cept what was standing in
the fields. The question of horses also caused anxiety. Four hundred
of his men went on foot. He concluded by bringing to the notice of the
Governments the fact that Zulus had been armed against him. The
Swazies, with the exception of a small number, were well disposed. On
the whole the spirit of the burghers was good. Only here and there
could dejection be discerned.

Chief Commandant de Wet said that innumerable hostile forces had
continually operated against him during the last eight or ten months.
He, with his Government, were so surrounded by the enemy in the
North-eastern districts of the Free State, that they had to fight
their way out. Seven hundred burghers were then captured, but among
them there were many grey-beards, boys, and other men not capable of
serving, so that the number of serviceable burghers captured was not
more than 250. As regards cattle, if one compared the present
condition with that before the war, you would have to say, "There are
no cattle." However, there were sufficient for the burghers and
families. In the Western and South-western portions of the Free State
almost all the burghers laid down their arms when the great forces of
the enemy marched through there for the first time. The Commandos
there were consequently very weak. They had enough corn in those
districts for a full year. Cattle, however, were so scarce that bulls
and rams were slaughtered. From the division where General Brand
commanded, the enemy at an earlier stage of the war removed all
cattle, but now they had large herds again and sufficient corn to last
for a year. In the South-eastern portion of the Free State matters
were much the same as in the South-western. In the districts of Boshof
and Hoopstad there were many sheep and cattle, and there was no want
of mealies. The numerical strength in the entire State amounted to
5,000 men, and there were many burghers in the Cape Colony. The spirit
of all the burghers was splendid.

General de la Rey informed the meeting that he still had 2,000 men
under arms. By means of a line of block houses the enemy had divided
the Western districts, and thus made matters difficult for him.
Zeerust and Rustenburg were still intact. The approach to his
food-districts was also hampered by block houses, much to his
detriment. There were between 1,800 and 2,000 men who fought. There
were also others who had no horses. These he concealed, and if a
burgher fell or w