ent that the vague designs of the Boer
Governments against Natal, of which the British Intelligence
department had had cognizance in the previous year, were taking
definite shape, and that, at any rate, so far as the Transvaal forces
were concerned, the eastern colony would probably become the main
object of their attack. The only British reinforcements immediately
available were therefore assigned to that colony. On the Cape side it
was manifest that the determining factor was the attitude of restless
elements within the colony itself. It was known that secret agents
from the Transvaal had, during the past two years, visited many parts
of the colony, and that arms had been distributed by those agents. The
investigations of the Intelligence department had, however, failed to
discover proofs of the establishment of such organisations as would
enable any formidable rising in the colony to coincide with a
declaration of war by the republics. It was fully realised that it
could not but be the case that there would be among many of the Dutch
colonial farmers some natural sympathy with their kinsmen, and that a
certain number of the younger and wilder would possibly slip across
the border to join the enemy's forces; but it was believed that,
provided this class of the community was not encouraged by any sign of
weakness to enter into relations with the republics, they would be, as
a whole, loath to throw off their allegiance to a State to which they
and their forefathers had for many generations been loyal, and under
whose rule they had enjoyed equal liberties, self-government and much
prosperity.

[Sidenote: Protective Posts.]

If these conclusions were sound--and the course of events during the
first month of the war was to prove their general correctness--it was
highly desirable that detachments of British troops should remain in
the northern districts of the colony, and thus carry out the double
function of encouraging the loyal while checking lawless spirits, and
of retaining possession of those lines of railways, the use of which
would be a matter of vital importance to the field army in its
subsequent advance from the coast. It was obvious that these isolated
posts of a few hundred men would run serious risks. Thrust forward in
close proximity to the enemy's frontier, they were separated from
their base on the coast by some four to five hundred miles of country,
throughout which there might be possible enemies; thus