General Smuts, who succeeded General Smith-Dorrien as Commander-in-Chief in East
Africa, has already to the credit of his Army an affair of good omen. On February 18th a German force of four Europeans and two hundred native soldiers attacked the post of Kachumbo, on the Uganda border. The strength of the post was only two Europeans and about thirty- five natives. The enemy were driven off with the loss of the four Europeans and fifty-three natives, a machine gun, forty- five rifles, and a quantity of ammunition. There were ne casualties in the British force. If the affair was small, it was certainly brilliant. Tho enemy will probably prove stronger fighters elsewhere. We know from a reconnaissance in fore* against Salaam Hill that that point is strongly held. Our casual- ties in the reconnaissance were ono hundred and sevciety-two, of which one hundred and thirty-nine occurred in the 2nd South African Brigade, who then had their first experience of fighting in the East African bush. The branch railway makes good progress, and the end of German East Africa is as certain as that of South-West Africa and the Cameroon.
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