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SPLENDID WEEK'S PROGRESS. BOER COMMANDOS WIPED OUT. HUNDREDS OF PRISONERS TAKEN. The following dispatches from Lord kitchener have been published during the Week; — PRETORIA, Thursday. General Bruce Hamilton reports that he made a night march on the 3rd of December from Ermelo with a portion of General Spens's and Colonel Rawlinson's eolumns, fol- lowing the spoor of the commando which had broken to the south-west when the columns moved on Ermelo. Yesterday he completely surprised and captured the laager on Oshoek, taking 93 prisoners and 96 wagons. A portion of the commando encamped at a distance escaped. Hamilton reports that great credit is due to Colonel Wools Sampson, his intelligence officer, and the 8th Mounted Infantry, who pushed on with great dash. Colonel Dawkins reports that, working with Colonel Colenbrander in the northern district, he has cap- tured 104 prisoners after an action, in which four Boers were killed; also wagons, stock, &c., of Baden- horst's commando. Monday. Since December 2 columns report: Boers killed. 31; wounded, 17 prisoners, 352; surrenders, 35. Also: Rifles, 345; small-arms ammunition, 8.259 rounds; wagons, 110 horses, 633; cattle, 478. These include all separately re- ported during the week. The advance of the line of block- houses from Brugspruit to Greyhng- stad has restricted the eastern area to more manageable proportions, and I am now able for the first time to carry out systematic and continuous operations in the vicinity of Ermelo, Bethel. and Carolina, under Generals Bruce- Hamilton, Spens, and Plumer. In the Western Transvaal Methuen has been engaged with Liebenberg's commando, capturing all his wagons and cattle, as well as 29 prisoners, included m the above return.. The various columns which have been clearing the south-eastern corner of the Orange River Colony hnw completed that work, and are now being brought north of the Thaba N'Chu line. In Cape Colony, in the north-east Scobell and Monro are still dealing with Fouche and Myburgh, whose commandos have, as usual, on being hard pressed, sought safety by dis- persing among the mountains. In the extreme west the Boers have concentrated in strength, under Maritz and other leaders, to attack Tontellbosch Kop, where the garrison have, after a good and suc- cessful resistance, succeeded in driving off the Boers. Maritz is reported to be severely wounded. Colonel Doran's column is in pursuit of these commandos. White, Crabbe, and Cavanagh nave cleared the country of Boers south of Vanrynsdorp. STANDERTON. Tues.day. The columns working 'under General Bruce Hamilton, after a night march, surprised and cap- tured practically the whole of the TSothel commando at Tritchards- foiitein early this morning. Seven Boers were killed and 131 taken prisoners. THE VICTORY AT OSHOEK. STANDERTON, Monday, ke capture of the Boer laager at Oshoek (' :lS a brilliantly conceived and splendidly 'operation. Intelligence having received through Colonel Wools Samp- ,1 that tlie Standerton and Bethel corn- er :l?d°s hart laagered at Oshoek, twenty miles *uth-eagt of Ermelo, General Bruce Hamil- ')ri made careful arrangements to effect a KUrPri3e. Colonel Spens reached Ermelo in the after- of the 3rd met., and General Bruce 3ami!ton came up a little later the same fternoon, and the whole force proceeded to ?.,tch its camp with considerable ostenta- IfJn, in order to delude the spies of the r,emY. who were hovering in the vicinity. iowards nightfall, however. Colonel Spens' ttoo move 1 quietly out, but doubled back 0 Kaffirspruit, where it was joined by the £ olumnu of Colonel Rawlinson and Major yongh. The combined force then proceeded n a south-easterly direction, marching apidly forward through the whole night. Before dav.n our troops spread out and overed a very wide front, with Spens on the JS?ht, Rawlinson on the left, and Gough in the j^ntre. Under the guidance ot Colonel Wools atnpson, the British force quietly occupied 5^ ridge overlooking a Boer laager ^ugly gulden in a hollow surrounded by hill" So '1.1' no opposition had been met with. and tha first outpest of the enemy, consisting pf thirty Boers, was discovered hidden III a donga within easy range of J;he Boer main force. The men comprising outpost were too surprised to offer resis- aUce, and at once surrendered. Their Kaffir ^try, however, in his excitement emptied 18 magazine at our approaching troops, and. ^though he inflicted no damage upon the puffin, he gave the alarm to the Boers in l"1r? laager. |he two pom-poms attached to Spen's °^Uran at onoe> dashed into action, and, lasted by Jenner's mounted infantry, opened ti'aVy fire upon the camp, the first effect of /"ich was to stampede most of the horses to cause fearful confusion amongst the Heniy_ Th2 Boers rushed hither and thither j*1 foot in their attempt to escape, and hid Q J'lder the wacons, and disappeared in the .^isas. Gough'e mounted infantry charged < e laager, which was captured without resis- alee, and the same force continued on in of about 100 Boer3 who were escaping 'directions. V, y the fieeing Boers we captured about 30, Gough was unable to maintain the- chase rl '°nrr owing to his insufficient force. a 'p e captured Boers were a very mixed lot, included several old men and a number of B.0,ing men between the ages of fourteen and o'^toen. They all appeared to be in good con- ation. They expressed the greatest surprise p" our attack. They said they knew our jjj'ttnms were in the neighbourhood, but they not expect to see signs of their presence Y two days at least. tr 11 the laager the captors found a few jj^^ies taken at the fight with Benson at t:&a .enlaagte, many of the prisoners having '.lc*Pated that attack. We also found a V, lsh ambulance wagon. ^^a°^°ael Spens brought the prisoners to to *V^erton. and they have been handed over tftr care of tile garrison here. This cap- Practically wipes out the remainder of Bethel and Standerton commandos. Atil,n 0°ngst the prisoners are the following officials:—Vermoeten, public prose- ^eldr' ^'ynbaus, landdrost of Bethel; Nagel. ber "c°rnet; Corporal Neude, Captain Drens- Liebenberg, Dutch Reformed pliao rell minister, all of Bethel. There are) 11" Ptoiennee, Dutch Reformed Church minister at Ermelo, and Dr. Burns, of Boks burg. The clergymen and Dr. Burns hav< since been released on parole.