West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Friday 29 December 1899, page 5


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SITUATION AT TIIE TÜGI5LA.

TAMPERING WITH THE FORDS.

BULLER AT CHIEYELEY.

TWO BRITISH OFFiCliRS CAPTURED.

RUSSIAN ACTIVITY.

GENERAL GOURKO'S MISSION. A BOER ENGINEERING FEAT.

BOMB-PROOF WAYS CONSTRUCTED.

AT THE TUGELA.

BOERS CONSTRUCT A ROUGH

BRIDGE.

LONDON, December 28.

The Boers have constructed a rough bridge across the Tngela, near Pieters, to the north-east of Colenso. By this

means a Boer commando crossed the river and fortified Flame Hill, com-manding the plain approaching the

fords.

The British sailors shelled the enemy's position on Tuesday.

FORDS COYERED WITH

BARBED WIRE.

THE CAPTURED GUNS.

LONDON, December 27.

In order to increase the difficulties

in the way of the British making the passage of the Tugela River, the

Boers have covered the bottom of the fords with barbed wire.

The abandoned British guns that were captured by the enemy after the battle of the Tugela were, it is stated,

thrown into the river.

BOER ENGINEERING. A BOMB PROOF WAY.

LONDON, December 28.

The Boers are credited with having constructed what are described as

bomb-proof ways leading from the kopjes north of Colenso to the Ladi

simth Road.

Parties of the enemy have been

seen on both sides of the road.

GENERAL BULLER AND SIR

CHARLES WARREN.

LONDON, December 28.

Sir Redvers Buller and Sir Charles

Warren are both at Chieveley.

[On the 19th Dececember it was stated that Sir Charles Warren had left Capetown for Do Aar.]

THE IMPERIAL LIGHT HORSE.

TWO OFFICERS CAPTURED.

LONDON, December 28.

Captains Kirkwood and Grenfell, of the Imperial Light Horse, have been captured near Chieveley, in Natal, while out scoutine.

' LADISMITH.

UMBULWANA SHELLED.

LONDON, December 28.

Sir George White, commanding the garrison at Ladismith, shelled the Boer position at Umbulwana, to the south-west of the town, but with what result is not stated.

DISLOYALTY.

PUNITIVE MEASURES

THREATENED.

LONDON, December 28.

The Times hints that strong measures are about to be taken by the Imperial authorities with a view to impressing the Cape disloyalists

THE NEW COMMANDERS

LORD ROBERTS AND HIS

CHIEF-OF-STAFF.

LONDON, December 27.

Lord Kitchener joined Lord Roberts in the Dunottar Castle at Gibraltar, whence they have since sailed for Cape town.

. REINFORCEMENTS

ARRIVAL OF TROOPS AT

CAPETOWN.

LONDON, December 27,

The 2nd battalion of the Lancaster

Regiment, the 2nd battalion of the

Middlesex Regiment, and strong drafts of other regiments have ar-rived at Capetown.

THE BRITISH TRANSPORT

ARRANGEMENTS.

THOUSANDS OF MULES

ARRIVING.

LONDON, December 27.

Thousands of mules are being landed at Capetown and Durban, and

thence sent to the front. The increased

supply of these animals is greatly facilitating- the- British transport

AT MODDER RIVER.

THE BOERS POSITION NOT

DISCLOSED.

LONDON, December 27.

The Boers at Modder River, fear-ing to disclose their position, are, it is stated, not replying to Lord

Methuen's shells.

CRONJE RELNFORCED.

LONDON, December 28.

General Cronje, who is commanding the Boer army at the Modder, has been largely reinforced. He is now entrenching to within three and a half miles of the British position.

In reconnoitering along the railway LordMelhuen succeeded in unmasking six of the enemy's guns.

GENERAL G0ÜRK0.

REPRESENTS RUSSIA.

' LONDON, December 28.

General Gourko, the distinguished Russian General, who was lately re-ported to have sailed for Delagoa, Bay, has, it is announced, gone to the Transvaal to represent Russia during the war.

Three other Russiau officers are, it is stated, about to join the Boer

army.

INDIA'S OEFER.

