al disadvantage--there were
others--many others, the upshot of red-tapism--to be contended with. This
Sir George White was beginning to feel, but his sufferings in regard to
the initial delay were threefold later on.

To return to Dundee. It was maintained both by the Government and the
people of Natal that the valuable coal supply should be protected, and
an attempt was therefore made to guard it. The misfortune was that from
the first Lieutenant-General Sir W. Penn Symons--who, before the arrival
of Sir George White, commanded in Natal--seemed to be ill acquainted
with the enormous forces that the Boers could bring to bear against him.
It was true that he could not at that time be certain, any more than
appeared to be the Government at home, that the Free Staters would join
the Republicans; but to any one acquainted with the subject, the fact
that President Steyn had pulled the strings of the Bloemfontein affair
was sufficient evidence of a contemplated alliance. With the Free State
neutral, the aspect of affairs might have been entirely changed, and
Dundee, with Ladysmith to support it, might have held its own. As it
was, these small places were from the first placed in the most
unenviable quandary.

General Symons, on the arrival of Sir George White in Natal, took
command of the forces in Dundee, and began active preparations for the
reception of the Dutchmen.

[Illustration: MAP OF NORTHERN NATAL. SCALE 15 STATUTE MILES TO THE
INCH.]

The latter, immediately after the declaration of war, took possession of
Newcastle, and our patrols soon came in touch with the enemy. In spite
of their animated and aggressive movements, however, Sir W. Penn Symons
was disinclined to believe that the enemy meant a serious attack upon
Dundee, and though fully prepared for hostilities, he was somewhat
amazed when really informed of the rapid advance of the united
Republicans. But he lost no time. He made inquiries, and satisfied
himself that he was in a position of some danger and that he must
promptly leap to action. The chief difficulty of the situation lay in
the number of passes through which the Boers with their easily mobilised
forces could manage to pour in bodies of men, and the limited number of
British troops at General Symons's disposal. From the movements of the
Boers it was obvious that the plan of attack had long been cleverly and
carefully arranged. The Free State Boers on the 12th of October seized
Albertina Statio