The Western Mail

I TELEGRAPH WIRES CUT. (LADYSMITH ISOLATED YES- t TERDAY. I tEXCHANGK TFTlf.GRkM.l I 1 WXDOX, Thursday (11.15 p.m.). ] TeJegraphic communication with Lady- smith cut off 2.30 p.m. to-day. I 1

j GRAVE REPORTS. COLENSO CAPTURED AND LADYSMITH INVESTED, 1 GEERAL WHITE SAID TO BE WOUXDED. ) OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. I .REfTKU's TKI.EfiltVM PARIS. Thursday. e ""owing telegram from a source in Brussels has been reived here:- Cape Town mndatedi.-The news of the two r'Ct<>ries of the Boers round Lady- slilith ha3 causpd great sensation. '•Tli e Arfikanders do not conceal their joy. V'trC^ Mdner 18 disquieted by their attitude. \W°^attl" General ?'?? has lost »bout ° men in ?'"? and wounded Ind Prisoners, °»ng! Freel t ¡'ictor:: was gained bv the Orange Free Stat? f c ?, under the com- ?nd.fG?a)Lu?Meyer. who cap- ttlred Coleiis(?, thus cutti ng of f?e retreat of General White, who is sa.dt.bej ""und"d. ^:TRRESTMENT of LADYSMITH is now t\)mplet.  Boers are nast? of the railway W to PiM ar'tzburg and Durban. w ,L \i ?'' '?"? ''? General "hite that Iafcking Was closely blockaded, ijt th'Í. the Bo' ers have bew netohooaly ml)ukvd in tho various sorties from the I town. j "Ir is confirmed that the Orange Free State Boers have taken possession of Colesbcrg." Immediately on receipt of the above dis- patch by Renter's agency it was communi- cated to the War Office officials, who authorised the agency to state that, so far as the War Officu was aware, the reDort: was vufouuded.

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. NO INFORMATION AT TIIE TV A It OFFICE. It was omeially announced at the War Office to-night that a telegram had been received by tho department from ir W. Hely Hutchinson, Governor of Natal, an- nouncing that communication with Lady- smith had been interrupted since half-past two this afternoon. The War Ofrice offi- cials, however, do not regard this a" in any way confirming the rumour as to lie com- plete investment of Ladysmith or the cap- ture of Colenso. :n:XTlt.\L NKWS TKLKURAM.] LONDON. Thursday Evening. Various extremely sensational reports as to the situation at Ladysmith have been pub- lished in Berlin and in Paris. It is not neces- sary or desirable to refer to them more parti- cularly. It is sufficient to say that the Government received dispatches from Lady- smith dated as Into as noon to-day. The town and camp were then perfectly safe. The tele- graph lines were rut two hours and a half later, presumably between Ladysmith and Colenso. It is obvious thut no serious disaster could have occurred during that period of less than three hours without the knowledge of her ifajerty's Government. It is equally obvious that after telegraphic communication between Ladysmith and the outside world had been {severed no news could have been got. out from the isolated town in time for it to have been published m Europe this evening. Such new, moreover, could not have been cabled to Europe except by way of the Eastern Telegraph Company's rahles. after passing through the hands of British military censors at Cape Town and at Ade who would natnmlly have notified the War 0 ce in Landon. But up till half-past twelve this morning the War Office had no information whatsoever indi- cating any material alteration in the military situation at Ladysmith. There are six tele- graph line. between Ladysmith and the coast. .0 that it is pretty certain that the interrup- tion now officially reported Celli scarcely be due to accidental cau,

GREAT BRITISH VICTORY REPORTED. r]1_\T.ZTF.T" TELn¡¡k\I] NEW YORK, Thursday. The firm of Messrs. Lough and Com- pany. who have ofifces in the Produce Exchange, received from their agent at Durban this afternoon advices that General Sir George White had secured a prc- nourced victory at Ladysmith this morn- ing. This is thought to confirm similar reporls received earlier in Wall-street.

SILENCE OF LADY- SMITH. LAST MESSAGE FROM SIR! GEORGE WHITE. STILL HOLDING HIS POSI- TION. The Central News Icarns authoritatively that telegraphic communication with Ladysmith is still open. The War Office received a telegram from Sir G. White on Thursday morning, the telegram having come through via Cape Town. It was despatched from Ladysmith at 9.25. The contents of the Illesage arc, of course, not disclosed, but the Central News understands that Sir George White is well holding his posi- tion. The Government has not yet received any intimation that General Buller has left Cape Town for either East London or Durban.

OFFICIAL TELEGRAMS. THE CASUALTIES AT KIMBERLEY. The following has been issued from the War Office: From the general officer commanding in South Africa to the Secretary of State for War, (received six p.m. November 11: CAPE TOWN, Wednesday, 10.35 a.m. Engagement at Kimberlcy-Lieutenant and Adjutant Lowndes. 1st Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, severe compound fracture of the thigh, bullet removed, progressing satis- f the thi? factorily; Lieutenant Bingham. 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, severe compound commi- nuted fracture left thigh, three splinters, bone removed, progressing satisfactorily; Private Milner, 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, severe thigh wound. progressing satisfactorily; Gunner Bankier. Diamond Fielu. Artillery, com- pound fracture of the arm, progressing satisfac- torily. Kekewich has been informed from various sources that the enemy's loss was very heavy on that occasion. SAYAL OFFICER WOUNDED. The War Office has issued the following: From the Chief of Staff at Ladysmith to the Secretary of State for War LADYSMITH. Thursday. Lieutenant Egerton. of her Majeety's ship Powerful. Royal Navy, was dangerously wounded this morning by a shell in the left knee and right foot. His life is not in danger at present. Lieutenant Frederick G. Egerton is the gunnery lieutenant of the Powerful. He is a son of the late Admiral the Hon. Francis Egerton, who was the second son of the first Earl of Ellesmere. His mother is Lady Louisa Cavendish, sister of the present Duke of Devon- shire. and he is thirty years of age.

