25 JULY 1896, Page 1

The attack in force upon the Matabele strongholds in the

Matoppo Hills was made by General Carrington on Sunday last. Unfortunately, however, the resistance of the natives was so stubborn that, though the attack was not in any sense a fiasco, it has not had the results which were hoped from it. The attacking column was one thousand strong, and was well supported with screw - guns and Maxims. These were used to shell the Matabele position, which was afterwards carried by a charge. It does not appear, however, that, though the fighting lasted eight hours, there was anything like a rout among the blacks, and when the column returned to Bulawayo it was generally admitted that the results were not satisfactory. Too pessimistic a conclusion must not, however, be drawn from this failure to secure a decisive defeat. Perseverance, and the lack of food and of ammunition which will soon begin to be felt by the Matabele, will in the end reduce them. Meantime the British public must remember that one of the diffi- culties in fighting an undisciplined and unorganised enemy is that the work cannot be done by a single crushing blow. You cannot kill an octopus by one stroke. It must be destroyed bit by bit. Later news received on Friday shows that another portion of the column, under Captain Laing, of about three hundred men, was on Monday fiercely attacked by the Matabele. The white force was laagered, and after a severe struggle they drove off their assailants, who lost over ninety men killed. Captain Laing's column, which lost three men killed and ten wounded, returned on the 20th to Bulawayo.