From Lord Roberta's army the news is uniformly good, though
scanty in detail,—a sure sign that the Commander-in- Chief in South Africa has some large operation in procesa of development. On Friday the latest telegrams from the front showed that the Boers had retreated from the very strong positions they had prepared on the Rhenoster River, and were in full retreat on the Vaal. The reason for this abandonment was the fact that General Ian Hamilton had advanced to Heilbron on Roberts's right flank and made their position un- tenable. Movements of this kind, which have marked the whole of the last month, exhibit the weakness of the Boer system of fighting. It is all very well to be extremely cautions, and to avoid all risk of being enveloped, but the Boers carry caution to such a pitch that the appearance of the enemy on their flank makes them surrender the most splendid positions without a, struggle. The Boers are brave enough in their own way, but we are afraid that if Frederick the Great had been with their armies of late he would very often have addressed them as he did his Grenadiers on a famous occasion,—" Do you want to live for ever, you scoundrels !" All attention is now concentrated on the Vaal, and upon the question whether the Boers will make a stand there or whether Lord Roberts will be allowed to pass the river without opposition.
