sful would have occupied several
days, during which the camp and railhead would have to be strongly
guarded. There is reason to believe that the force in Natal has not the
transport necessary to enable it to leave the railway for several days,
during which it would be a flying column. Moreover, the Boers, being all
mounted, could always place themselves across the path of any advance.
Accordingly it is at least premature to assume that any course other
than that which he adopted was open to Sir Redvers Buller. The mishap to
a portion of the artillery will be better understood when the full
story of the battle is accessible. Meanwhile Sir Redvers Buller's
withdrawal of the troops when he saw that success was unattainable has
preserved his force, and he is now awaiting reinforcement before again
attempting an advance. The critical element in the position of affairs
in Natal lies in the fact that time runs against the British. Sir
Redvers Buller and the Government no doubt know pretty accurately the
date up to which Sir George White can hold Ladysmith. If by that date he
has neither been relieved nor succeeded in fighting his way to the
Tugela his situation will be desperate.

Lord Methuen has probably been as much hampered as Sir Redvers Buller by
want of transport. He, too, will not forget the importance of preserving
his force and his liberty of action, and will retire rather than await
investment.

Through the mists which always shroud a war during its progress the fact
is beginning to be visible that the British generals have been from the
beginning paralysed not, as anxious observers are always prone to
conclude, by any want of knowledge or energy, but by the nature of the
implement in their hands. They have to fight an enemy of unprecedented
mobility. The Boers are all horsemen and can ride from point to point
more than twice as fast as the British infantry can march; they live in
British territory by requisitions or loot, and therefore can limit their
transport train. But the British forces are restricted to a little more
than two miles an hour and to twelve or fifteen miles a day according to
the ground. There is everywhere a deficiency if not a complete lack of
transport, said to be due to the action of the Treasury during the
summer, and therefore every column is dependent for its food and
ammunition upon a line of railway, which a handful of Boers may at any
moment and at any point in its hundreds of miles tem