—Central News DE WET OUTWITTED. DURBAN, Tuesday Night. Full particulars have arrived of General De Wet's tirst serious operations since his success- ful recruiting in Orange Colony. With a force of nearly 2,000 Boers the famous guerilla chief at the beginning of last week pounced upon a column, under Colonel Wilson, which was proceeding from Heilbron to the railway. Wilson's force had scarcely got beyond the range of the guns of the fort, when the Boers, who appeared to have been lying in wait, began worrying the column. Colonel Wilson was so hampered by the attentions of the enemy that he only advanced fourteen miles in three days. At the end of this time, and when the British force had pitched its camp, De Wet's men swarmed round, and our position was soon practically surrounded. Next day Colonel Wilson found himself unable to move in any direction, and sent a heliograph message to Colonel Riming- ton at the north side of the river. Owing to recent heavy rains, however, the river was in full flcod, and it seemed at first that Rimington would not be able to reach Wilson in time to save the column. Riming- ton. however, immediately responded to the call for help, and, taking with him Kitchener's Fighting Scouts, the New South Wales con- tingent, and the Inniskillings, he succeeded, though at great risk, in crossing the river during the night, and covered the 32 miles between his force and Colonel Wilson's within a few hours. De Wet. by an extraordinary momentary display of incapacity, permitted the junction of Rimington with Wiison. but at once renewed his attack upon the combined force. Rimington. holding that it was advisable to return to Heilbron, placed the convoy between the .two columns, with his own force in the rear. Immediately the return march was com- menced the Boers attacked with renewed determination, and two wagons had to be abandoned. Rimington threw the Innrskillings and the Australians against one body of the enemy, and the British force, attacking with great impetuosity, drove the Boers back, and for some time relieved the pressure. The next day the columns encamped a few miles from Heilbron, and De Wet determined to make a final effort to destroy Rimiugton's force. Rimington learned the design of the Boer leader, and. under cover of darkness, quietly withdrew his men from camp, leaving the fires burning and the camp standing, and took up another position. As had been expected, the Boers swarmed down upon the deserted British camp about nine o'clock at night, and opened a heavy fire upon the sup- posed British lines. This fusillade was maintained for about half an hour. Meanwhile, Rimington's men lay perfectly still until the Boer fire slackened, when they broke out into a vociferous British cheer. The Boers, uncertain as to the exact position of matters, turned tail and bolted, much chagrined at their fruitless waste of ammunition and that their design had been frustrated. The British casualties were remarkably few, considering the persistent attack along the whole route by a more numerous force. De Wet has evidently entered upon a new cam- paign, and it is stated that the number of his followers was greatly augmented during the fighting with Wilson and Rimington.- Central News. THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS. PRETORIA, Friday Night. The high death-rate in the concentration camps is dus, without doubt, to the heavy rainfalls. Ths regulations, the conditions, the I sanitation, the hospital arrangements, and the food supplies are all so good that it is difficult otherwise to account for it. A general feeling, however, is growing that, in view of the con- tinuation of hostilities, some other method of disposing of the inhabitants of the country is advisable, alike in their interests and in ours. —Central News. WELSHMEN IN BETHUNE'S MOUNTED INFANTRY. Amongst the best-known irregular corps in South Africa is Bethune's Mounted Infantry. which has lately celebrated the second anni- versary of its formation. The nucleus of the corps was formed at Durban, and many of the original members are "till with the corps, attached to Colonel Itoiro's column. Amongst them are three SoutliWahana, namely. Lieu- tenant W. V. Day, late of Cardiff; Farrier- quartermaster-sergeant E. V. Harman, late of Pontypridd: and Corporal and Orderly- room Clerk J. W. Walters, late of the Penarth Board Schools. Willowgrange, Colenso. Spion Kop, Vaalkrantz, Dewetsdorp, the chase after De Wet, and the subsequent clearing opera- tions in Cape Colony appear in their record of service during the past two years. At Dor- drecht on October 19 last the original mem- bers celebrated their second anniversary by giving to the colunn a smoking concert and gymkhana, the three South Walians above- named being members of the committee charged with the arrangements. Colonel Monro. the commanding-officer of the column, was present, and the scene, as the local news- paper puts it, "was the best and brightest seen for a long time in Dordrecht. The, everlasting hills all round, the warm sun over- head, the joy on all faces, the beautiful and refreshing costumes of the ladies, as a con- trast to the inartistic and sombre khaki, made a picture very pJeMant to behold." Such was one of the few interludes of pleasure in the daily round of hardship.