CAPTURED COLUMN TWENTY DEAD AND 100 WOUNDED. 870 MEN TAKEN TO PRETORIA The "Star" correspondent at Ladysmith ,i,sit?d the scene of M-d?y'. dis-tr. He .?y.O, a- ?.?ir,ld by B- and them was Beven hours' --tin?. fighting. I ?unted twenty British dead, on the hill, and 100 wounded were col- lected; = British prisoners were sent to Pretoria.

BATTLEFIELD DESCRIBED. -1 TEXTUAL EW" SPECIAL TELKGRAM] LADYSMITH. Monday Night. The battlefield to-day was one of the most interesting that I have ever seen, and it would be hard to beat it for a panoramic view of military operations. I had a beautiful view of it from a position near Lombards Kop at six o'clock this morning. The scene was a superb plateau, interspersed with kopjee and sur- mounted by hills, the chief of which are Lom- bards Kop and Culvara Mountain, the two moet prominent emincnocs east of Ladysmith. Between them parses the high road to Help- makaar. The battlefield lay below them, and the camp and town of Ladysmith were plainly risible in the distance. The landscape wae bathtfd in the bright morning sun. Every detail etood out sharply in the clear atmosphere, and the view wall cloeed in the far distance by the noble range of the Baflttfo Mooatains, Before ooa bad time to give yoiee to the obvious moral of the peaceful scene. the roar of the "British batteries shattered its tr"nqujJIity. Our gUnn2rs were at work upon a strong Boor position on a kopje about 2,000 yards eastward of Venu, Hill. From that moment- for hours afterwards no man was given much leisure to admire the beauties of Nature. The Boer gunners dropped shell amongst any and every body of our troops that came within range. and our own artillery more than returned the compliment. The first of our infantry to receive the enemy's attention were the Gordon High- landers. They were quietly retiring beyond the range of the enemy's rifles, when 'heir movement wa accelerated by shells from a Boer battery. It was at this moment that the Maxim to which referenee has already been made was put out of action. The Boer gunners caught sight of it at a corner of a kopje, whence it was to have given them an unpleasant surprise when the strategical move- ment came. A tremendous fire was brought to bear upon it. and before long, despite the desperate efforts of the Gordons to t the little piece out of range of a lire which they could not reurn, it waB disabled, and all the mule team either killed or wounded. The test piece of work done during the day was achieved by two of the field batteries. In order to stop the annoyance caused by a Boer battery exceptionally well placed, our two bat- teries changed positions, and after some short, but brilliant, practice completely 6ilenoed the enemy's artillery at t £ at part of the field, and drove every Boer off the hill. Several of their unserved guns were shelled vigorously, and wo must have knocked them to pieces. We took into the field over 40 guns. STRAGGLERS COMING BACK. EXCH,\X"¡'; TKLKUKA.M..1 PIETEKM AR 1TZM' RO, Tuesday. Stragglers from the Gloucester Regiment are arriving at Ladysmith. A number of the mules with a portion of the Mountain Battery, are also coming in. The regiment, when sur- rounded, fought gallantly until their ammuni. tion was exhausted, after which they surreu dered.

BOERS MARCHING SOUTH. THE RAILWAY NEAR COLENSO THREATENED. ICEXTRAL NEWS TELEGRAM.] LADYSMITH, Tuesday. 11.40 p.m. All the honours of the day have been with our gunners. The artillery practice of the Bluejackets has produced wondering admira- tion throughout the camp. The Boers stuck doggedly to their heavy guns, but every gun was silenced quite early in the morning. Our men occasionally threw a shell into the Boer battery. Thtni the firing ceed alto- gether. Later on the Boers unmasked fresh batteries, and again their guns were silenced. This evening they renewed the shelling in a desultory fashion. Our gunners replied with effect. A Boer movement is developing to the south- east. Their object, it is believed, is to seize the railway near Colenso. and cut our communica- tions with Maritzburg and Durban. Without disclosing the general's plans, I am permitted to say that this movement has been foreseen, and that arrangements have been made for the defence of our line.

RELIEF OF KIMBER- LEY. SIR R. BULLER'S PLANS. PREPARING FOR THE ARMY OF INVASION. [CENTRAL NEWS SPECIAL TELEGRAM.] DE AAR, Wednesday. This little town is beginning to swell witlI i.portance, for it daily becomes clearer that | an important part of Sir Redven BuBer'?; army of invasion will gradually concentrate he? abouts. Transport material is being hurried up from the south. Already thousands of transport mules have arrived. They are coralled hard by, and the air is filled Witll¡ their lamentations. Recent arrivals of tr?ps include a crack Irieh regiment. They are, apparently, destined to attempt the relief of Kimberley, =d thereafter of Mafeking. They have been .t ?.fllly ?"rtd into full regi- m?nt of mounted infantry, and r?, ,? fit ag fiddles. Olh,, and not less important ,ilitary work ?i,, proceeding throughout this district. The prevailing feeling is one of absolute confidence. One indication of this is that, although Transvaal money h strictly boycotted for pur- poses of trade, "Krtiger pennies" are freely bought as curios and relics, the assumption being that no more will be minted after the war. and that those now in circulation will become scarce and more valuable. These Kroger pennies, by the way, are minted in Bir. mingham, I I SIX THOUSAND BOERS ROUND THE TOWN. I TELEGRAM.] DE AAB. Wednesday. Tru-?t,?rthy nf0rmation from Burgher3dorp ,t?,t,, that 3.000 Boers have collected ?? tB?th.li? Bridge since Monday evening, probably under Commandant Du Toit. On October 28 a m?ll force of Boers, under Dr. S,lilt,, called upon Mr. Harmsworth, the li ?,d?, ni. to surrender the town immediat.<>ly. The latter comi,ti,d "?bjectto the condition that the f')' property of te ri;e;r;e I The conduct of the diggers was most patriotic. They stated in ,pu1i.lic meeting their intention, if commandeered, of holding up their hands and being shot down rather than fight for the Transvaal. There wr e only six rifles in the town, and resistance was impossible. The Dt, o' the town -elcomed the B- whom they rode 6ut to ii"?e e?,150 strong, amid the h,t ing of the loyalists. Mr. Harmsworth escaped t,? Hopeto?. and mp.rl,? that there "I 6,000 Boers round Kim?,,I?!y, and the roads are ¡strictly patrolled, so that communkati.n is h,d?'I's and probably impossible in the ft.r, He passed near enough t?? the Kim- i ;se:ch;t.' and was n:a told Kimberley could hold ut without doubt, but j the men felt thei n5le8snes9 ,hile besieged. 'h ? for the arr,val of a ,Ii,ving force. The Boers' i? ?inliiie was of the most type, but tlldc!y were wli mounted. The Boers have spread the story of continued Boer vic- tories along the western frontier, and Mr. Harmsworth estimates that over half the Dutch in BechuanaJand and Griqualand will join the Boers after the recent declaration of annexa- tion. the cause of which is partly to exonerate the commandeered Dutch.