ARTILLERY REINFORCE-

MENTS.

LONDON, December 28.

The offer of the Indian Govern-ment to send two further batteries of

Field Artillery to the Transvaal has been accepted.

KÜRÜMAN.

THE SIEGE RAISED.

LONDON, December 28.

The siege of Kuruman by the Boers

has been raised.

[Kuruman is the ancient capital of Bechuanaland, and is situated about 120 miles west of Vryburg. It has been the

scene of several skirmishes since the out-break of hostilities, and has been for many weeks more or les3 invested by the Boers."]

AFGHANISTAN

RUSSIAN DESIGNS IN THE

EAST.

LONDON, December 28.

The Times correspondent at Vienna declares that Russian trooj>s are being drafted in the direction of Afghanis-tan. Although it is not anticipated that Russia contemplates immediate action, the Times correspondent ex-presses the opinion that Great Brit-ain is wise in declining further drafts of troops from India. x

MR. WINSTON CHURCHILL.

A CLEVER ESCAPE.

LONDON, December 27.

Mr. Winston Churchill, who re-cently effected his escape from Pretoria, has arrived at Durban.

Mr. Churchill, who is one of the Morning Post's war correspondents in

South Africa, was taken prisoner by the Boers at Chieveley last month.

The story of his escape from his captors is an interesting one. He states that he scaled, at night, the wall of the prison in which he was confined and then boarded a goods train bound for Delagoa Bay, while it was in motion. Then, to escape detection, he concealed himself under a bundle of coal sacks, where he was compelled to remain for several days, during which time he ate nothing but

chocolate.

He escaped a severe search which was made of the train by the Boer authorities at Komati Poort on the Transvaal-Portuguese boundary and reached Delagoa Bay in safety.

THE COLONIAL TROOPS.

WHERE LOCATED.

LONDON, December 27.

One of the war correspondents of the London Daily News mentions the

whereabouts of the bulk of the colonial troops in South Africa.

He states that the Australian in-fantry are at present quartered at Eslin, and the Canadian infantry at

Belmont.

The Queensland mounted con-tingent are located on the Orange

River.

CAPTURE OF BOER LIVE

STOCK.

A GOOD HAUL.

LONDON, December 28.

The Cape Mounted Rifles have, it is announced, succeeded in capturing in the neighbourhood of Belmont, _,000 cattle ans 2,000 sheep.

ENROLMENT OF ROUGH

RIDERS.

LONDON, December 28.

Rough riders are being enrolled in daily increasing numbers by the Im-perial military authorities, both in Cape Colony and Natal.

These troops will be largely em-ployed in both colonies as scouts.

WARREN'S IRREGULAR HORSE

COLONEL BROADWOOD

COMMANDS.

LONDON, December 28.

A mounted force, to be known as Warren's Irregular Horse, is being formed at Capetown.

It will be commanded by Colonel Robert G. Broadwood, of the 12th

Lancers.

A STORES TRANSPORT.

THE WOOLLOOMOOLOO

CHARTERED.

LONDON, December 28.

The steamer Woolloomooloo has

been chartered by the British Go-vernment as a stores transport.

BRITISH ARTILLERY.

TRANSFORMATION OF GUNS.

LONDON, December 28.

Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., of Elswick, are hastily trans-forming British Field Battery 12 pounders into 15-pounders. "

VOLUNTEERING IN CAPE

COLONY.

LONDON, December 28.

Recruiting is becoming general in

the South African colonies.

A mounted corps of irregulars, 500 strong, is being organised at East London, in the south-east of Cape Colony.

Another force to be composed of 1,000 volunteer veterans is being raised at Capetown.

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MOUNTED

INFANTRY.

LIST OF MEN ENROLLED.

The enrolment of men for the Western

Australian mounted infantry is pro-ceeding apace, and, so far, 78 men have been enlisted. The names, age, birthplace, calling and term of military service of each of the men are set out in the sub-joined list :-

1. Frederick Edward James, 27, Western Australia, station hand. No previous ser-

vice.

2. Walter John McKenna, 24, Western Australia, Customs officer. No previous

service.