THE CORONATION. TWENTY-SIXTH OF JUNE FIXED AS THE DATE. The following Royal Proclamation was pub- lished in a supplement to the "London Gazette" issued on Tuesday evening:- "Edward R.I. "Whereas by our Royal Proclamation, bear- ing date the 26th day of June last, we did, among other things, publish and declare our Royal intention to celebrate the solemnity of our Royal coronation and of the coronation of our dearly-beloved Consort the Queen upon a day of June next, to be thereafter deter- mined at our palace at Westminster, and whereas we had resolved by the favour and blesSing of Almighty God to celebrate the said solemnity upon Thursday, the 26th day of June next, we do by this our Royal Proclama- tion give notice therefor, and we do hereby strictly charge and command all our loving subjects whom it may concern that all persons of what rank or quality soever they be who either on our letters to them directed or by reason of their offices and tenures or other- wise are to do any service at the time of our coronation do duly give their attendance at the said solemnity on Thursday, the 26th day of June next, in all respects furnished and appointed as to so great a solemnity apper- taineth. and answerable to the dignities and places which every one of them respectively holdeth and enjoyeth, and of this they or any of them are not to fail, as they will answer the contrary at their peril, unless upon special reasons by ourself under our hand to be allowed we shall dispense with any of their services or attendances; Provided always, and we do further by this onr Royal Proclamation signify and declare that nothing herein contained shall be con- strued to change or alter our Royal determina- tion as more fully declared in our Royal Pro- clamation bearing date the 26th day of June last, whereby we did signify it to be our Royal will and pleasure upon the occasion of this our coronation to dispense with that part of the ceremonial which heretofore took place in Westminster-hall*, and that part thereof which consisted of the procession. Given at our Court at Saint James's this tenth day of December, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and one, and in the first year of our reign. "God Save the King."

