I do not think there is another nation so fondly attached to their
home and its neighbourhood, even though the houses be in ruins and the
farms destroyed. Still the Boer feels attracted to it, and when he has
at last succeeded in reaching it, you will often find him sit down
disconsolately among the ruins or wandering about in the vicinity.

It was better, therefore, to keep our men somewhere near their
districts, for even from a strategical point of view they were better
there, knowing every nook and cranny, which enabled them to find
exactly where to hide in case of danger. Even in the dark they were
able to tell, after scouting, which way the enemy would be coming.
This especially gave a commando the necessary self-reliance, which is
of such great importance in battle. It has also been found during the
latter part of the War to be easier for a burgher to get provisions in
his own district than in others, notwithstanding the destruction
caused by the enemy.

Commandant Muller, of the Boksburg Commando, one of those who were
lucky enough to escape the danger of being caught through the
half-heartedness of the previous commandant (Dirksen), and had taken
his place, arrived at Warmbad almost the same moment. He proceeded via
Yzerberg and joined us at Klipplaatdrift near Zebedelestad.

I had allowed a field-cornet's company, consisting of Colonial
Afrikanders, to accompany President Steyn to the Orange Free State,
which meant a reduction of my force of 350 men, including the
Krugersdorpers. But the junction with the Boksburg burghers, numbering
about 200 men, somewhat made up for it.

We went along the Olifant's River, by Israelskop and Crocodile Hill,
to the spot where the Eland's River runs into the Olifant's River, and
thence direct to Witnek through Giftspruit.

The grass, after the heavy rains, was in good condition and yielded
plenty of food for our quadrupeds. Strange to say, nothing worth
recording occurred during this "trek" of about 95 miles. About the
middle of November we camped near the "Albert" silver mines, south of
Witnek.

Commandant Erasmus was still in this part of the country with the
remainder of the Pretoria Commando. Divided into three or four smaller
groups, they watched in the neighbourhood of the railway, from
Donkerhoek till close to Wilgeriver Station, and whenever the enemy
moved out, the men on watch gave warning and all fled with their
families and cattle into the "boschveldt" along