THE BOERS AT KLIPDAM. I [UEUTER'S TE LEG If AM.] HOPETOWN, Tuesday. Mr. Harmsworth. magistrate, with the post- master and his clerk, have arrived here in safety from Klipdam They reported that the Boers who occupied the town numbered 1.500. and had &evera! guns.

ALL WELL AT BULUWAYO. Buln-wayo. October 27 (via Beira. Lorenco Marques, and Cape Tovn).—There has been seme skirmishing on the border. The town is quiet, and all is well.—Oentral News.

BOERS INVADE ZULULAND.1 [EXCHANGE TELEGRAM.] The Boers are Oc?UPY'?g part of Zululand, and have taken Pomeroy, near Greytown.

SMALL-POX IN CAPE COLONY. [PRESS ASSOCIATION WAR SPECLVL.] HERSCHEL (Cape Colony), Tuesday. Small-pox has broken --t here. It is sup- p:.¡;,tsee :o:ph;ea¡v from the Transvaal. A native has been tried for high treason before the local magistrates. He "as accused of act,ing as a spy.-and admitted having been sent by Field-Comet Dutoit to obtain information regarding the number of police here. Prisoner was discharged with a warning. The Orange River is in full flood, and it is impossible to cross it.

BRITISH CASUALTIES. ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS. I The following telegram has been issued from the War Omoe. Casualties at the Battle of Dundee, alterations and additions to previous lbu: Boyal Irish Fusiliers.-Womded: For Prirate Hugh Oromley. read Gormley; Private Bdohajd M&oney. Not previously reported miasm* • LMce?orpor&t J. Walker and Private A. Sh?-. KiMed. For 4.6M Private O'&o?ke, ?.%d 4 670 PhvaMO'Bom-tM. bmt)nd pnbtin FaNiten-?Nted: 9olaar- sergoant Francis Anderson, previously reportd wounded. WountJetl: For Private Patrick Frahill, read Private P. Cahill; for 3,C04, read 8creallt James Brotighton; for 3'o?8, read Private Matthew Ri" har,t?il for 3.039 Corporal M'Kenna, read 3,139 Corporal Goorge M' K,?ln?; for 4,736, rwd Private Michael Murphy; for 5.142 Private J. Murray, read 5,347; for 4,444, read Private Patnck Cregan; and add Private* John E. Greer, W. Kelly, and Sn. Hopkins. Missing: Colour- sergeant J. E. F. Gage, S,?rg(?int-farrier H- Fletcher (8th Hussars attached), Sergeant J. Carroll, Sergeant W. Martin, Sergeant F. Payne, and Scrgoant M. Gulfoyle, Corporals M. Corri<;an, R. Richards. C. Pearson, and J. Kierman, Laure- corporals M. Lee, J. Flynn, V. Whelan, F. Lyons, J. Green Byrne. and G. Harper, and Drummers Mahon and Murphy. Pri- vates J. Hull, C. Hawthorne. J. Moron, J. Rourke, W. M'Guire, F. Cullen, Doyle, P. Reddy, Bracken, Fenn, J. Travers. M. Bowling, P. Kavanagh. W. Angleton, T. Gough. T. Rourke, J. Rigley Dunn, J. Bryan, J. Murphy, Geoghe- gan, Shoeing3mith Conner, Privates Curren, S. Reidy, J. Callaghan, J. Connor, Shoeingsmith P. Cooney, Privates P. Macken Mievoy, J. Car. roll, T. Gleeson, Rorke, Nully, Shoeingsmith W. Watts, Privates T. Costello, T. Kenny. T. Keogh, Molloy, P. Maurice, H. 1brrison, J. Batt-crsby, J. Tyreil, P. White. J. Toomey, Byrne, Doyle, J. Farrell, J. Finnegan, Rudy m, Danne, W. Flood, H. Gibney, M. Mahoney, P. Callaghan, Dolaney, F, Kelly, R. M'Guinne. H. M'Donagh. I. Keating, M. Kir- wan Byrne, J. Molloy. P. Carr. Troopers Ryan and Wright (wounded) should be described as of the 1I¡aj Cllrablneera, and not as of the Natal Police, as previously reported. In the above list of casualties one private belonging to the Royal Irish FusLiers is reo ported as wounded, while a lance-corporal and private are reported mining. In the 2nd Dublin Fitsilier.?, a sergeant previously re- ported as wounded is now reported killed, while three more privates are reported wounded and 82 missing. DEATHS FROM WOUNDS. The following further casualty list was issued from tho War Office on Thursday morning: Private Henry Crawshaw, 2nd king's Royal Rifles, died at Maritzburg, October 29, of enteric fever. Engagement at lkitfontcin.-Trooper W. Cleaver, Natal Carabineers, wounded in this engagement, died October 23. Corporal E. [ JefTeries, 8th Company, Royal Engineers, em- ployed with the armoured train sen-ice, died October 23. Uis wound was a fracture of the skull.