DUKE AND DUCHESS OF BEAUFORT INJURED. The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort on Mon- day left Bowood, near Chippenham. where they have been the guests of Lord Lansdownc, in their motor-car. Whilst passing through the village of Derry Hill the driver of the car endeavoured to turn sharply, and ran the vehicle into a wall. There was a big crash, but the car, fortunately, remained upright, and the duke and duchess were not much hurt. The driver also escaped with a shaking. The machinery of the car was much damaged.

» SPEECHES BY PUBLIC MEN. MR. BRODRICK AND THE REFUGEE CAMPS. Mr. St. John Brodrick (Secretary for War) addressed three meetings in Glasgow on Wed- nesday. In the evening he spoke at a great meeting in the St. Andrew's-liall, the largest in Glasgow. He said he thanked them on behalf of the King's Government for their encouragement at a time when that encourage- ment was not too liberally bestowed He denied that the Government had been lethargic in the conduct of the war, and the best witnesses he could call were the Boer leaders themselves. In Lord Rosebery's utterances in three days' time was the only hope of the Liberal party. They had not merely great expectations from him, but every one of them. whatever was their stake in the Empire, had a right to say that a man who had once been Prime Minister could not ever remain a private citizen. The captain could not sulk in his cabin when rough weather came on. and more especially when the first mate had turned pirate—(laughter)—and was engaged in looting the cargo. (Renewed laughter.) They wanted Lord Rosehery to set up his banner and tell them what was hia policy. (Hear, hear.) His proposal that business men should re- place political persons in charge of the Empire came badly from a Prime Minister who included only one business man in his own Cabinet of seventeen. The most promi- nent business man in the country was the Colonial Secretary—(cheers)—who had turned Lord Rosebery's own dream of Colonial fede- ration into a practical reality, and who had done more than any Englishman living to bring home to the Colonies their true and living membership of that great Empire. (Cheers.) They hoped they would hear from the late Prime Minister a pronouncement which would rally his party or some portion of it—(laugh- ter)-to deal with these great questione in a truly Imperial spirit. Speaking of the con- centration camps, Mr. Brodrick said he would not defend them; they were a military neces- sity; they might have caused an immense amount of attack on the Government, but nothing would induce him to undertake a 1 ask never undertaken before by a belligerent in the field-to allow the efforts of tne soldiers to be brought to nought by insisting on the railways being used for the benefit of the concentration camps and to the detriment of their own troops. Every letter received from the front told of two things that the speeches at home were reproduced for the Boers in the field, in which they were told that a rising section in Britain wished the war concluded on any terms; and the second, that the sympathy of Europe, fed by the accu- sations of cruelty by British politicians, was interpreted by the Boers as promising an early interference on the part (,f Europe. Were they really come to such a pass that what was only wanted to end the war was the reticence of politicians at home? It was no use carrying on a war softly; the sharper the contest the sooner it would be over. They had got to harden their hearts. His Majesty's Government knew how to practise moderation for five or six years in the face of weekly discouragement and continual insult from President Kruger, but they had now drawn the sword and thrown away the scabbard. They had found Boer ambulance carrying not only dispatches from one commando to another, but a Maxim gun and Mauser rifles, which. when the ambulance got through, were turned on the backs of our pickets. (Shame.i also called attention to the awful treatment meted out to the Kaffirs. Within the last few days he had received a dispatch from Lord Kitchener showing that the murder of Kaffirs was not done in the moment of passion, but was part of an organised system for covering the Boer tracks. If the Boer leaders did not see that their followers con- ducted the war as was expected of civilised nations before long the time would come when they could not be treated as belligerents. SIR EDWARD GREY AT BRISTOL. Sir Edward Grey addressed a great meeting of Bristol Liberals at the Colston-hall on Wed- nesday night, from whom he received an enthusiastic reception. There was a. feel- ing that the Government had got stale, had lost energy, resource, foresight, and grasp. There was an air of superannuation about them. What the country wanted was efficiency in government. They doubted if there was effi- ciency, and he believed the prime cause was the want of active, strenuous supervision on the part of the Prime Minister. (Applause.) They wanted not only able heads of depart- ments, but a strenuous, overlooking mind. There was not that oversigbt because the Prime Minister was absorbed in his own department. As to the resolutions on the war, he felt that there was such calumny and lies told about the country in the world that they should guard against using criticism which would appear to support such accusa- tions. That was why he resented any criticism of concentration camps that left impressions that they were instituted in an oppressive or inhuman spirit. In the face of the terrible mortality they would look to the Government to take radically new measures. He could not take a sanguine view that the Derby reso- lution of the National Liberal Federation was going to promote union. In any resolution there ought to be a clear admission of annexa- tion of the two States; and, secondly, until it was apparent that peace was desired and a firm peace possible war must be prosecuted with energy. Did they wish peace? (A Voice: "Not with Milner.") it they wished it. it was for them to let it be known. With the Orange State the matter was simpler than with the Transvaal. Colonial Govern- ment would give the Boers control in the Orange State, but would give the British the paramount position in the Trans- vaal. where their numbers were in the majo- rity. Some one bad referred to Lord Mi.'ner." Lord Milner's position was a contentious one, and he held to re-call him would be most disastrous. (Loud cheers and some dissent.)