3. Ulix Alexander de Burgh Morrison, 19, Western Australia, farmer. No previous

service.

4. George Slawson, 26, Victoria, iron-monger. Served two months Perth Artil-lery.

5. Richard Curtis, 26, Tasmania, miner. No previous service.

6. Henry Wilberforce Clarkson, 27, Western Australia, farmer. No previous

service.

7. Timothy Joseph Ryan, 25, United States of America, saddler.. No previous

service.

8. Frederick John Doig, 22, Western Australia, farm labourer. Served five months Guildford Infantry.

9. Sydney William Stewart. 23, New South Wales, clerk. Served six years New South Wale3 cadets and lancers.

10. Duncan John Stewart, 32, Scotland, accountant. Served ten years London and Scottish Rifle Volunteers and 7th Mid-dlesex.

11. Henry Kennedy Maley, 21, Western Australia, miner. No previous service.

12. George Ernest Wilson, 24, New South Wales, civil servant. Served l8 months New South Wales cadets.

13. Arthur Holies, 22, Victoria, driven Served 3 year3 Victorian Garrison Artil-lery.

14. Alan Haynes Barleo, 33, Queensland, draughtsman and surveyor. Served li years in the cadets and about 3 years New South Wales Naval Artillery Volunteers.

15. Arthur Henry Greene, 28, Victoria, surveyor. Served 3 years Victorian

cadets.

16. Claude William Williams, 22, Queensland, bank clerk. No previous ser-

vice.

17. John Joseph O'Meara, 26, Victoria, jockey. No previous service.

18. Charles Woodman, 33, South Austra-lia, journalist. Servpd 1 year Civil Service

Rifles, South Australia. j

19. Alfred Ernest Speers, 30, New South Wales, railway employee. Served in No. 6 Battery Garrison Artillery, New South

Wales.

20. William Joseph Sheehan, 29, Western ¡

Australia, boot clicker. Served 11 months Perth Infantry, 3 years Victorian Militia.

21. William Harrington, 28, Ireland, warder. Served 6 month? with Fremantle Artillery.

22. Albert Ernest Eberhardt, 29, Eng-land, clerk. Served 6 years in 7th and 18th

Hussars.

23. Ttiomas Ken-Nerly, 29, New South Wales, engineer. Served 9 months New

South Wales volunteers.

24. Thomas Firus, 32, Victoria, sawmill hand. Served 2 years Victoria Mounted

Rifle3.

25. John Patrick Jeffers, 29, Victoria, engineer. Served 3 months Victoria Field Artillery.

26. Edward McRobinson,1 26, Victoria, blacksmith. Served 12 months Victorian

Mounted Infantry ; 9 months Fremantle Artillery.

27. Edward Henry Draper, 31, England, electrical engineer. Served two years

Matabeloland Mounted Police.

28. George Arthur, 28, Ireland, pros pector. Served with Inskilliug Fusiliers, Volunteer Artillery and Botany Medical Staff Corps, Sydney.

29. Edward Robert Longman, 33, Eng-land, prospector. Served. 5 years with Somersetshire Light Infantry, 3 months with Somersetshire Militia and 7 months with the Calcutta police.

30. Spencer Allwyne Olliver, 33, Eng-land, mining investor, served a3 sub-lieutenant Royal Navy (10 years' service).

31. Cecil Northcott, 30, England, mining engineer. Served one year Lancashire

Volunteers.

32. Percy Cooper Rose, 28, New Zealand, accountant. Served with Christ College Riflps, Christchurch, New Zealand.

33. William Power, 33, South Australia, accountant. No previous service.

34. James Joseph McCarthy, 22, Queens-land, miner. Served one year with Queens-

land Defence Force.

35. Gerald Sackeld Stubbs, 22, England, farm assistant. Served with 2nd Somerset Volunteers.

' 36. Louis Dudley Hall Potter, 32, Eng-land, clerk. Served l8 months with Herefordshire and Radnorshire Rifle Volunteers, and nine months with Cape

Mounted Rifles.