LADYSMITH KEVERSE. SIR GEORGE WHITE'S EXPLANA- TION, We have now received Sir Geore White's explanation of the disaster to the British column near Ladysmith. There is no further news frOlll Xatal, so that an examination in detail of this second dispatch 0>ays the "Times") becomes additionally desirable. It is sincerely to be regretted that such an examination does not by any means tend to the com- plete acceptance of Sir George White's statement as a wholly convincing one. While any precise apportionment of blame would as yet be utterly unfair, it is painfully possible to argue from Sir George White's own words that there are seve- ral points connected with this grave occur- rence which indicate another origin than "the misfortune of the mules stampeding and conse- quent loss of guns and small arm ammuni- tion." So far as the surrender is concerned, this explanation is amply sufficient and satisfac- tory to national and Service susceptibilities. It appears from the dispatch that the column was engaged from daybreak to three pm., anti the 100 rounds carried by each man on his per. might well have been expended in a shorter period. Without any reserve of ammu- nition to fall back upon, surrender was the only course possible to troops hopelessly out- nninborpd and l'mharrassed by wounded, and no stain whatever rests upon the gallant. de- fenders of a truj,r untenable position. It is when we begin to work back from this point tha t doubts begin to cluster round the narrative. Aecordillg to the dispatch, tho infantry ammunition mule; werE: the first to stampede, but the mere fact that they were so quickly fol- lowed by the 1Imles of the Mountain BRttery re-calls the recently reported dbaffeetion among the "Cape Roys" of this battery, and suggests that the latter may have been tampered with by the ,obattery mules have never been known to stampede, and mountain haltr:f" in India have repeatedly made night marches wfthour misadventure. The imi!es in tho Natal Mountain Battery number, it may be mentioned. i!2. and such a large and compre- hensive et;»n:pede--»Sir Georgo White explicitly says that the mule* "got away with practically the whole of the UI1 equipment"—is a very enraordinarv occurrcnce to have arisen frarn the detachment of a couple of boulders and a few rifle shots. The narrative at this point seems to point to something very much like a trap on a large scale. Although the actual opposition en- countered may h-A ve been F inall, it is difficult to understand how a few rifle shots can have caused a force of this size to fix bayonets and subsequently proceed to intrench itself in a position two miles from the Nek which was supposedto be its primary objective. Again we must conclude, from the fact that no ms- sage seems to have been sent. back to Ladysmith reporting the serious loss of ammunition as weB as f-g." w" ih had already occurred, that the hill seized by the British force was. if not surrounded by Boers, at any rate. threatened by them from the first in "ery con- siderable force. It is unfortunate that the position to be occn,1 ie(I by the column was not more definitely explained. To order a force marching by- night to "seize Nicholson's NLk or some P()?l- tion near Nicholson's Nek" '8or1iIlu;; I an element of d,bt which in p?,, t ions by day is sufficiently detrimental, but which, when a movement is to be carried ont by night in the hc of a'lnyof largely superior strength, is scarcely far to the iubortlinaic commander. Speaking broadly, moreover, the mere attempt to turn a position each as that which was held by the Beers eeems open to criticism. The po-ition in question was one of great extent, the details of the Beer concentration do not appear to have been accu r,1I-ely ascertained, and the wisdom which comes after the event is hardly needed to indicate that a turning movement in such cir- cumstances was extremely riaky. But the main point which wid have impressed; itelf upon nine out of ten readers of Hir George White's di?patch is the complete ab3ence of communication between the column despatched to Xicholson's el" "or some posi- tion near," and the camp from which it started. The force was not one which could hope to overcome serious opposition, and it was nothing like so mobile as the enemy which it was fully expected to encounter. Yet it was sent off, as it were, into the air, and, as it subsequently transpired, was out of touch with both Sir George White's main force and the Ladysmitb camp for sixteen bouT', The circumstance that the troops with Sir George White returned to camp an hour b- fore the surrender took place. and that even then nothing was known at Ladymith beyond the fact that a stampede of mules had' t.aken place during the night, demand ,I,n,ti.?,. With lar ?'b?d, of cavalry and mounted infantry at ?is disposal it would surely have been easy for Sir George White to maintain some sort of touch with Colonel Carleton inst,ead of leaving him in charge of what was to all intents and purpose3 a small detached force in the heart of an enemy's country. The precise object which Sir George White had in view in attacking the Boer position on Monday is "till not quite clear. But very pos- sibly the intention was to win time and alBa to facilitate the bri"ng up of the naval ?n., from the rear. If that were the caBe a mere demonstration might have been sufficient, bnt demonstrations in such cases, when everyone I on both sides i; full of f? ght'may easily de- velop into serious collisions. In any case there does not seem much fault to find with the work- ing of the main force. and if only Colonel Carlo ton's column could have been reinforced as promptly as was Colonel Grimwood's brigoade by that of COlonel Hamilton we should probably not have to depl?re a re??, tl1 n?,?ory of whkh it wiU take .,h time and many successes -to obliterate. The redeeming feature of the situation is that Sir Georgs White sti1l considers Ladysmith a perfectly tenable position, and that, accordingly, no e\1cuation and retirement, with all their moral and material drawbacks, will presumably be necessary. It is cheering to think that Sir George White will no longer be subjected to the humiliation of a bombardment to which he cannot rply. Whatever the naval guns may be which he now ha. at hi. di=l they are evidentiy a match for the Boer siege artillery in the matter of range, besides b?i.g very much better served.

BRITISH FIELD PIECES. DESCRIPTION OF THE GUNS AT LADYSMITH. The ffnns nsed with such effect ily the Naval Brigade at Ladysmith are the 12-pounder quick-firing naval guns. They are used onlv by the Navy, and, though possessing their own travelling carriages, are regarded as boat guns. The gun weighs 8cwt„ is 87 inches, long, and has a bore of three inches. It was fired at Ladysmith with common shell weigh. ing twelve pounds, and filled with one pound and a half of powder. The shell will penetrate three inches of steel at a thousand yards. Striking a Boer gun, one of these projectiles would practically destroy it and prevent it being used again. A dozen shells can be fired a minute. This weapon has many points of superiority over the 15-pouuder field gun. for it baa a longer range, consequent on its higher velocity, and, though lighter, throws a shell capable of doing the same damage and fires twice as many mells in a given time. The 15-pounder field gun used by the Royal Field Artillery is a breechloading quick-firing weapon for land service. It weighs 7owt., is 92 inches long, has a three-inch bore, and dis- charges a shrapnel shell weighing fifteen pounds, the firing charge being fifteen ounces of cordite. The 50-pounder mentioned in Thursday's telegrams is a five-inch naval gun weighing two tons. RETURN OF MR. CONYNGHAM GREENE. The Union Steamship Company's steamer Scot is due at Southampton at noon to- morrow (Saturday), and amongst the pas- sengers are Mr. Conyngham Greene, C.B.. until lately the British Agent at Pretoria, and Lady, Lily Greeue.

