umerous local
defence corps, such as Nesbitt's and Bayley's from the eastern
province, and Orpen's from the Hopetown district. The mounted troops
at Lord Roberts' disposal were further substantially increased by the
formation of mounted companies from all battalions of the line serving
in Cape Colony.[294] By this means sufficient units were formed to
make up eight additional mounted infantry battalions, but, owing to
the difficulty in procuring remounts, the greater part of these did
not receive their horses until the first week of February.

[Footnote 294: It had for many years been the practice in
South Africa to mount at least one company of each battalion
in the command, but this had not been carried out at the
commencement of the war in battalions as they arrived from
England.]

[Sidenote: The transport arrangements.]

The provision of sufficient and suitable transport for the new army
now being organised was a question which naturally needed the
consideration of Lord Roberts and his staff. From the first, even
before war was generally regarded as inevitable, the subject had been
found to be beset with difficulties. The nature of the country
permitted little deviation from, or modification of, that form of
transport which experience has taught the dwellers in the land to
adopt. The roughness of the tracks across the veld, which were given
the deceptive name of roads, necessitated a particular build of
vehicle, while the draught animals which could be employed were almost
exclusively oxen and mules. The pace at which oxen are able to move,
and the fact that they must graze in the daytime, limit the length of
a march and the hours of working. Nevertheless, oxen can draw far
greater loads than mules, can work over heavy ground in wet weather,
and for most of the year depend for their sustenance on grazing alone.
On the other hand, mules travel more quickly, and can feed at any time
of the day or night, but forage for them must be carried, since
grazing alone is not sufficient to keep them in working condition--and
their loads must be lighter; their use, therefore, increases the
amount of transport and the length of the column. With mixed
transport, drawn partly by mules and partly by oxen, the daily
distance is regulated by the slower animal. In ordinary circumstances
mules may do sixteen to eighteen miles a day, but oxen can hardly be
counted on for more than twelve f