37. James Augustus Roxley, 32, New South Wales, cabinetmaker. Served six months with New South Wales Lancers.

38. Ernest Schroeder, 32, South Austra-lia, labourer. Served two years South Australian Rifle Volunteers.

39. Archibald Henry Barclay, 33, Vic-toria. Served three years Now South Wales Lancers.

40. Ernest Alfred Arundel, 33, England, photographer. Served six months in Naval Brigade, three years' New South Walos Infantry, and two years British Columbian Garrison Artillery.

41. Stanley Spencer Reid, 27, Victoria, Presbyterian minister. Served eighteen months in Victorian Mounted Rifles.

42. Jarlath Stephen Duffy, 29, New South Wales, auctioneer. No previous service.

43. James Hardie, 22, Victoria, locomotive enginedriver. Served nine months in Guildford Infantry. ,

44. Henry Geaffry Palmer, 23, England, farmer. No previous service.

45. Bryce Eric Victor Bunny, 30, Vic-toria, station overseer. No previous

service.

46. George St. George Ross Beresford, 25, India, assayer. Served two years as second lieutenant Second Royal Sussex.

47. Mandeville Musgrove, 27, England, railway employee. Served three years

20th Hussars.

4S. Gordon Anthony Robinson Cornish, 21, West Australia, shipping clerk. No previous service.

49. Ronald Douglas Walboy Esdaile, 22, England, prospector. Served 15 months Taranaki Rifles, New Zealand.

50. Edward Renan Skip with, 22, Eng-land, miner. Served l8 months Bedford-

shire volunteers.

51. John Richard Arthur Conolly, 33, England, M.L.A. No previous service.

52. John Brier Mills, 29, New South Wales, law clerk. Served ik years with 3rd Regiment, New South Wales Volunteer Infantry.

53. Frank Wallace, 37, Queensland, store-keeper and M.L A. No previous service.

54. William Webster Ayre, 33, Tasmania, miner. Served nine years in Royal Navy as midshipman and acting sub-lieutenant.

55. James Huntley Robertson, 29, Scot-land, mine manager. Served two years with Scots' Greys (2nd Dragoons).

56. Oliver William Kelly, 26, Ireland, miner. No previous service.

57. John Aiton Bullock, 32, Scotland, carpenter. Served 2 years with New South Wales Infantry and 2¿ years .Perth Infantry.

58. John Kirkaldy, 33, Scotland, miner. Served six years with Secpnd Battalion

Black Watch.

59. Ernest Archdall Buttermer, 26, Eng-land, miner. Ne previous service.

60. Edward Jeffers, 26, Victoria, pros-pector. Served two years in Queensland mounted police and six months with Ben-digo militia.

61. Edward Ruppersberger Andrews, 28, South Australia, accountant. Served one year with South Australian militia.

62. Alexander Henry Glen, 29, South Australia, miner. Served two years with South Australian volunteers.

63. John Austin Joseph Kyle, 26, Eng-land, accountant. No previous service.

64. Arthur Clarence Zietsch, 22, New South Wales, storeman. Served two and a half years Fremantle artillery.

65. Angus Lachlan McLean, 25, Victoria. Served eight months with Fremantle artil-lery.

66. James de Burgh Morrison, 23, Wes-tern Australia, farmer. Served three months with Guildford Rifles.

67. Percy Carpendale Collins, 33, Eng-land, farmer. No previous service.

68. William Leighton Whiteman, 30, New Zealand, prospector. Served three years with Alexandra Cavalry Volunteers.

69. Charles Howell Rogers, 30, England, prospector. No previous service.

70. Arthur James Strickland, 23, Vic-toria, miner. Served three months with

York Rifles.

71. Frederick Hugh Rothes Neville, 26, England, electrical engineer. Served nine

months Rbodesian Mounted Rifles.

72. Edward Dunrah O'Brien, 31, Vic-toria, amalgamator. No previous service.

73. Reginald William Price Pooley, 24, England, police constable. Served two and a half years with 2nd East Surrey Volunteers, and four years with East Kent

Volunteers.