TABLd OF LOSSES TO DATE. I Appended is a table showing the totals officially reported as killed or wounded in action, n or miesing, The figures include all supplementary li,t?, when new amei? are mentioned, received up to (Jate. Where sol- diers are reported "since dead," the fact is duly notified after the name, but the number is not added, for obvious reasons, to those re- turned as killed in action:- October 15, MAFEKING: — Killed 2 Wounded 17 October M, GLE-NCOE:- KUed 45 Wounded v 217 October 21 ELANDSLAAGTE: — Killed 51' Wounded 213 October 22, CROCODILE KIVER: — Killed 2 Wounded 3 October 24. REITFONTEIN Killed 12 Wounded lC4 October 24, KIMBERLEY Killed 3 Wounded 21 October 28, LADYSMITH: — Wounded, 2 692 Killed 115 Wounded. 577 Missing at Glencoe 124 Missing at Reitfontein 2 Missing at Crocodile River 4 Wounded (included in the above tota:s) who have since been re- ported dead 18 Missing portions of Gloucesters, Irish Fusiliers, and all Mountain Buttery, say .1,000 Total Loss.-Killed 115 Wounded. 559 Sinc. dead 18 Missing. 1.130 1.822 REVISED LIST OF CASUALTIES. The Press Association on Thursday pub- lished a revised list of the total casualties sus- tained by the British force in South Africa during the campaign. It does not include the men lost at Ladysmith, the list of whom has not yet been published. Those officers and men who have died from their wounds are classified as killed. The cffirers killed, wounded, and missing number 135. and non- commissioned officers and men, 872-a grand total of 1.007. TheRoyal Dublin Fusilier, have lost 143. the King's Royal Rifles 138. the 2nd Gordons 123, and the 13th Hussars 105 officers and men.

BRITISH PRISOXERS AT PRETORIA. TEI.E(;¡:,ULJ WASHINGTON. Thursday. Great Britain has made a rcqaest that the Boer Government permit 3fr. Macrura, the United States Consul at Pretoria, who has been representing British interests there since the outbreak of the war, to transmit once a week a list of the British prisoners at Pretoria, with a statement as to their condition. [DALZIEL'S TKI.KURAM.] NEW YORK, Thursday. A Washington dispatch states that, in accordance with Great Britain's request, the State Department has instructed Mr. Macrum, the United States Consul at Pretoria, to tele- graph daily any deaths which may occur among the British prisoners there, and informa- tion as to the condition of the sick and wounded, and how the prisoners are situated.

EUROPE AND THE WAR. A FRENCH COMPARISON. [REUTER'S TELEGRAM.] PARIS. Thursday. In an article on the war this morning the "Figaro" makes a comparison between the ex. dtcment produced in Paris by the news of the French defeat at Lang Son, in Tongking, and the comparative calm with which the re- port of the no less serious reverse at Lady- smith. has been received in England. In France, :1 says, the Cabinet was overthrown. In England no one demands even the summon- ing of Parliament. On the contrary, the Government is stronger than before, for it has the whole nation behind it. [DALZIEL'ri TELEGRAM.] PARIS, Thursday. This evening's papers are fully a..?t- spoken as their morning contcmporarie, in their admiration of the British public's dignified behaviour under the defeat at Ladysmith. There ia nothing like disasters of this description (says the Temps ,.) to show what a nation is really made of, and it must be admitted that English patriotism is not the cheap article, but has the true ring in it. The "Journal des Debats" devotes itself more to a technical criticism of the military operations, and concludes that if the have shown themselves good ,trategists, the British have proved themselves utterly ignorant of the most eiementary rules of war, and have, in fact, done nothing but play into their adversarie hand..

RUSSIAN HOSTILITY. ST. PETERSBURG, Wednesday. The press campaign against Great Britain continues in full vigour. The Government, and especially Mr. Chamberlain, are till .?d by ,,ry paper of importance of dderbe: :ht\biOO:jui I and sanguinary war, and Messrs. O'Brien, R?d?nd, and Dillon are spoken of as the only ';i'8 aid n ;:i:r;k:t tu i tice; the Nov? Vremya," for instance, asserting that Mr. Chamberlain did not dare to say a word in reply to Mr. O'Brien s attack in Parliament. In dealing with the actual events of the war, the newspapers show their anti-British bias even more plainly. They assert daily that the War Offloe is afraid to acknowledge the magnitude of the defeats which the British forces have sustained, quote with approval the wildest canards emanating from Paris or Brussels, and while admitting that the ultimate issue of the struggle is not doubtful, seem to contemplate with satisfac- tion an eariy 0'?up?'ti"?' of Durban by the Boe. and the disastrous msulta which such a catastrophe would entail. Naturally, no mention is made of Count Mouravieff's negotia- tions in Paris, but the censorship has not thought fit to prevent the reproduction of innumerable paragraphs from French and Ger- man journals in which joint interference in Transvaal affairs is discussed and advocated. On the other hand, it has at length been recog- nised tha?t ?ything like th? organisation of a b? ?Vo?tteers for the TraMVM.1 is OUt of the question. and the promoters of the movement are confining themselves to re- questing subscriptions on behalf of the wounded burghers. The response, h wever, is inconsiderable, the "Novoe Vremya s fund, for instance, amounting to a little over 1,000 roubles, or about gloo.Mo-ing Post." ST. PETERSBURG, Thursday. The "Novoe Vremya" to-day has an- other article on the Transvaal question. While proclaiming afresh the keen sym- pathy of the Russian nation with the Boers and its traditional ani- mosity against England, the journal ex- piesses the view that from motives of prn- dence Russia should abstain from all interven- tion in the Transvaal war, bearing in mind that, whatever she has taken action in common with other Powers, she hae never attained the desired result, and has only laboured for the benefit of her partners. Russia ?1d he?efore. do well to follow the example of Germany, who, despite the kinship between the Germans and the Boers, abstains from going to their aid, hoping in due time to derive advaniag??s for herself from the pre.nt war. Moreover. pursues the "Novoe Vremya." Russia possesses a too consider- able number of points of contact with Great Britain to be able to attain important resolts and at the same time help the Boers, at least indirectly, by exercising strong pressure on the general policy of Great Britain.

