ruiser, and on the 10th of January, 1900, he landed at
Cape Town.

CHAPTER VI {p.233}

THE NATAL CAMPAIGN. BRITISH PREPARE FOR A FLANKING ATTACK UPON THE
BOERS' RIGHT AT THE TUGELA. THE BOER ASSAULT ON LADYSMITH, JANUARY
6TH.

After the reverse at Colenso, nearly four weeks elapsed before Sir
Redvers Buller was ready to move again for the relief of Ladysmith.
The interval passed in receiving reinforcements, and in accumulating a
transport service which should enable the army to perform a long
flanking march, for, the frontal attack upon the Boer centre having
failed, and its difficulties been not only recognised but
demonstrated, the purpose was now to turn their right flank by way of
Springfield, some twenty miles to the north-east of Frere, crossing
thence the Tugela by a ford six miles distant, known as Trichardt's
Drift, and following the Acton Homes road. The {p.234} army would
thus pass round Spion Kop and gain the open plain north of the
mountain thus named.

While this movement was in progress, but before crossing the river, a
reserve supply for seventeen days was accumulated at Springfield. It
may be assumed therefore that this represents the conditions which Sir
Redvers Buller thought requisite to his projected operation. The
necessity of depending chiefly upon the slow-moving ox-wagons, and
their comparatively small capacity, made the organising of the train
tedious and difficult. "To forward supply alone," wrote Buller, "took
650 ox-wagons, and as between Frere and Springfield there are three
places where all the wagons had to be double-spanned, and some
required three spans, some idea of the difficulties may be formed." A
correspondent with the army states that the wagons "can only be
depended upon to haul not more than 600 pounds each." To lessen this
great inconvenience road traction-engines were employed with success.
The same writer says of these that "they can easily haul twelve tons,
and on {p.235} a flat, dry veldt strip along at a brisk eight miles
an hour. They leisurely descend into spruits--beds of streams--roll
across, and wheel up stiff long climbs like flies walking up a wall.
They are not quite helpless, even when the ground has been soaked by
rain."[29]

[Footnote 29: Burleigh, "Natal Campaign," p. 240.]

While these preparations were making, the besieged had to resign
themselves to further weary endurance. "Sir Redvers Buller," writes a
correspondent with