaining supplies. MAJOR TOWSE. RECEIVES A SPECIAL PENSION. London October 10. Major Towse, of the Gordon Highlanders, is, at the personal instance of the Queen, to receive a special wounds pension of £300 per annum. [Major Towse, it will be remembered, received wounds which deprived him of the sight of both his eyes.] A FIGHT WITH .DE WET. THE ENEMY DISLODGED. London, October 10. The "Times" correspondent at Bloemfontein reports that General Brabant and Colonel De Lisle have had a three days' fight with De Wet. The latter commanded 1.000 men, and had four guns. After a spirited defence,- the enemy were eventually dislodged from the hills near Vredefort, in the Orange River Colony. The uoers retreated in a demoralised c dition. he British casualties were slight. AUSTRALIANS RELEASED; London, October 10. Troopers Skene and Spender, of the New South Wales Bushmen, who were taken prisoners by the Boers some time ago, have been released. CABLEGRAM FROM LORD ROBERTS. HIGH PRAISE OF WEST AUSTRALIAN.S. His Excellency the Administrator has received a cablegram from Lord Roberts with reference to Piivate Reid, of the second West Australian contingent. Before joining the contingent, the private was the Rev. S. S. Reid. minister of the Presbyterian congregation at the Boulder. The congregation remained without a minister for six months, in the hope of Mr. Reid's return, so highly did they esteem'him, but their messages to him met with no reply, so they recently decided to hear candidates, with the view to calling a successor to Mr. Reid. Apparently some of the messages have finally reached Mr. Reid, for Lord Roberts sent the following most commendatory cablegram, dated the 5th inst.:-Private Reid, of the second contingent, will. I hope, shortly be able to return, and take up his work again as Presbyterian clergyman. He is one of the best of a corps that has done admirable work, and I hope his living will be kept for him."