GERMAN VIEWS. BERLIN, Wdn..d-Y Night. The news of the Britih rueRe at Lady- ..ith is .tr.Ily the -bi.?t of ?mr dM- l cunion in the (Mrman preM. It is ?ImMt unt"?lly aw,lbd to the beM? tsaics of the Boer% thus&, M a ra? ?t?cbm General White is reserved till further parti- culars arrive. The Tageblatt" describes Monday's battle as a veritable rataotrophe for England. and compares it with the defeat of the Italians at Adowa. The" Neneste Nachrichten" and the Kreuz Zeitung," which are generally the best informed on military matters, take a different vietf. Both papers draw attention to the fact that oeldom have battles been fought with less loss of life than in this, where both belligerents are armed with weapons of best quality. Both agree that the losses ells. tained by the British are insufficient to war- rant a change of policy on the part of the English, for such partial defeats were foreseen by every thinking military man. The "Neueste Nachrichten" blames the British authorities for sending troops so gradually, whicn is eer. tainly the cause of losses and defeats which might to a great extent have been avoided if the war had been better prepared fon"- "Daily Chronicle."

AMERICAN COMMENTS. WASHINGTON, Wednesday. After reading the latest London dispatches. one of the leading military experts said that the plan of campaign to date showed plainly that Sir George White, fired by ambition, had taken deopcr?tt" chances, hoping prai?tically to destroy the Boer Army before Sir Roovers Buller's arrival placed him in a subordinate position. The operation of Colonel Carleton s column was sound technically, but wa reck- less in view of the quality of the enemy and the nature of the ground. In the absence of, detail regarding the stampede of the mules, criticism is withheld, but there is much curiosity to know whether the disaster was due to blundering or was unavoidable. The bravery of Colonel Carleton's column elicits the highest commendation. The work of the naval brigade excites the greatest interest among naval omcers. from Admiral Dewey down. The accuracy of the British naval guns confirms them in the view-to quote a prominent rear-admiral-that the British Navy is the most formidable fighting machine that the world has ever known, and its gunners are equal, if not superior, to the American. Admiral Dewey. when asked for hi. opinion, refused to be quoted, and simply ,aid he was not surprised at the naval brigade s magni- ficent work. Da.ily Chronicle."

ANGLOPHOBIAATTHEHAGUE :i)ALZIKI/S TELEGRAM] THE HAGUE. Thursday. The popular agitation for official interven- tion in the Transmal War is spreading more widely every day. The leading papers of the country publish appeals to the prominent men of all parties to take measures to bring about the termination of the war. or make some attempt to enforce the terms cr the Peaee Conference. The British reverse at Ladysmith is hailed with joy, and has cause a renewed outbreak of Anglophobia. Several churches have held thanksgiving services for the Boers' victory. The municipal council of St. Martens- dyk has decided to replace "God Save the Queen" in the town chimes with the Boer National Anthem. A contributor to the Catholic paper "Tyd" pointed out that Queen Victoria's statue still figures in the leading waxwork3 exhibition at Amsterdam, and sug- gested it should be removed to the chamber of horrors, but the proposal has called forth indignant protests from other writers in the paper.

ITALIAX OPIXIOX. [CEXTltAL NEWS TELEGRAM.] HOME, Thursday. Most of the newspapers continue to write sympathetically of the manner in which Sir Geo. White is maintaining a gallant struggle against superior forces in Natal. The "Secolo," however, one of the chief Radical papers in Italy, strikes a discordant note. It thinks the British reverse at Ladysmith was well deserved, that there are other reverses in store, and that Sir Geo. White's force is as good as doomed already. The "Sccolo" rejoices at this, because the Boers are fighting in a noble cause.

MILITARY POSITION YESTERDAY. [BY A MILITARY CORRESPONDENT.] [I'llESS ASSOCIATION" IKLKT.IiAM ] LONDON, Thursday Xight. Though no news of importance has-been received from the front to-day, it was understood that the War Office had received a brief dispatch from the chief of the staff at Ladysmith, and this is sufficient indication that, in spite of rumours to the contrary. the wire from Sir George White's base of operations remains intact. The successful reconnaissance on Monday, which drew General Joubert into an engagement, and compelled him to expose his position, disclosed the Boer com- mander's intention of concentrating his entire strength north of Ladysmith, with the evident object of crushing the British force there with a single well-directed blow. Now that the probability of a complete investment of the town by the enemy is more remote, Geneftl joubert may direct his attention to a southern movement, towards Colenso and Esteourt, aiming at the communications between Ladysmith and Durban. But Sir George White's troops are within a few miles of the Boer camp, and are keeping a close observation upon every movement of the enemy, at the same time strengthening the fortifications at Ladysmith on all sides. Telegraphing later, the correspondent says Information of the gravest character has come to hand. It is to the effect that Ladysmith has been cut off from communi- cation with Durban since half-past two this afternoon. There can be no doubt about the accuracy of the statement, coming, as it does, from the Governor of Natal in a message to the War Office. Rumours to this effect were current in Paris to-day, but as they were the result of an undated telegram received in Brussels, little im- portance was attached to them. It is satisfactory to note that the War Office officials do not regard the telegram from Sir W. Hely Hutchinson as in any way confirming the Paris message, which announced the complete investment of Ladysmith and the capture of Colenso. It seems scarcely feasible that Ladysmith can have been invested since this morning by the Boer troops, and the interruption of communication with Durban is most pro- bably the result of independent action by a force from the Orange Free State. What- ever may be the cause ttf the obstruction, it is evident that the situation is one of extreme gravity. If there is any truth in the statement that Colenso has been occu- pied by a force acting in conjunction with General Joubert's plan for the investment of General White's position. it will be im- possible for our troops at Ladysmith to release the lines of communication with- out exposing themselves to front and rear attacks. If Sir George White detaches a force from his already depleted garrison to march upon Colenso, or any other point where communication has been broken off, he will obviously lay his troops open to defeat at the hands of the Boer army, which still remains in a strong position north of the town. On the other hand, to remain in Ladysmith and allow a body of the enemy's troops to play havoc with the lines of communication is almost equally disastrous. The lesser of the two evils is, perhaps, the latter course, as, although it will entail no end of labour when the army corps com- mences its forward movement, Sir George White, by remaining where he is, will probably be able to retard the action of the enemy's main column, and he himself has declared within the last 48 hours that Ladysmith is in no immediate danger. The rupture of telegraphic communication with Durban does not necessarily imply that any point has been occupied in force, and the inter- ruption may possibly be due to the action of a small raiding party, in which case tnere would be little difficulty in re-estab- lishing the connection. But until we hear to the contrary the occurrence must be regarded a8 part of a well-devised plan of occupation.

