NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE war news during the week has been both good and bad. In our last issue, while announcing General Hunter's great haul of over four thousand prisoners and nearly four thousand horses, and pointing out how much nearer this capture brought the end of the war, we warned our readers that they must still expect minor defeats, that "'regrettable incidents' on a big scale were quite con- ceivable," and that it was "almost certain there would be one or two minor surprises and ambuscades." Our words were verified sooner than we expected, for on Thursday a report was received from Lord Roberts that an isolated garrison of about three hundred Bushmen and Rhodesian troopers stationed at Elands River had been forced to surrender by Delarey. This is, of course, very annoying, but when set against Hunter's great capture of prisoners, who, we are glad to see, are already on their way to Ceylon, it sinks into insignificance. Other items of news are that General Hamilton has relieved Rustenburg, where General Baden-Powell was temporarily isolated, and has withdrawn the garrison, and that Lord' Kitchener and Lord Methuen are still in hot pursuit of De Wet. Part of his force is said to have slipped away, but it is being pursued, and the remainder seems to be in imminent danger of capture. Meantime Sir Redvers Buller has been pushing up north, driving the enemy before him in a successful action. It is difficult to bring all the various items of news into their true relation, owing to the calculated scantiness and dimness of the official telegrams, but it is evident that the military situation is slowly developing, and always in essentials for the better.
