range
extending up to 5000 yards. Four guns with a range of 1200 yards were
distributed between hills guarding the Drakensberg passes, Ladysmith,
and Pretoria.

With this array of guns only our Naval guns could compete. As regards
horses, we were also deficient. The sea-voyage played terrible havoc
with the poor beasts. Ill-luck seemed to pursue us, for on the 4th of
December grievous news arrived that the _Esmore_ with the 10th Hussars
and a battalion of infantry on board had gone ashore at St. Helena, some
180 miles from Cape Town. Fortunately the men were rescued from the
transport, but their chargers were all lost. This was a terrible blow,
for at the time cavalry was almost a nullity, and operations were
somewhat suspended, if not entirely crippled, owing to the lack of that
arm. Indeed, Lord Methuen's brilliant operations on the Orange River had
all been heavily handicapped owing to the impossibility of pushing his
victories home, and at this time the one cry of the commandants in
chorus was, "Oh for a Cavalry Brigade!" There was General French, a born
cavalry commander, minus mounted troops; General Gatacre with his
division distributed in fragments everywhere; Lord Methuen hampered as
before described, all because the nation had allowed itself to slumber
and drift, and put its hand to the helm too late!

As there were continual changes in the military situation, it may be as
well to make a rough computation of the troops engaged in the various
campaigns. In Ladysmith, Sir George White had some 9500 men, while at
Colenso, Weenen, and Natal, Generals Buller and Clery had between them
some 23,000. Advancing from Queenstown to attack Stormberg was General
Gatacre with 6000 men, while a probable 3000--cavalry and infantry--were
with General French at Naaupoort. In the west, advancing from the Modder
River to the relief of Kimberley, Lord Methuen had less than 8000 men,
and on the line of communications at Graspan, Orange River, and De Aar
were some 8000 more. At Kimberley there were about 2000 troops, while
with Colonel Baden-Powell at Mafeking and Colonel Plumer in Rhodesia
were about 1000 men respectively. The newly-arrived Canadian contingent,
numbering some 1000 men, were sent to the front to act in concert with
the Black Watch and Seaforth Highlanders. Quantities of soldiers and
volunteers were daily arriving, all of them in high spirits at a chance
of seeing service. Among the many passengers who landed on the