74. Howard Vincent Hunt, 22, Victoria, groom. No previous service.

75. Harry Lockett, 26, Victoria, miner. Served two years with Victorian Rangers.

76. Edward Nolan, 33, Victoria, survey hand. No previous service.

77. Sydney Colin McFarlane, 28, South Australia, mercantile manager. No pre-

vious service.

78. Arthur Belmont Jones, 26, Victoria, baker. No previous service.

CAMP WORK.

The work in the camp at Karrakatta yes-terday was of a preliminary character, but to-day it will commence in earnest. Owing to the heat of the weather, Major Campbell thinks it advisable to make an early start. The men will accordingly parade at 4 a.m., and have three hours hard drill before breakfast. This arrangement will allow of the men resting during the hotter part of the day, but in the evening they will parade again. Any of those who have enrolled requiring leave to attend to busi-ness affairs will be able to get away from camp from 10 o'clock on Saturday night until 10 o'clock on Sunday night, but every working day must be devoted to drill and camp duties.

The number of rank and file enlisted up to last night was 78, but one more has boen accepted from Geraldton, and when he arrives tho total will be 79. To these must be added Sergeant-Major Comrie, four lieutenants and a captain. In addi-tion there will he men in charge of the transports, etc., which will probably bring the total strength of the unit up to 90 all told.

SELECTION OF HORSES.

Great numbers of horses continue to be led, ridden, or driven up to the drill hall in Francis-street every day, to be offered to the military authorities, at prices ranging from £20 upwards, though many

of them, according to current values, might be accurately quoted at "half of nothing".

The officer who weeds out the animals

which may be useful from (hose wh.o hu YO ¡

been too long absent from the menu at the Zoo, has an unthankful and tiring task, in viewing the nondescript collection of horseflesh which ho is asked to purchase. Evory owner of a rejected animal has something pleasant to say. One guessed that his horse did not

belong to tho right family ; another growled as we went off, " You'll want him by and bye, and all tho gold in Western Australia won't buy him. See !" A livery stable-keeper was told that the horse he proffered had been down on its knees, and that there was no class about it. The re-joinder was, "Thanks. There'd be a bit moio class about you if you went down on your knee3 a bit oftenor." The bargaining

for those horses which are , nuable is very brief. The officer names his limit straight off, and if the seller is willing to deal on those terms he may have his horse tied up for fuller examination. If not, he is told to ride off and the next animal is brought forward. At present only about 30 horses have been selected, bnt the draft from Bunbury has not yet arrived.

CHURCH PARADE.

On Sunday, at Karrakatta, the Rev. D. J. Garland will hold a church parade. The majority oE those enrolled belong to the Church of England, but those belonging to any other persnasion will be given leave to enable them to attend divine service elsewhere.

THE BAND OF NURSES.

Applications are coming in very fast from nurses who are willing to go to South Africa, and a much stronger band than 10 could bo obtained if necessary. At least 15 trained nurses have already signified their willingness to go, but their applica-

tions will be referred to the medical oxaminers and the committee of nurses.

At the public meeting which will be held in the Mayor's parlour at 8 o'clock to-night, subscriptions will be received, and definite arrangements made as to the methods to be employed to raise funds. The Mayor (Mr. A. Forrest, M.L.A.) will preside.

"THE ABSENT-MINDED BEGGAR."

OUR CONTINGENT AND THE

TRANSVAAL.

SIR,—Noticing in your columns that a shilling fund is started to help our troops and their families in the present war in the Transvaal, I would like to offer a sugges-tion that I think would be both acceptable and beneficial in further augmenting the fund. As most of your readers have no doubt read that touching appeal of Rud-yard Kipling's masterpiece, "The Absent minded Boggar," I feel sure that there are many professional gentlemen who would give the public a treat in the way of set-ting apart an entertainment for the fund, by giving the song " The Absent-minded Beggar," which has lately been set to music at Nicholson and Co.'s, and I trust that steps will be taken to give the pnblic a treat, and for the "cause, that needs as-sistance," as this is a matter that every true Briton has at heart.—Yours, etc.,

RULE BRITANNIA. Beaufort-street, December 28.

GOLDFIELDS RELIEF FUND.

COOLGARDIE, December 28.

