On Monday, December 30, at about 1 p.m., Mr. F.J.  Newton, Resident Commissioner at Mafeking, received the following telegram from the High Commissioner, Capetown, dated the same day: 

It is rumoured here that Dr. Jameson has entered the Transvaal with an armed force.  Is this so?  If so, send special messenger on fast horse directing him to return immediately.  A copy of this telegram should be sent to the officers with him, and they should be told that this violation of the territory of a friendly State is repudiated by Her Majesty’s Government, and that they are rendering themselves liable to severe penalties.

Mr. Newton at once addressed to Dr. Jameson and each of the chief officers with him the following letter: 

SIR,

I have the honour to enclose copy of a telegram which I have received from His Excellency the High Commissioner, and I have accordingly to request that you will immediately comply with His Excellency’s instructions.

Trooper J.T.  White was despatched as soon as possible with the five letters, enclosed in waterproof, with instructions to ride until he caught up to Dr. Jameson and delivered the letters.  He was stopped by a party of armed Boers and taken before Landdrost Marais at Malmani, where the despatches were opened and read.  He was delayed for four hours, and then allowed to proceed with an escort.  On Tuesday morning he crossed the Elands River and caught up the column at about 11 a.m.  He had ridden all night, covering about eighty miles.  He alleges that at first the officers would not take the letters, but eventually Sir John Willoughby accepted and read his and the others followed suit.  He stated that he had been instructed to deliver the letters personally, and to get a reply.  Sir John Willoughby sent a message by him stating that the despatches would be attended to.  Shortly after this Dr. Jameson also received a protest from the Commandant of the Marico district against his invasion of the State, to which he sent the following reply: 

  December 30, 1895.

SIR,

I am in receipt of your protest of the above date, and have to inform you that I intend proceeding with my original plans, which have no hostile intention against the people of the Transvaal; but we are here in reply to an invitation from the principal residents of the Rand to assist them in their demand for justice and the ordinary rights of every citizen of a civilized State.

  Yours faithfully
  L.S.  JAMESON.

White states that this was about noon, and ’then the bugle sounded and the column moved off.’  The force continued advancing in much the same way throughout Tuesday, and at 6 p.m. a skirmisher of the advanced guard met Lieutenant Eloff of the Krugersdorp District Police, who had been instructed by his Government to ride to Mafeking, presumably for the purpose of getting information.  He had come with a guard of nine men, whom he had left some distance off; advancing