population. Finally, crossing the Orange River at Norvall's Pont, it passes out of British territory altogether, and becomes the Free State-Transvaal Railway.

On the East London line the country is of the same character, but even more among Dutch surroundings, for after passing Queenstown (English) the train loses itself in the intricacies of the Stormbergen, only to enter upon a region, now in rebellion, where the English language is scarcely spoken, and Dopper sentiment reigns supreme.

So much for the high roads from Cape ports to the interior, but we have yet to notice the Natal system.

From Durban the railway ascends through a thick belt of semi-tropical vegetation-tea and sugar plantations and orange groves on every side, where natives of India at work in the hot fields give an Oriental colouring to the scene. Further on, the country opens, and grass lands appear, the valleys widen, and rounded hills are seen, till at length, near Maritzburg, magnificent downs meet the eye, and a panorama of table mountains rises to view, beyond a series of deep valleys to the north.

Leaving Maritzburg—seventy miles from the sea—the line twists in strange contortions, working its way from one fertile plateau to another of the garden colony. Crossing first the Mooi and Bushman's River, then the Tugela at Colenso180 miles from the sea-there is open ground, and ten miles further, at Ladysmith, is the junction to the Free State, via Van Reenan's Pass. Thence the line involves itself once more in a network of hills, and passing Glencoe (junction to the Transvaal eastern border) climbs ever upwards till it gets out into the open at Laing's Nek, 300 miles from Durban. At Charleston, close by, it enters the Transvaal, and the rest of the journey is through typical veldt.

English to the backbone is the population of Natal; nevertheless there is a good deal of border land in possession of Dutch farmers, who have no love for English institutions. Some of them have now found their way into the ranks of the Boer armies; others are to all intents the spies of President Kruger,

Thus far we have discussed the theatre of the war, in aspects likely to affect the military situation, and now it may be profitable to forget that the tragedy has begun, and to devote some attention to the actors as they stood three months ago, waiting for the curtain to rise.

First, the Boers.-Their army consists of the entire male Dutch population of the Transvaal and of the Free State between the ages of eighteen and sixty, to which must be added a miscellaneous contingent of European adventurers, disloyal Anglo-Dutch and Cosmopolitan filibusters. The following estimate is probably fairly correct as to numbers :Transvaal Boers,

Orange Free Staters,..

Miscellaneous,

Total,

30,000

20,000

10,000

60,000 men,

but it is unlikely that more than 50,000 can be put into the fighting line for any long time together.

The army so formed is actually a force of mounted infantry, each man bringing his own pony and being supplied by the Government with a rifle and ammunition. The best of the fighting strength is composed of small freeholders accustomed to irregular warfare with the natives, and inured from childhood to every conceivable hardship. The Boer carries with him on his pony six days provisions, consisting of bread and meat (biltong); on this, and a little tobacco to smoke, he can subsist with comfort. The ponies are extremely hardy, and carry their riders at great speed for long distances over rocks and pitfalls no English horse could face.

The Boers do not move by word of command, nor fight in any regular formation, but are organised in commandoes of varying strength, each levied in a single district, and subdivided into groups of men accustomed to work together. Acting under general direction from their leaders, they carry out orders rather by intuition than by rule. The individual Boer combines caution with resolution, and, though uneducated, possesses ready resource and presence of mind, the characteristic qualities of white men who pass their lives in the midst of savages.

Until the war began, the strength of the Transvaal Artillery was thought to be small, but by experience and tardy enquiry, we have ascertained that it amounts to at least one hundred pieces, of which thirty siege guns and thirty field are of the very latest type, manufactured by the Krupp and Creusot Works. This estimate includes the artillery of the Orange Free State, and is more likely to be under than over the truth. The Boers are known to have 40,000 Mauser rifles and a great stock of Martini-Henrys. Of ammunition they have an ample store for present use, but war for a year or two would probably exhaust their supplies, if not replenished by importations from Europe.

