The military situation, as we write on Friday, is as
follows. On Monday General Buller began his third attempt to relieve Ladysmith. On that day a feint attack in force was made from Potgieter's Drift by General Wynne's brigade supported by five batteries. Meanwhile the real attack was developing to the east. At a drift lower down the river, the Engineers, working under fire, threw a pontoon across the stream, and Lyttelton's brigade, headed by the Durhams, crossed and seized some heights called Vaal Krantz. The first kopje was carried in the most gallant style at the point of the bayonet by the Durhams. The second position was then cleared by the Rifle Brigade. On Monday night the troops bivouacked on the ground they had seized. On Tuesday the Boers made great efforts to recapture the positions, but were everywhere driven back. On Wednesday our troops were busy entrenching themselves and in getting up artillery. On Thursday we are as yet ignorant as to what happened. During the coarse of the operations our casualties were about two hundred and thirty, but of these very few seem to have been killed. On the whole, we feel inclined to be hopeful as to the ultimate result of General Buller's movement. If he can only manage to advance another six or seven miles from his present positions it will be almost a necessity for the Boers to abandon the siege of Ladysmith. Meantime, be need not be in any desperate hurry, for Ladysmith is evidently quite able to hold out for another three weeks or so. The need for burry is now, indeed, being transferred to the Boers, who will soon badly need the men engaged in containing Ladysmith and opposing Buller to check Lord Robert's main advance into the Free State.