SPANISH AMERICAN W AH. CLAIM AGAINST A CLYDE SHIP- BUILDING COMPANY. Judgment was pronounced in the second division of the court of session at Edinburgh on Tuesday in the action brought by Rear- admiral Don Jose Ramos Yzquierdo Y Casta- neda, Spanish Minister of Marine in Madrid, and others, against the Clydebank Engineering ;nd Shipbuilding Company (Limited), Clyde- lank, for payment of £75,500. The action arose cut of a contract entered into by which res- pondents undertook to build four torpedo-boat destroyers for the Spanish Government. The vessels were required for the Spanish American War, and the ground of action was that none of the vessels were finished or delivered within contract time, with the result that the Spanish naval operations were stated to have been hampered and great loss occasioned. The defence was that the claimants had no title to claim, that unprecedented difficulty was experienced in obtaining materials, espe- cially steel, owing to the engineers' strike, and that there was a clause in the contract which provided for such contingencies. In the lower court it was decided that the Spanish Minister of Marine had a title to claim, and that it was necessary to hear the evidence. The Cjydebank Shipbuilding Companjr appealed, and the court now reversed the previous decision, holding that as the contract was made with a State, and as that State was a Monarchy, the monarch alone could claim. One of the judges differed, maintaining that to refuse the right to c'.aim wns to refuse to recognise and respect the constitutional posi-, tion of a foreign Minister of State. The action was, accordingly, dismissed, the claiiliant being found liable in expenses.

MINERS' M.P.'S. The Labour Representation Fund, to which the members of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain have just been contributing, should, if carefully managed (says a London correspondent) go a long way towards solving the difficulty of Labour candidates at Parlia- mentary elections. l'be federation is ambi- tious to have a representative for every 10,000 members, which would give them thirty-four candidates to support throughout the country; while, if the shilling call realises all that is expected, there will be a solid cash income of over £ 16,000 to perform the work with. On this, however, there will be charges for mem-1 bers already in the House of Commons, as it I can hardly be expected that the, local funds will be maintained in addition to the generali one. i

THE NEW SERVANT. 1. act as'^Juppor^er ^°U ^aV6 xevy S00(i recommendations and I like your appearance, so you may consider yourself engaged*. You will and LEypossMyGlcfd "I thank your Royal Highness." (Sotto voce) The job isn't quit e what I wRntçd, but it's better than nothing, and may pOSBibly lead to sometbing better."

