ther country was shown
in practical form. She intimated, in the event of hostilities, her
willingness to send 250 mounted infantry and a machine-gun to the front.
New Zealand followed suit; she also offered two companies of mounted
rifles fully equipped at the cost of the Colony. These offers were
gratefully accepted. Not to be behind-hand, Western Australia and
Tasmania made similar offers, and Her Majesty's Government gladly agreed
to accept one unit of 125 men from each. The Parliament of Victoria
voted the despatch of a contingent of 250 men to South Africa, and the
Governments of New South Wales and South Australia actively discussed
similar measures. This expression of Colonial public opinion, embodying
as it did the independent judgments of so many free juries, uninfluenced
by personal or direct interests, had a significance which, besides being
politically important, was eminently satisfactory. All Her Majesty's
dominions, on which the sun never sets, were at this critical moment
holding hands in a wide circle that encompassed the earth, and the
picture of the small mother country with all her big children gathered
around her in her hour of need was not one that the romance of history
can afford to disregard.

IN SOUTH AFRICA

Before hostilities had actually begun, refugees from Johannesburg began
to pour down to Natal and the Cape, and there were daily reports of
insults received by the Uitlanders at the hands of the Boers. Ladies
were spat upon, and passengers suffered indignities sufficient to make
an Englishman's blood boil. Fresh troops began to arrive from India, and
Sir George White, in a chorus of farewell shouts, "Remember Majuba,"
went off from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. This was on the 7th of October
1899. At that time the troops were thus distributed:--

At Pietermaritzburg--1st Battalion Manchester Regiment and
Mounted Infantry Company; 2nd Battalion King's Royal Rifle
Corps.

At Estcourt--Detachment Natal Naval Volunteers; Natal Royal
Rifles.

At Colenso--Durban Light Infantry.

At Ladysmith--5th Lancers; Detachment 19th Hussars; Brigade
Division, Royal Artillery; 10th Mountain Battery, Royal Garrison
Artillery; 23rd Company, Royal Engineers; 1st Battalion
Devonshire Regiment; 1st Battalion Liverpool Regiment, and
Mounted Infantry Company; 26th (two sections) British Field
Hospital, and Colonial troops.