ary after seizing {p.265}
Vaal Krantz to entrench it as the pivot of further operations, but I
found after trying for two days that, owing to the nature of the
ground, this was not practicable; it was also exposed to fire from
heavy guns which fired from positions by which our artillery was
dominated."

As the projected advance depended upon the tenure of Vaal Krantz, and
this could not be assured under the circumstances, the attempt had to
be abandoned. On the evening of February 7 the British army again
retired south of the Tugela, and thence returned to the camps at
Chieveley, facing Colenso.

In the operations about Spion Kop from January 17-24, the British
losses were: killed, officers 27, men 245; wounded, officers 53, men
1,050; missing and prisoners, officers 7, men 351. Total, 87 officers,
1646 men.

At Vaal Krantz, February 5-7, the losses were: killed, officers 2, men
23; wounded, officers 18, men 326; missing, men 5. Total, 20 officers,
354 men.

CHAPTER VIII {p.266}

THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY AND OF LADYSMITH, AND THE SURRENDER OF CRONJE

The month of February, 1900, which opened with the reverse at Vaal
Krantz, proved to be the culminating period of the war. During its
course, the tide, which had been running strongly against the British,
turned decisively in their favour. Before it closed, Kimberley and
Ladysmith had been relieved and Cronje forced to surrender.

After the affair at Magersfontein, December 11, Methuen and Cronje
remained confronting one another. The British strengthened themselves
upon the line of the Modder, by the railroad; the Boers, from the
kopjes of Spytfontein, some three miles to the northward, gradually
extended their works {p.267} east and west until in both directions
their flanks rested upon the river. Shelling by guns of long range was
carried on intermittingly by both parties, and there were small
affairs from time to time, but nothing on a large scale occurred.

After his arrival on January 10, Lord Roberts spent three weeks in
Cape Town arranging for his campaign. On the 6th of February he left,
accompanied by Lord Kitchener, and on the 9th was at the Modder Camp.
On the 11th began the movement which resulted four days later in the
relief of Kimberley, and on the 27th of the month in the surrender of
Cronje. For these objects, and at this time, 44,000 troops of all arms
had been collected near the Modder.

It is needless to say that preparation had preced