he number of households was two thousand six hundred and forty.

The Commandant-General concluded by saying that the three greatest
difficulties with which they were confronted were their horses, their
food supply, and the miserable condition of their women and children.

Commander-in-Chief de Wet then spoke. He said he would leave it to the
delegates who were officers to make reports. They had come from far and
near, and knew exactly what the condition of things was. He, however,
could state that the number of burghers in the Orange Free State was six
thousand one hundred and twenty, of whom about four hundred were not
available for service. The Basutos, he found, were more favourably
inclined to the Boer cause than ever before.

"General De la Rey," continued General de Wet, "like myself, does not
quite know what task he has to perform here, but he thinks with me that
the duty of making reports belongs to the delegates. However, he feels
bound to state that in his divisions there is a great scarcity of
everything. But precisely the same state of affairs existed there a year
ago. And when his burghers were at that time without food--well, he went
and got it for them." (Cheers.)

General Beijers (Waterberg) then addressed the delegates, telling them
that he would not detain them long. In Zoutpansberg, he stated, they had
still a plentiful supply of food, for they were able to buy from the
Kaffirs. At Waterberg the Kaffirs were neutral, but at Zoutpansberg they
were getting out of hand. Yet, since no co-operation existed amongst
them, they were not to be feared, and any uprising could easily be
quelled.

Besides this trouble, they had many difficulties to face, which were
produced by horse-sickness and fever.

As to the question of grain, there was food enough for the whole of the
Transvaal and the Orange Free State. But now the English were beginning
to buy up the maize at L1 a sack.

General Muller (Boksburg) reported that in his division the burghers had
never suffered from hunger. He could still hold out for a few months
more, as food could be obtained from the Kaffirs. There was, it could
not be denied, a tendency to mutiny amongst the Kaffirs, but he did not
think that this need cause any anxiety. He believed that he would be
able to carry on operations until the end of the winter.

General Froneman (Ladybrand) said that the condition of his divisions,
namely Winburg and Ladybrand, gave no cause for uneasin