The Boer scheme of campaign, carefully worked out with foreign assistance, appears to have been based on the assumption that a war with England would be declared when the Colonial garrisons were weak. The first step of the programme was to occupy the great northern salient of Natal, which is bordered by the Transvaal on one side and by the Free State on the other. With the aid of the Free Staters, it was expected that the British garrison would be quickly overwhelmed and the Colony overrun and conquered. At the same time, minor commandoes would capture the towns on the Bechuanaland border-Mafeking, Vryburg, Kimberley, &c.-while others. invaded Rhodesia and Cape Colony, south of the Orange River. The effect of these initial successes upon the natives was relied upon to cause risings against British rule, while the general movement thus set in motion would, it was hoped, draw into its vortex the old Dutch of the Cape Colony, so that by the time British reinforcements arrived, they would find no spot in South Africa except Capetown, perhaps, over which the Union Jack was still flying. As to the rest of the war, confidence was placed in defensive tactics and constant stratagem, based upon knowledge of the country; also to European intervention and party jealousies in England.

Turn now to the British.-Less than five years ago our garrison at the Cape consisted of a battalion and a half of infantry, two companies of fortress artillery and one of engineers, while that in Natal was made up of a regiment of

cavalry, a battalion of infantry, and a mule battery of mountain guns. As relations with the Transvaal became more and more 'strained, both garrisons were slightly increased, but it was not till war was actually threatening, that any serious effort was made to place the colonies in a state of defence. On September 8th, 1899, it was decided at a Cabinet Council to send out 17,000 more troops, and orders were accordingly given to despatch them from India, the Mediterranean, and other garrisons abroad. On the same occasion it was also decided to mobilise an army corps for active service.

A number of officers were at this time sent to South Africa on special service to raise and organise local forces for the Imperial Government, independent of those already existing, and of the Natal and Cape Colonial Volunteer Corps. Among these officers were Colonels Baden-Powell and Plumer, both of whom distinguished themselves in the recent native wars, and have right well maintained their reputation.

The British forces thus detailed were:—

It may be worth while to mention, for the benefit of civilian readers, that an Army Corps is divided into four divisions, with a body of troops not belonging to any particular division, but to the Corps generally.

The four divisions of the First Army Corps are :—

(A) The Cavalry Division under Lt.-General French in two equal Brigades making in all :

:

6 Regiments Cavalry (3 Squadrons).

2 Batteries Horse Artillery (6 guns each),

8 Companies Mounted Infantry.

1 Troop Engineers.

(B) Three Infantry Divisions under Lt.-Generals Lord Methuen, Clery, and Gatacre, respectively. Each Infantry Division in two Brigades, each Brigade consisting of four Battalions of Infantry.

Each Infantry Division has attached to it as Divisional Troops

3 Field Artillery Batteries (6 Guns each).

1 Squadron Cavalry.

1 Field Company Engineers.

(C) The Corps Troops are under the immediate orders of the General commanding the Corps, and consist of :

2 Cavalry Regiments.

2 Batteries Horse Artillery, 6 guns each.

6 Batteries Field Artillery, 6 guns each.

6 Companies Engineers for Pontoons, Telegraphs, Railways,

Balloons.

1 Infantry Battalion.

Not enumerated in the foregoing detail are a large number of services connected with ammunition supply, food supply, hospital and bearer duties, distributed in the same principle of Brigade Divisional and Corps troops, independent of each other. so as to allow of the separation of the larger units whenever necessary.

In thus preparing a complete Army Corps for South Africa, the idea was that a splendid demonstration such as this would so impress the rulers of the two Republics as to paralyse their resistance to the British Government. In Pall Mall there was naturally a desire also to impress the British public, to the discomforture of Mr. Arnold Forster and all his following, while the occasion was welcomed as opportune for the advancement of a select few, such as the king delighteth to honour!

The assembling and fitting out of this corps was officially regarded as the crowning triumph of the new regime, and certainly, as an armed force per se, it was about the finest that ever left our shores. It was commanded by a popular general, it comprised well-nigh every corps d'elite of the army, and its brilliant staff represented the most prominent of the ruling military party. In addition was an immense array of specialists from every department under the jurisdiction of the War Office -none seemed forgotten-the Professor of drawing to the Cadets was even provided with a billet. For a European war no better contingent, perhaps, could have been selected; but, unfortunately, as an expedition for the conquest of the Boers, it was fundamentally and fatally defective. So also was the