There is little news from General Buller, but it is
evident that he has completed his preparations for an advance, and it seems almost certain that before these pages are in our readers' hands, or very soon after, we shall at last hear of him and his force in detail. The fortune of war is, of course, always fickle, but we may rely on it that nothing which care and foresight can suggest will be left undone. His very close hold on the telegraph and the absence of even official messages is an excellent sign. General Buller has evidently no intention of sharing his plans with the Boers. It is, however, worth while to note that on Friday news was received in London that General Barton began to shell the Boer position at Colenso early on Wednesday morning with thirty-eight guns. It is also stated that General White had early in the week "embarrassed the enemy by blowing up Modder Spruit Bridge," and that the immediate vicinity of Ladysmith was now clear of the Boers. It is not worth while to try to piece these items of information together, for conjecture will soon, we hope, be replaced by knowledge.
