ay to the sea, and
above all the large force required to keep the Boers in check in Natal
and south of Kimberley, capped the strength of our army corps to such an
extent that when all demands had been supplied its numbers had dwindled
so alarmingly that the idea of an invasion had to be promptly abandoned.

The urgent necessity for the timely relief of the three beleaguered
towns now became obvious, for the fall of any one of them, but
particularly of Ladysmith, would have been a heavy blow to our prestige
in the country, and would have increased the already growing sedition.

Accordingly Lord Methuen was despatched with a force of some 10,000 men
to Kimberley, while the remaining troops were sent _via_ Durban into
Natal. A few others were placed under General Gatacre's command, and,
having sailed to East London, took train for Queenstown, while another
force, under General French, went _via_ Port Elizabeth towards
Naauwpoort.

To detail the regiments or the exact numbers in each column would be to
tax the patience of the most generous of readers, as would also a full
description of the various skirmishes which each had with the enemy.
They started from the sea base by railway, and as they reached the
invaded country they followed the rails, and repaired the parts which
had been torn up by the Boers. Thus, their communications being
assured, they had abundant supplies of ammunition and of food, and could
pass their wounded down the line a few hours after the injuries were
received.

But though this means of transport saved a vast deal of labour, and for
the moment allowed our generals to dispense with wagons and mules, it
had one decidedly important disadvantage, for, inasmuch as we were tied
to it, the Boers knew weeks beforehand what part they would have to
defend, and made preparations accordingly. And this was particularly
the case on the west and in Natal.

In the case of the former, a large force of Boers, under Commandant
Cronje, opposed Methuen's advance just above Hope Town. Heights had
been selected at Belmont, and these had been carefully entrenched. But
the Guards, the Marines, and the others who composed the force dashed at
them, and captured them at the point of the bayonet.

A few miles farther north, at Graspan, another position had been taken
by the Boers, and once again we drove them out of it.

But there was sterner work before this truly gallant column, for, though
they had driven the en