MR. GLADSTONE AND DIS ESTABLISHMENT. Mr. William Jones, M.P., presided at the opening meeting of the London Cymru Fydd Society's winter cession. Mr. Bryn Roberts, M.P., was also present. Mr G W. E Russell gave an address on "Welsh Disestablishment," and said he had never wavered in hie conviction that Establish- ment was in itself an evil and Disestablish- ment in itself a good thing. As to Mr. Glad- stone's view with regard to the Disestablish- ment of the Church of England, it was a ques- tion on which, as far as Mr. Russell knew, he never revealed his inmost mind. He had in his possession a postcard Mr. Gladstone had received from an anonymous lady correspondent during the Welsh Church debates. It was dated "Cannes, March, 1893," j and ran as follows:- Far away from my native land, my bitter indignation as a Welshwoman prompts me to reproach you, you bad, wicked, false, treacherous old man, for your iniquitous scheme to rob and overthrow the dearly- beloved Church of my country. You' pretend to be religious, you old hypocrite, that you may more successfully pander to the evil pas- sions of the lowest and most-ignorant of the Welsh people. But you neither care for nor respect the principles of religion, or you would not distress the minds of all true Christian people by instigating a mob to commit the awful sin of sacrilege. You are certainly clever. So also wa your .0rd >nd Mastoid the Devil, and I cannot regard it as sinful to hate and despise you any more than it is sinfdl to hate and despise him. So in redoubled measure of contempt and disrespect, accept these compliments from A DAUGHTER OF OLD WALES." —(Laughter.)

1 <• -V- ALMANAC FOR 1902. With the issue of the "WEEKLY MAIL" ON SATURDAY NEXT DECEMBER 21, 1901, Will be presented a large sheet ALMANAC for 1902, Beautifully Printed in Colours on Good Paper. The Almanac of 1902 will contain a mass of useful information suitable and interesting to the general reader. All subscribers should see that this Almanac is supplied with the issue of Saturday, Becember 21. a-nd in case of any difficulty are requested to com- municate with the Publisher. For the office or the home this Almanac is invaluable. PRICE, WITH ALMANAC, ONE PENNY, Post Free, lid.

GENERAL BULLER. Addressing his constituents at Exeter on Saturday night. Sir Edgar Vincent, M.P., dis- cussed the Buller controversy, and said that until they knew the facts of the case they were unable to pass a safe opinion. If General Buller wished the subject to drop they could still think well of him. If he desired full light thrown on the matter the Devonshire members of Parliament would see that he secured it. (Loud cheers.) It was not a question of party loyalty, but rather of fair dealing with one of whom Devon was justly proud. Sir Redvers must settle the action which would best contribute to the honour and prosperity of the Army. Until General Buller had stated his wishes he (the speaker) should take no action. If the matter was carried to the House of Commons the Government wou'd have to justify their action. The burden f proof would be upon them, because the course they had taken was unusual, and nothing in Buller's October speech justified his dismissal. A demonstration of sympathy with General Buller in the Plymouth Guild-hall on Tuesday night was attended by 4.000 people. Alderman I Bond presided, and Mr. G. Lambert, M.P., spoke in strong terms of the action of the War Office with regard to General Buller. A resolution was passed expressing unstinted admiration of Sir Redvers as a brilliant and chivalrous soldier, warm appreciation of the great services he has rendered his country for 42 years, assuring him of unshaken confidence and belief in him as a courageous, skilful i officer, pronouncing dissatisfaction with the action of the War Office in dismissing him, and refusing to rest satisfied till justice is done.

A DETERMINED SUICIDE. A determined case of suicide took place at Kensington on Wednesday, a man named Hol- loway cutting his throat in St. Alban's-road and afterwards jumping from a third floor window into the street, a distance of nearly 50ft. He had recently separated from his wife, and is reported to have been drinking con- siderably.

