The Secretary of War, General Alger, has made all arrangements for giving
the fund to the suffering people. Six officers are now in the flooded
districts, finding out what the wants of the people are, and another
detail of officers is to follow them, distributing food and relief
according to instructions.

That every section may be reached, the flooded country has been divided
into six districts, with one officer to go over each.

The Citizens' Relief Committee of Memphis, Tenn., had arranged to help the
sufferers in its district before Congress was heard from. This one society
fed and cared for nearly seven thousand people who had sought refuge from
the waters.

This society has also sent large quantities of food and supplies to
various points in Arkansas and Mississippi, but the help of the Government
was very badly needed. The Citizens' Relief Committee could only reach a
very small portion of the people who are suffering from the angry rise of
the Father of Waters, as the Mississippi is called.

* * * * *

Matters are very unsettled in the Transvaal.

They are still inquiring as to who gave Dr. Jameson the authority to make
his raid, but nothing of any consequence has been brought to light.

In the Transvaal itself, war with England seems to be threatening. There
is much angry discussion over the late news that England has leased
Delagoa Bay for thirty years, at a rental of $2,500,000 a year.

Delagoa Bay belongs to Portugal, and is the only seaport which the Boers
can reach. The Transvaal, as you will see by the map, lies inland, and has
not any sea-coast of its own.

The English deny this report, but, all the same, British war-ships are
being sent to Delagoa Bay.

A new High Commissioner has been appointed to South Africa, and a great
deal of surprise was felt when it was learned that he was to take a strong
body of marines and sailors with him.

The Government says these fighting men have only been sent with the
Commissioner to guarantee the carrying out of his commands, but it is very
openly reported that they are being sent out to strengthen the force which
England already has in South Africa, and that war will soon break out in
that quarter of the globe.

The English people are very angry with President Krueger, because, at a
recent banquet, his grandson, a lieutenant in the Transvaal army, made
some rude remarks about the Queen of England.

But it would seem th