The most important news from South Africa is that Lord
Roberts hopes to start for home about November 15th. Desultory fighting still goes on, and considerable activity is shown by marauding commandos in the Orange River Colony, and especially in the Fauresmith district. In every case, however, their attempts have failed. The attack on Jagersfontein, when the Boers attempted to rush the town by night, relying on the assistance of residents, was beaten off with heavy loss; Philippolis, which was actually taken and held for several days, was reoccupied on Wednesday night by Imperial Yeomanry ; and attacks on Kroonstad and Fauresmith have been effectively repulsed. In the north-west Lord Methuen, after a trying march from Rustenburg, during which his column has been harassed by a good deal of sniping and attacks on convoys and foraging parties, has reoccu- pied Zeerust and advanced to Buffelshoek. General French's march from Carolina to Bethel met with continuous oppoei- tion, but his casualties were slight. Lord Roberts's despatch received on Thursday stated that French expected to reach Heidelberg on Friday, and that Paget's force had captured sixty-five prisoners and a great many cattle. We may note that stringent measures are now being taken to prevent the recurrence of such treachery as that which rendered the attack on Jagersfontein possible, families which are known to have harboured Boers being brought into the towns, and the women at Jagersfontein removed elsewhere. On the other hand, Lord Roberts, to correct misapprehension, has issued a proclamation stating that burghers surrendering voluntarily, who have never taken the oath of neutrality, will not be deported from South Africa.