WELSH COLONY IN I PATAGONIA. I FOUR YEARS OF DIRE MIS- FORTUNE. In the course of a visit which Mr. W. L. Griffith, Canadian Government agent in Wales; Mr. W. J. Rees, J.P., of Swansea; and the Hon. E. T. Scott, Secretary of the British Legation, Buenos Ayres, recently paid on behalf of the Imperial and Canadian Govern- ments to Chubut, Patagonia, in the Argentine Republic, they gathered a large amount of interesting information pertaining to the WTelsh colony in that district. Air. W. L. Griffith returned to Cardiff on Monday, and in an interview which he has granted to one of our representatives gave some very interesting particulars of the Welsh settlers, the hardships through which they passed in the early days of the colony, their chief pursuits, and the calamities which have fallen upon them in recent years. The first batch of Welsh immigrants to Patagonia, 8".i i Mr. Griffith, "numbered about 65, and ,ey reached ¡.e, Bay about 35 j years ago, under the direction of Professor Michael D. Jones, of Baia, and the Rev. Lewia Jones, also of North Wales." "One of the first objects which strikes one on arriving at the end of New Bay where Port Madryn is situated is a row of caves dug into the low cliff on the edge of the shore. These were the places where the immigrants lived in the early days of the settlement. The land was devoid of any building material, and nothing was left for the unfortunate Welsh- men but to dig holes in the cliff in order that they might be sheltered from the weather. The country around was nothing but a desert, with a growth of scrub and vegetation of the cactus variety, one species of which is known to the settlers as 'wild potatoes.' To such straits were these early settlers reduced that! they had to resort to 'wild potatoes' as an article of diet. There was no adequate water supply, and the district was without any habi- tation." "I suppose the intention was to till the land?" suggested the reporter. "That is so, and after digging the caves some of the settlers set to work to sow wheat in the vicinity of Port Madryn. How absurd this proceeding was you may judge when I say that you could sow seed in the streets of Cardiff with as much prospect of reaping a crop as these settlers had in sowing on the arid shores of New Bay. In fact, a know- ledge of the history of the colony compeis one to come to the conclusion that it was a wicked thing to move a number of Welsh people, for the most part without means, to a desert remote from any place where there was an opportunity of making a livelihood. It is, however, to the credit of the settlers that they faced the hardships involved most bravely, and by to day they have turned what was a desert into a fairly productive agricul- tural district." "How has this been accomplished?" "By means of irrigation. One of the early settlers on the banks of the Chubut River reaped a good crop on a small piece of ground by turning the water from the river on to the land which he had sown. The lesson learnt from that was that if the colonists wanted to raise crops they must procure a system of irri- gation. This idea developed, and to-day the settlement has over 200 miles of canals, which are estimated to have cost something like £ 200,000. In the beginning some of these canals were actually made by spade work. but to-day the spade has given place to the horse- shovel." "Tell me something about the people them- selves." We were very favourably impressed with them. The men are of fine physique, well set- np. respectably dressed, and intelligent—in fact, a body of men who would be an acqui- sition to any colony. They ride well. know how to manftge horses and stock, and how to rough it in a new country. They are experts in throwing what they call bolas.' These consist of three round stones 'sewn up in leather and each fastened at the end of a thong of raw hide five or six feet long. They take hold of one of the balls, and swinging the others ro'und their heads let fly—while at full gallop on horseback—say, at an ostrich. One stone ties the thjng round the neck while the others manacle the legs and thus render the bird helpless. They catch wild horses, cattle, and guanacho (a kind of deer to be found' in herds on the plain) in the same- way." What is the position of the Wetsh colony at the present time?" u,- HI Up to leya tie progress 01 me coiony was more or less satisfactory. The settlers reaped fairly good crops of wheat and alfalfa. a nutritious kind of hay, of which, with irriga- tion, they are able to produce three and sometimes four crops per annum. The yield is about two tons per acre. The average yield of wheat is 10cwt. to 12cwt. per acre, although 30cwt. has been produced undei specially favourable circumstances. The wfieat is of good quality, and a large portion of it is con- signed by the farmers, through their co-opera- tive company, to buyers at Buenos Ayres. There is a railway from Trelew to Port Madryn, and from there the grain is taken in sailing vessels to the Argentine capital and sometimes to this country. They have to wait some months before they can get gaid, but in the meantime they are allowed to draw from the stores against the shipment up to a certain percentage. One objection they have against this system is that they have to pay interest on their account at the stores, whereas they are paid no interest on the falue of the wheat; but no doubt the system is the best that can be devised under the! circumstances." ''What stock do the settlers possess?" They have herds of cattle, which roam ■ about the valley and the adjacent camp,' and. in addition, many of the farmers have herds up in the Andes which have paid very well. In fact, the condition of the colony at the present time would have been much more serious if it were not for what they have made out of stock." What are the ruling prices for cattle?" 0\ good cow and calf are worth about X3 13s., and two-year-old steers about L2 5s per head. The native horses are splen- did saddle animals, and travel as much as 70 and 80 miles a day, with scarcely any attention and only the bare food which grazing on the camp affords. They are broken so that when yon jump off their backs and throw the reins over their heads, ahowing tnem to hang down, they will stand at the spot, tor a day without moving, 'lhey are very tough, and 1 could not he.p thinking that tney are just the Cjass oi norses for South Africa. From inquiry, I found that a consideraDle number Of mem cou.d be pur- chased at prices ranging from £ 4 to z65 a head." Any sheep bred in the eolony?" "Oh, yes, three or four kinds. There are the native Pampas, Merinos, and the Ram- bouillets. THe pampas are email, with long, rough wool, and the rambouiiiets of medium size and very nne wool. In the valley cross- bred Lmcolns are foiYnd the uest, but in the camp the cross-bred rambouillets are more, useful, as they are better husners.' No sheep are exported, and they are kept entirely for their WOOl." You said that up to 1898 the progress of the colony was more or less satisfactory. What has happened since?" In lo98 about lialf the crops were destroyed by locusts. In 1899 came the disastrous flood, which uesiroyed the irrigation canals and the dwellings of the settlers, and it was only by flying to the hills that the inhabitants saved their lives. The water remained on the vailey until it was too late to sow seeds. The same flood destroyed what provisions #Lnd crops were stored on the farms, as well as rendering any crop for 1900 impossible. In 1901 the settlement was again visited by a flood, very little less disastrous than that of 1899, rendering any hope of a crop for the cur- rent year out of the question, andltlie crop for 19U2 will depend upon how much work in the way of repairing canals will be accomplished by that time. I should say here that in 1899 the Argentine authorities treated the settlers- well, and contributed over £ 9,000 to alleviate the distress, This year they have also con- tributed-to a smaller extent it is true-but they have sent the setters about £ 2,250. These successive disasters have very greatly discouraged the settlers, and I feel sure that there will be distress among them during the coming winter." You remember that certain complaints have reached this country about the way the Welsh settlers have been treated by the Argen- tine authorities. Did you get any informa- tion confirming the statements?" So far as I can judge, the "\VtVsh settlers have been treated very well by the Argentine authorities. The taxation seems to be reason- able and equitable. The reports of outrages upon women will not bear investigation. There were complaints on this score, it is true, but in every country offences of the kind are more or less prevalent." "Now, with regard to military service, what is the position?" "The army is recruited by conscription. Every hoy of eighteen is liable to be called up for military service, and he cannot leave the district without giving notice to the military authorities. There is a great objection on the part of the Welsh to their sons being com- pelled to mix with the rank and file of the Argentine Army, because it is feared that the association will have a bad effect, upon their morals. However this may he. it is the law of the country, and if Welshmen choose to leave the British flag and go under a foreign flag, they must be prepared to abide by the constitution of the country over which that flag floats. Mothers have said to us with much emotion. 'We have borne sons! What for? To be taken to that hole' (pointing to the bar- racks) 'to have their morals contaminated by mixing with the scum of the Republic.' Another complaint." continued Mr. Griffith, is that there is no room for expansion. All the productive land has been taken up by the first settlers, and there is no future for the children but to become members of the lower class of an alien Republic, for whose mode of living they enter- tain the greatest repugnance. There appears to have been in the past some irritation against the local authorities, apparently caused by a policy of pin-pricks. The State caused by a policy of pin-pricks. The State schools compare favourably with those at which the Argent ne children are taught, but the teaching is anti-British, or, perhaps, I should say. Argentine, in tone. and hence un- popular with the Welsh people. One of the chief missions of the educational authorities seems to be tne teaching of the Spanish lan- guage, and for this they cannot be blamed. All the Welsh children speak Spanish, and it can only be a question of time when that language will oust the Welsh. This in a colony founded to perpetuate Cymraeg.' The original idea of forming and building up a Welsh colony has been entirely abandoned, and it is sorrowfully admitted by the leaders that all hope for the success of that idea must be given up. fn a comparatively few years all trace ot We sh nationality will hava vanished. The most casual observer can note that the growing generation is far from fol- lowing in the footsteps of the original settlers." "What about the religion of the colony?" I think it will be admitted that in a short time, or so soon as those who migrated from Wales have passed away, the call for chapels in the settlement will have very much decreased, if not have passed away altogether. In fact, the religion will follow the language j in becoming Argentine. The Welsh in Chubut, generally speaking, realise that they have made p mistake in departing from under the British flag. They now feel that. although the British form of government may not he ideally perfect, it is by long odds the best form of government to live under. The possibility of war between Chill and Argentine is also causing uneasiness. If- it should break out the country would be over. run by outlaws and cut-throats, who would seize upon the occasion as an opportunity for outrage and pillage. Mr. Rees and I were unable to visit the Welsh settlement near the Andes, known as 'the 16th October,' but the Hon. Mr. Scott left for that district on the same day as we left for England. This latter settlement will be particularly affected in case of trouble between the two Republics." Mr. Griffith wished to say. in conclusion, that what influenced him most while in Chubut was the sympathy he 8t for those settlers who were making a brave fight to per- petuate and extend Brit:sh principles amid unfriendly conditions'. Whatever may have been their feelings when they emigrated to Chubut, the opportunity which they have had of comparing South American Governments with that of their native land has converted them into enthusiastic admirers of the British system. Mr. Griffith entertained the most "robust contempt" for a certain section of Welshmen in Chubut, who for selfish con- j siderations had become renegades. "Mr. Rees," Mr Griffith added, "returned a day later than I did, and I should like to say that he became extremely popular among the Welsh farmers in Chubut, and no man was ever more blessed than I with a more jovial travelling companion." i

