down the Eastern
Transvaal undertaken by seven columns under the command of French.
Before considering this, however, a few words must be devoted to the
doings of Methuen in the south-west.

This hard-working General, having garrisoned Zeerust and Lichtenburg,
had left his old district and journeyed with a force which consisted
largely of Bushmen and Yeomanry to the disturbed parts of Bechuanaland
which had been invaded by De Villiers. Here he cleared the country as
far as Vryburg, which he had reached in the middle of January, working
round to Kuruman and thence to Taungs. From Taungs his force crossed the
Transvaal border and made for Klerksdorp, working through an area which
had never been traversed and which contained the difficult Masakani
hills. He left Taungs upon February 2nd, fighting skirmishes at Uitval's
Kop, Paardefontein and Lilliefontein, in each of which the enemy was
brushed aside. Passing through Wolmaranstad, Methuen turned to the
north, where at Haartebeestefontein, on February 19th, he fought a brisk
engagement with a considerable force of Boers under De Villiers and
Liebenberg. On the day before the fight he successfully outwitted the
Boers, for, learning that they had left their laager in order to take
up a position for battle, he pounced upon the laager and captured 10,000
head of cattle, forty-three wagons, and forty prisoners. Stimulated by
this success, he attacked the Boers next day, and after five hours of
hard fighting forced the pass which they were holding against him. As
Methuen had but 1500 men, and was attacking a force which was as large
as his own in a formidable position, the success was a very creditable
one. The Yeomanry all did well, especially the 5th and 10th battalions.
So also did the Australians and the Loyal North Lancashires. The British
casualties amounted to sixteen killed and thirty-four wounded, while
the Boers left eighteen of their dead upon the position which they had
abandoned. Lord Methuen's little force returned to Klerksdorp, having
deserved right well of their country. From Klerksdorp Methuen struck
back westwards to the south of his former route, and on March 14th
he was reported at Warrenton. Here also in April came Erroll's small
column, bringing with it the garrison and inhabitants of Hoopstad, a
post which it had been determined, in accordance with Lord Kitchener's
policy of centralisation, to abandon.

In the month of January, 1901, there had been a con