Mr. Geom Smiti, senior partner of the City Ship Line. Glasgow, died at Dunoon, Clyde, on Thursday.

I MONDAY'S BATTLE DESCRIBED. A PLAN INVOLVING THREE FIGHTS. A DISAPPOINTING ACTION. (From the Daily Telegraph War Correspondent.) By Special Arrangement for Simultaneous Publication in the Western Mail." LADYSMITH, Monday Night (via Piotermaritzburg, Tuesday Afternoon). To-day's battle at Ladysmith was a dis-1 appointing action, as its object, which was to roll back the Free Staters, was not achieved. Yet our soldiers, individually, showed themselves fully a match for the Boers, both in shooting ability and in pluck, although they were faced by double their own numbers, posted upon rough ground, which had been previously pre- pared for defence and to resist a can- nona d e. The enemy had been drawing their coils closer around on the west, north, and east sides of the town, their forces being com- posed of the Free Staters, General Jcu- bert's column, and that of Lucas Meyer. General Sir George White's plan included the fighting of three .jniultaneous actions. On Sunday night to Monday before day- break our troops marched out a distance of several miles from camp, and succeeded in securing certain points unseen by the enemy, the advantage being thus on our side. Considering the nature of the subsequent contests, our lasses must be considered relatively light. The enemy advanced in lines over a wide circuit of mcro than ten miles, extending from west of Acton Homes to east of Bulwan. General White detailed Major Adye, with a mountain battery of 7-pounders and part of the Royal Irish Fmilicrs aDd th Gloucestershire Regiment, to hold the nek and hills north of the old camp, thus menacing the Free Staters' line of retreat, and securing Ladysmith from a westerly attack. 1 General Sir Archibald Hunter, with Colonel Grimwood, two batteries of artil- lery, the Leicestershire and Liverpool regi- ments, and the first and second battalions of the Rifle Brigade, were sent to operate against Lucas Meyer, passing beyond Lom- bards and Bulwan Kops. t'nluckily, the battery and the Liver- pools lost their direction in advanemg. They retraced their steps, but were not able to render assistance in the action until late. The remaining infantry brigades, under I Colonel Ian Hamilton—comprising the Gordon Highlanders, the Devonshire Regi- ment, the Manchester Regiment, and the Fourth Battalion Rifle Brigade-and Colonel Howard's—consisting of the First and Second Battalions King's Roval Rifles, the Dublin Fusiliers, and six field batteries ,-were sent to the centre, on the New- i castle roadway. Colonel Howard's brigade being on the right. They halted in the darkness behind a low kopje to the right of the roadway, and about two miles and a half out the guns, Colonel Howard's men, making a detour by the right, in order to turn what was thought to be the Boer left. General White sought to thrust forward his centre, whilst Major Adye on the left, and Colonel Grimwood on the right, held the opposed commandos in check. Major Adve, going along Walkers Hoek road, found a big force of Free Staters, and -1 the fighting soon grew aesperaie, auu mi. exposed kopje which he occupied was at an early hour assailed from all sides. The enemy began the battle at ten minutes past five "j'clock in the morning, by firing with their 40-pounder guns from a ridge situated about four miles out to the east of the railway, dropping shells into the town but the missiles, luckily, proved almost harmless. The action soon became general, and our left, centre, and right engaged the Boer positions. At first our batteries seemed unable! quite to silence the Boer artillery, wliich J was fought with indomitable energy andj pluck, the British gunners having to con- tend with the difficulty of being on low i ground. General White's right and centre g.<J,ed; some initial successes, but the enemy arrived in great force, and our right and left were attacked with tremendous vigour. Our left became partially hemmed in, and our right was driven in steadily i The ammunition mules and their Kaffir drivers stampeded, and much the same occurred to Colonel Grimwood's column on the Bulwan side. The ammunition was lost, but our infan- try quite held their own. Practically, three actions were engaging simultaneously. General White was with his centre, where an artillery duel was proceeding from 5.20 a.m. until 6.30 a.m., and so adroitly had our soldiers occupied their position that the enemy had no idea where the troops securely lay. The boom of the big guns reverberating along the lines, with the screech and crash of the shells, drowned every other sound. About seven a.m. our right centre advanced to turn the Boer left. Pressing on through bash and valley, they crumpled up the enemy occupying the low kopjes on the east side of the railway. All went well for a time, our troops gradually wheeling round towards the nor- them slopes on the Tintwanyone ridges. The Boer leaders upon the hills for hours courageously directed their men and guns, and to relieve the pressure mounted Boers streamed from their laagers to attack Major Adye's column and re-gain the ground they had lost in the centre. They brought with them some field bat- teries of the small Maxim type. Meantime their cannon barked snap- pishly at our troops, and with only the briefest interludes. It was a ding-dong affair until ten o'clock in the morning. The general retirement began about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and wall executed with every coolness. It was a serious misfortune to us that the: Powerful's Bluejackets, with their big guns, were not summoned sooner, as the result of the engagement would have been different. The third shot with a 12-pounder, fired at one o'clock in the afternoon, silenced the Boer 40-pounder. It is probable that the town will be in- vested by the enemy, but it is quite sale. Later. The scouting operation* carried out on Saturday diicloBed the fact that several of the enemy's laagers, including that of Lucas Meyer's column frnm Dundee, lay behind Lombards and Bulwan Kops, to the number of 7,000 men, with two batteres. At daybreak on Saturday General French, with 4,000 men, prepared to assault the positions with the bayonet and lance, but was re-called. The Free Staters and General Joubert joined hands to the south of Modders Spruit, and west of the railway. Their central laager was well selected from a tactical point of view upon the rough hills south of Matawans Hoek.

