gades) 416 13,521 716 -- -- -- 16
A.S. Corps 16 217 550 -- -- -- --
R.A.M. Corps 30 464 336 -- -- -- --

Total 706 18,672 5,555 2 12 30 18

[Sidenote: On line of communication.]

Two battalions of regular infantry (the 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers and
the 2nd Somerset Light Infantry), and three Colonial corps (the Natal
Royal Rifles, the Durban Light Infantry and the Imperial Light
Infantry), with four Naval 12-pounders, manned by detachments from
H.M.S. _Philomel_ and _Forte_, and the Natal Field battery, held the
line of communication with Durban.

[Sidenote: Method of issuing orders.]

Although Sir Redvers Buller had assumed personal command, it was
arranged that, in the absence of the Headquarter staff, his orders
should be issued by the divisional staff of Lieutenant-General Sir C.
F. Clery, who had hitherto been the senior officer south of the
Tugela.

[Sidenote: Boers in the Natal region Dec. 6th-Dec. 14th.]

In the chapter dealing with the constitution of the Boer army, it has
been pointed out that any statement of the strength of a Boer force at
a particular period is quite misleading, if regarded like a formal
"daily state" of a European force in the field. Subject to this
reservation, the aggregate strength of the original commandos, which
invaded Natal on the outbreak of war, has already been assessed at
23,500, and it has been stated that Transvaal reinforcements,
amounting to some 3,000 men, had subsequently been added; but this
increase was reduced by the departure at the end of November of three
Free State commandos to oppose Lord Methuen's advance on Kimberley.
The commandos remaining in Natal were, moreover, much weakened by the
practice of burghers returning to their farms to visit their families
without leave, and, although some Natal Dutchmen had been commandeered
to take up arms, the total Boer forces actually serving in Natal at
this period did not probably much exceed 20,000 men. A detachment of
800 was at Helpmakaar,[215] watching the Tugela Ferry and the western
frontier of Zululand, from which, throughout the middle of the month,
the Boer Intelligence department expected an attack. Another
detachment of 500 piqueted the river from the Tugela Ferry up to
Colenso. To the west four commandos were stationed near Potgieters and
Skiet's drift