ly I
arrived at the Cape.

* * * * *

"I felt convinced that an advance on Bloemfontein must draw the
Free Staters back from Kimberley and Natal, and that the
occupation of their capital would render the Boer positions to
the south of the Orange river untenable. To carry out this
scheme, as large a force as could be collected was necessary, as
the enemy had through railway communication (about two days'
journey) between Natal and Bloemfontein, and could transfer a
considerable portion of their forces from one of the theatres of
the war to the other in infinitely less time than we could.
Moreover, rapidity was essential in concentrating this force and
making an advance towards Bloemfontein, as Ladysmith and
Kimberley were, so far as I know, only provisioned for a very
limited time."

[Sidenote: His reason for deciding against the railway through
Jacobsdal.]

It will be seen that Lord Roberts rejected Sir R. Buller's suggestion
that a railway should be made through Jacobsdal to Bloemfontein.
Colonel Girouard had estimated that this line could be constructed at
the rate of a mile a day without interfering with the traffic for the
supply of the troops, and, in an offer made to the Home Government by
a private firm, hope had been held out that the work might be carried
through at the rate of five or six miles a day, or in other words,
that, assuming fighting conditions to be favourable, the whole would
be finished in about a month. The latter estimate seemed altogether
too sanguine. Moreover, the practical difficulty of guarding those
employed on the required task from the raids of a mobile enemy would
have been very great. Finally, the chance of surprise would have been
lost, and, hard to secure as secrecy in, military projects had been
found in South Africa, Lord Roberts was certain that to obtain
decisive results the complete concealment of his plan of operations
was essential.

[Sidenote: Reinforcements from home.]

Great exertions had been made during the period of his voyage to South
Africa, both by the Government and by private individuals, to provide
the troops needed for the success of these schemes. He was informed of
the result of these exertions by the following telegram from Lord
Lansdowne of 9th January:

"Please let us know what you think about further reinforcements
as soon as you have tho