District Offices: 2. COLSTOX-ST., BRISTOL. r I' "Strongest and Best" ■■■ —HtUtk I FRY'S I > Pure Concentrated i COCOA "Tip Richest III flesh-forniftig and energy* ( producing OOfiatkuentS."Dr. Aum. Wilmn, F-It.S.. £

LIBERAL LEADER SPEAKS. SAVAGE ATTACK ON HIS CRITICS. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman on Tuesday night addressed a meeting of his Dunferm- line constituents. He said that the strong desire of the British people was not for con- quest or territory, or for glory, still less for vengeance, but was for a safe and generous peace. They were seriously doubting whether the course pursued by the Government was likely to conduce to this end. He saw little of policy in what the Government was doing. It seemed rather blind and arrogant obstinacy which directed their proceedings. They went plodding along to the goal of unconditional surrender by the stages of devastation, depopulation, concentration, and subjugation. He had gone out of his way to express pub- licly his testimony to the exemplary conduct of the British Army, and the slanderous im- putation that he had disparaged the Army was revelled in by the Government press, who had repeated it until one might almost think they believed it. (Laughter.) This stale slander had been dished up at non-party meetings by persons of prominent position in the country; by the reverend and learned principal of a great university-from whom one would have expected a philosophic mind; by the chief of a great Scottish county, who took that means of showing his idea of a. judicial temper; and by the general officer commanding a district-and, indeed, ap- pointed to command an army corps— who might have been expected to have had a corner of his eye on the King's Regulations in spirit as well as in letter. He was sorry for these persons who had made themselves the mouthpiece of this low party abuse of himself on non-party occasions, but at Dundee they found a Cabinet Minister, Lord George Hamilton, charging him (Sir Henry) with defaming the conduct of their troops and vilifying their conduct in the field. He challenged Lord George Hamilton to make good his words. (Loud cheers.) He condemned martial-law at the Cape, and com- plained that they had the doctrine pro- pounded to them ,that the military authorities were the sole judges of the necessity. This was making them the judges in their own case. They saw how nearly the New Imperialism came to the Old Despotism. When they played fast and loose with Constitutional liberties on the other side of the world the evils were not confined to that side, but their mischievous consequences came home to them here, and might have the effect of invalidating and destroying the barriers their forefathers had erected against tyranny and absolutism. The Derby assembly did a great and notable service to their country and to the cause of the true principles of government when they declared for a more humane and considerate policy, for frank negotiations, for -amnesty, and in particular they declared for a change in the channel of communication with their present enemies. These were wise recom- mendations from beginning to end. But Sir Alfred Milner had placed himself to a great extent, if not entirely, in the hands of the strongly anti-Dutch party in South African politics, and he ought to be absolutely impar- tial. They must not allow what was said in the newspapers as to weakness of the Opposi- tion and the ineffective character of the private member of Parliament to mislead them. The Opposition was not absolutely unable to do anything. They saw the indis- criminate farm-burning stopped so far as oihcial declaration could stop it by the action of the Opposition in the House of Commons.. they saw the disgraceful plan of punishing their enemies in the field by putting their poor wives and children on half-rations stopped by the interference of a private Liberal member of Parliament; apparently the execution of rebels, with the compulsory attendance of their friends, had been stopped after the protest of the Opposition. At the close of his speech Sir Henry was subjected to a pretty vigorous heckling on matters affecting the war. and also with regard to his attitude towards Home Rule, and to matters of local interest. He declared himself in favour of granting Home Rule to Ireland. Questioned with regard to the atti- tude of the Boer leaders towards indepen- dence, Sir Henry admitted that certain of them had reluctance or unwillingness to accept anything but complete independence; but that was impossible. But his firm belief was that they would be content with some- thing very much short of that—something which, while they were brought within the British dominion, would still retain to them their own identity, their own national customs and habits, and rights, so as to enable thcua to continue their old life. In reply to a question relating to the pre- parations on the part of the Boers for war, lie said they began about the time of the Jameson Raid. (" No. no," and Hear, hear.") They were entirely due to the distrust and jealousy of British designs the Jameson Raid caused. Asked if he was prepared to support the Government's policy of annexation against the anti-annexationists in the Liberal party. Sir Henry said he did not know that the anti- annexationists were going to oppose him in any way, and he would not oppose them until they opposed him. A vote of confidence in Sir Henry closed the proceedings, subsequent to which the Liberal leader was entertained to supper by Mr. Robertson, the chairman of the local Liberal committee.

MR. CARNEGIE'S GENEROSITY. The statement is made that Mr. Andrew Carnegie has arranged to give a considerable sum—possibly 10.000.000 dollars-for the cause of university extension in America. An announcement is expected from the White House, Mr. Carnegie having discussed his plan with the President. Mr. Carnegie's plan is to found a great National University, on the lines of George Washington's idea of a central university, at which any American could acquire higher education. A 25.000.000 DOLLARS GIFT. A San Francisco telegram says :—Mrs. Jane L. Stanford has executed and delivered to the trustees of the Leland-Stanford Junior Univer. sity two deeds of grant and a deed of gift. The deeds of grant cover the real estate already given to the university and the Stan- ford residence in San Francisco, which will be used for educational purposes. The deeu of gift covers bonds and stocks already given, as well as certain securities which were not included in the former gifts. Mrs. Stanford has now given the equivalent of over 25,000,0)0 dollars to the university.—Reuter.

PONTYPOOL GIRL WOUNDED. At Pontypool Police-court on Saturday, John Clark, a youth seventeen years of age, was charged with shooting May Smith at Ponty- pool on November 3.—May Smith stated that on the Sunday night in question she was talk- ing to some girls on the Osborne-road, Pont- ypool. She heard a noise, and something me struck her in the back. She went home, and it was found that she had been shot, and she had since been under the care of the doctor.— Arthur Truman, aged eightf years, said that on the night in question be was standing by Clark, and saw him pull out a pistol and flre it at Smith.—John Hale said that he saw a. flash coming from the direction in which Clark was. and heard a report. He did not see the pistol tlfen, but had previously seen the prisoner with one in his possession—Dr. S. B. Mason proved examining Smith and find- ing a wound in the centre of her back, but he had not yet been able to extract the bullet. The girl had since been ill with abscesses en the back, and he could not say that she was even now out of danger. The wound mighv have been produced by a bullet similar to the one in the cartridge now shown to him.- Prisoner, who stated that he did not mean to harm anyone, and did not know he had shot the girl, was committed for trial to quarter sessions. bail being allowed.