NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE pith of the news from South Africa is, as usual, con- tained in Lord Kitchener's laconic summaries of captures and surrenders. Since our last issue the reports from the coltunns show that some 530 Boers have been put hors de combat, while the captures include 15,400 rounds of ammunition—or more than four times the amount in Engli, 1 in the early months of 1900-380 waggons, 2,370 horses, and a machine gun. Telegrams from Pretoria state that the number of surrenders is increasing rapidly as winter approaches, while the departure of Mrs. Louis Botha for Europe is interpreted to point in the direction of pacific settlement,. On the other hand, De Wet is reported to have returned to the fastnesses of the Zuurberg in Cape Colony with a "Lang Tom," and a patrol of the Metro- politan Mounted Rifles—a force recently raised and sent out— has lost four killed and six wounded in a skirmish near Marais- burg. Perhaps the most interesting piece of news in an un- eventful week is the announcement that the Cape University has provided a centre at St. Helena for the benefit of those prisoners of war who may desire to be examined. The Cape University might confer an honorary degree in strategy on De Wet—in absentia'.
