os have no corn to live
on. In the neighbourhood of Boksburg and Springs there was a
considerable quantity of mealies--the old mealie-cobs of last
year--but the commandos have been squeezed out from those parts by the
blockhouses. They had absolutely no slaughter-cattle. In a great area
there was no living animal except horses, and when he was with the men
a few days ago, three days had passed since they had had meat. All
that Middelburg (south-east of the railway) possessed of
slaughter-cattle was 36 goats. Wakkerstroom also was entirely without
slaughter-cattle. The condition on the High Veld as regards horses was
very bad. The burghers were hard pressed by the enemy, and many were
unmounted. The horses were now so weak that the commandos could not
undertake a long journey. The Kaffir question became daily more
serious. Shortly before his departure for Vereeniging 56 burghers were
murdered in Vryheid by Kaffirs who came from the English lines. All
the Kaffirs in the South-eastern portion of the Republic were more or
less under arms, and this had an unfavourable influence on the spirit
of the burghers. Furthermore they had a considerable number of
families who were in a most lamentable condition. The entire High Veld
was divided up by the lines of blockhouses, and the commandos were so
cornered that they had continually to cross these lines of the
railway, and then a fortnight often passed before the husbands could
return to attend to their families. It had happened that women had to
flee to Kaffirs to be helped by them. Many were attacked and raped by
the Kaffirs. Truly the condition of these women was the saddest thing
with which he had had to do in this war.

Coming to the numerical strength of the burghers, they had in the
field in the South African Republic 10,816 men, of which 3,296 were
unmounted, leaving thus only 7,520 men who were available for use.
Since last June their numbers had been diminished by 6,084 men. The
most of these had been captured, but the number included the
surrenders and killed. They still had about 2,540 families. What their
condition was he had already described, and what the difficulties were
to support them, the delegates could imagine themselves. Summoning up
all in one word the Commandant General concluded by saying that the
greatest difficulties lay in the questions concerning horses and food,
and the maintenance of the families.

Chief Commandant de Wet said that he would leave i