A Goldfields War Relief Fund has been

inaugurated by the Mayor of Coolgardie, who has communicated with the Mayors and Chairmen of Roads Boards throughont tho goldfields with the object of making the movement a general one. The pro-posal has been taken up warmly here.

THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CON-

TINGENT.

DRILL COMMENCED.

SELECTION OF HORSES.

ADELAIDE, December 28.

The South Australian volunteers in camp are shaking down to their new conditions of life, and were busy to-day with squad drill and performing the important duties attendant upon the selection of their horses. Out of the number of horses

offered to the Government, a large per-centage are being condemned by the veterinary surgeons on various counts, and some difficulty is being experienced in pro-curing a sufficient number of satisfactory mounts. The authorities have been forced to advertise for animals.

OFFICERS SELECTED.

TRAINING TO BEGIN ON TUESDAY.

MELBOURNE, December 28.

The members of the Mounted Rifles who desired to go on service in South Africa presented themselves for inspection at the Victoria Barracks to-day. Only 118 out of a total of 300 offered their services. The following appointments have been made Officer in command, Colonel Price ; Captain D. H. Jenkins, Lieutenants T. H. Sergeant, R. S. Bree, and J. L. Lilley, and Sergeant Major Lather, who went through the Zulu campaign. A large proportion of those

who volunteered at the Victoria Barracks

to-day were recruits who have not yet got their uniforms. They look a fine lot of fellows. The medical inspection was got through promptly, and out of 119 examined 12 were rejected. The enrolled men were ordered to report themselves at the Flem-ington Show Ground on Tuesday, when the work of preparation will begin in1 earnest.

VICTORIAN HORSE ARTILLERY.

PROPOSAL TO SEND A BATTERY.

THE FIRST CONTINGENT.

THEIR EXPERIENCES AT CAPE

TOWN.

MELBOURNE, December 28.

Capt. Chirnside, of Werribee Manor, has offered to expend ¿B500 in getting together and fitting out the Werribee half battery of horse artillery which he commanded prior to its disbandonment a few years ago. He is endeavouring to secure the co-opera-tion of Sir Rupert Clarke with a view to reviving the Rupertswood half battery, thus making a full battery of 125. Officers are doubtful if any of the guns in posses-sion of the Victorian Government will be of servico to the proposed battery, as they would be otit-ranged by the guns in the hands of the Boers. Captain Chirnside's offer was made yesterday to the Minister of Defence, and accepted on behalf of the

Government.

Mr. McLean, son of the Premier, who is one of the mounted rifles of the first con-tingent, writing to his father from Cape-town, said that the attitude of the people in that city towards tho troops was a very mixed one, some being very sullen, and leave not being given to any of the men to visit the city in the evening. The majority of the populace seemed hostile to the British. Three or four soldiers out on leave have been murdered since the out-break of the war. He added that some Boer prisoners brought down to Capetown were, in their demeanour, very stoical.

RIFLES FOR THE CONTINGENT.

MELBOURNE, December 28.

The Government have telegraphed to the War Office, asking if they can supply the Victorian forces with 5,000 Lee-Enfield magazine rifles in substitution for a similar number of Martini-Enfield rifles which were recently ordered.

VICTORIAN PATRIOTIC FUND.

AMOUNTS TO £2,223.

MELBOURNE, December 28.

The Victorian patriotic fund amounts to £2,223.

THE NEW SOUTH WALES CON-

TINGENT.

700 VOLUNTEERS IN CAMP.

MEDICAL UNIT TO BE INCREASED.

SYDNEY, December 28.

Nearly 700 volunteers are in camp at Randwick. To-night the official lists showed that up to Wednesday only 90 ont

or 269 men who had been tested in mus-ketry had proved efficient. Out of 82S men who preseiäted, themselves for medical ev.

amination, 744 passed as fit for one year's service It is understood that the army medical unit will be increased from 63 men to 85. Dr. Marshall, of the Army Medical Corps, has been appointed to be medical officer to " A " Battery.

NEW SOUTH WALES OFFICERS.

SYDNEY, December 26.