BOERS FIRE ON A HOSPITAL AND REQUEST AMBULANCE ASSISTANCE. (From the "Daily Telegraph" War Correspondent.) By Special Arrangement for Simultaneous Publication in the Western Mail." LADYSMITH, Tuesday (11 a.m.). Early this morning there was an exchange of shots between the Boers and the naval brigade. 4 Our £ unp06rs opened fire at about five o'clock, and the Boers immediately began shelling the town. Some projectiles fell in the yard of the convent building, which is being used as a hospital, and it narrowlv escaped. The Boers seemed to be directing their fire on the convent, although they have been specially informed that the building is a hospital. Some of the troopers in camp were slightly injured by splinters and fragments of rock. During the bombardment the Boers sent in a request for ambulance assistance, hich was given immediately by General White. The enemy's loss during yesterday's battle exceeded ours. An escaped prisoner reports that the Boers had 95 killed and 200 wounded. Our casualties have not yet been officially announced.

MONDAYS BATTLE. LIST OF OFFICERS KILLED AND WOUNDED. :('F.-NTR-kL -%FWS TFLklitIANI-I LONDON, Friday Morning. The following dispatch wa" posted at the War Office at a quarter to one this morning:- The following list of killed and wounded among the officers in the action at Farquhar's Farm, near Ladysmith, on October 30. haa been received from tho general officer com. manding in Natal: — LADYSMITH (10.10 a.m.), Nov. 2. 1899. (Received at the War Office Nor. 2, 11.30 p.m.) 13th Field Battery. R.A.—Wounded: Major John Dawkins. Blighlly. 42nd Field Battery.—Killed: Lieutenant James Taylor I'Doug:lll. 69th Field Battery.—Wounded: Lieutenant Harold Belcher, huIlellVound forearm, severely. 1st King's Royal Rifles.—Kill od: Major W. T. Myers. 2nd Battalion.-Killed: Lieutenant H, S. Marsdcn and Lieutenant T. L. Forster. Wounded: Lieutenant H. C. Johnson, bullet wound shoulder, severe; and Major H. Buchanan Riddell, bullet wound abdomen. severe. let Royal Irish FusilierB-Wnunded: Captain Gerard Rice, gunshot wound ankle, severe; and Captain Walter Silver, gunshot wound left arm and forearm, severe. 1st Gloucester Regiment.—Wounded: Captain Stephenson Willcock, bullet wound shoulder and wrist: CapUin Bertrand Fife. bullet wound shoulder and chest, severe: and Captain Frederick S'.aynea, bullet wound forearm, severe. Royal Army Medical Corps.-Killed; Major Edward Grey. Natal Mounted Rifles.—Killed: Lieutenant William Chapman. A list of the casualties among the non-com- missioned officers and men will he published this (Friday morning. These amount tr-kilied, 54: wounded. 231. A list of officers and men who ;>re missing is promised later by Sir George White.

BRITISH WARSHIPS IN DELAGOA BAY. [EKCTKE'S TF.I.EGEAM.! LIBOX. Thursday. News has reached here that a British war- ship in Delagoa Bay fired on a sailing veeseL which was entering the harbour without hoist- ing her Bag, and that the sailing ship in ques- tion turned out to be Eritieh. Some doubt is ex- pressed here as to the right of Great Britain to do what is described as police duty in a Portuguese port.

FRANCE AND WEST AFRICA Paris, Thursday.-The "Figaro" to-day ex. presses the belief, in opposition to the statements of certain German news- papers, that the Emperor William's im- pending visit to England will possess the highest political importance. In an article on the massacre of M. Bretonnet's force in West Africa, which it attributes solely to the prevalence of the false idea that It a bah s power was a negligeable quantity, the "FI;raro- to-day says, "Is it not time to check our riania for conquests around Lake Chad, where sooner or later we shall come against the English in Nigeria or the Cermans on the CamerMnsf Before extending our dominions we siould establish ourselves firmly in our possessions on the Atlantic coast and make real colon: es of them." The "Siecle" expresses the same opinion. The "Journal" regards it as beyond dispute that Rabah has maintained relations with his old muter, Zobehr Pasha, and that he will play England's game by taking the place so long held, to the detriment of France, by Samory.- Renter.

THE SHAMROCK. New York, Thursday.—The Shamrock, with Sir Thomas Lipton's steam yacht Erin, started this morning on their voyage to Fairlie.—Cen- tral News.

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE BRITISH STEAMER CAPTURED. New York, Thur.day.-A dispatch from Manila says that the British steamer Labuan has been captured while running the blockade. She has been brought to Manila.—Central News.

NEWBATTLESHIPLAUNCHED The new first claae battlefhip Venerable -o launched on Thursday at Chatham, and mor* than usual interest attached to the ceremony from the fact that Mrs. Chamberlain, the wife of the Colonial Secretary, had undertaken to christen the vessel. It was alto & happy coin- cidence that the annual visitation of the docs- yard had also brought almott the foil Board of the Admiralty to the launch. Hre. Cham- berlain, upon reaching the building slip w" presented with a charming bouquet by Miss Nora James, the daughter of the chief con- structor of the dockyard. The Colonial Sec- retary, who accompanied hi. wife, was loudly cheered by the dockyard men. Amongst the spectators of the highly succcjsful launch were Mr. Goschen (First Lord of the Admiralty). The Venerable is a twin-screw barbette battleship, her dis- placement being 15.000 ton.. Her ein armament comprises sixteen of tJM t"<* W* 9- with secondary V=.t of Qick4ri"C and machine ?.. ? 11 of 15.0» Jwr» power, and an expected .p<ed of elptlen knots an hour.

FATAL EXPLOSION AT CHICAGO. New Tork Thw-dAY.-A @"low eolm'on -rm 7rda:r at 'JTM   Chictto Foar ?kmm Wee. and &U dtmw done 1 Mtimf'' at MUM"ls- Central Newi. 11 1 --A