NEWS OF THE WEEK.
ON Monday afternoon the news was received of a most painful reverse in the Western Transvaal. A column of some twelve hundred men had been broken in pieces by Delarey, and many prisoners, including Lord Methuen, who was wounded, were taken and four guns captured. This event happened on Saturday last, March 8th, between Vry- burg and Lichtenburg. The details of the fight are at present obscure ; but in all probability what happened was this. Owing to the heat of the weather Lord Methuen was obliged to start the slow part of his column—i.e., the ox-waggons—before dawn. The mule-waggons started later, and soon after dawn caught up and began to pass the ox-waggons. While this complicated operation was being carried out the Boers, who had come within striking distance under the cover of darkness, attacked in force, apparently on both flanks, as well as in the rear. In any case, the cavalry screen was broken and driven in, and large bodies of Boers galloped up. The attack was at first checked by the flank parties, "but a panic and stampede of mules had begun" [we quote from the official report] "and all the mule-waggons, with a terrible mixture of mounted men, rushed past the ox-waggons. All efforts to check them were unavailing."