The special service officers of the con-tingent will be Captiin Luscombe, Major Lenehan, Captain Copeland, Captain Pearce. The following will be the officers of the Mounted Infantry unit:—Major Knight, Lieut McGlinn, Captain Onslow Thompson, Captain Larkin, Major Murray; Subalterns-Captain Bennett, Lieut. Hol borow, Lieut. Curie, Lieut. Lydiard, Lieut. Lee, Captain Chapman, Captain Murray, Lieut. Harriot, Lieut. Campbell, Lieut. McKillar, Warrant-officer Drage.

THE QUEENSLAND CONTINGENT.

VOLUNTEERS IN CAMP.

BRISBANE, December 28.

A hundred and thirty volunteers went into camp to-day.

THE NEW ZEALAND CONTINGENT. QUALIFICATIONS OF VOLUNTEERS.

AUCKLAND, December 28.

The conditions for the volunteers in the second contingent have been relaxed. The

aga has been reduced to 21, and the appli-cants need not be volunteers at present, but must have had two years' previous service in a volunteer force.

NEW ZEALAND FUNDS.

WELLINGTON, December 28.

The patriotic and other funds now

amount to £3,000.

GENEROUS OFFER BY THE NEW

ZEALAND GOVERNOR.

AUCKLAND, December 23.

Lord Ranfurly has cabled to the home authorities offering his house and park at Dungannon for the use of sick or wounded soldiers, more especially those belonging to Irish regiments. The house has 100 rooms,

and could accommodate 40 men. The park, consists of about 1,000 acres, and is situated on high ground, about 40 miles

from Belfast.

A JOHANNESBURG MINER.

Mr. J. Boyd is an experienced Johannes-burg miner, and has been on the mines for five years. He stated to a representative

of the Advertiser (Adelaide) recently that 7 all property in Johannesburg, even the

mines themselves, are leasehold, and that the capitalists in England are endeavour-ing to obtain possession of the freehold of the properties. "The mines," he said, "are the richest in the world, and the machinery employed is of the finest. The walls of the mine are smooth and solid to a depth of over 2,000ft, and there is not a 'fault' or a 'horse' to be found. The yield at that enormous depth sometimes reaches 15oz. to the ton. The country all round Pretoria, too, is very rich in auri-ferous ore. When I left South Africa the

Boers were working the mines. No English

were allowed in the vicinity, and German engineers have control in the place of Englishmen. The Dutch are sadly in need of money, and they have been spending thousands of pounds in ammunition, and in gaining information and knowledge from foreign Powers. This money was all obtained from the mines. When I left Johannesburg, five trains packed with in-

habitants and miners were leaving daily, and already 80,000 are said to have left. Nine-tenths of tho Uitlanders,in my opinion do not want the franchise. What they want is to get back on the mines and re-sume work, but the Boers will not allow them. Besides that, to accept the fran-chise means that they wonld have to fight for a foreign country, and they will never submit to that I don't think the war will be over till June next at least. At ' a meeting of the first Raad a few years ago

it was estimated that the fighmg strength ' of all the Boer forces in South Africa, including all the States, was 100,000. That number includes all male persons capable of bearing arms, from 12 to 60 years of age. Although some of those are merely

boys they aie practised shots, and m ' guerilla warfare they can hold their own. The English have a tiemendous task be-töre them, but they will certainly win in the end. When the war is over it will take six months to bring matters to an equilibrium. It will he a difficult matter to get the Kaffirs back to work, on account of their susperstitious habits. They prac-tically work the mines under British super-vision. The work is only fit for the blacks, and over 100,000 of them are employed at Johannesburg alone. From £1 per day is an average wage for a miner, but by working extra shifts on Saturday and.

Sunday that amonnt can be doubled. Mr. Boyd also stated that on account of the good wages received many of the miners

who have been thrown out of work are

waiting at Cape Town and towns round

the coast till the war ends. He himself

will return by the Warrigal after settling household affairs m Melbourne. Mr. Boyd concluded :-"When Johannesburg is again thrown open by the British to the refugees and miners who are waiting to recom-mence work, there will be the biggest rush to the mines that the world has ever.