es. By the
end of July there were no fewer than sixty thousand inmates of the camps
in the Transvaal alone, and half as many in the Orange River Colony. So
great was the difficulty in providing the supplies for so large a number
that it became more and more evident that some at least of the camps
must be moved down to the sea coast.

Passing to the Orange River Colony we find that during this winter
period the same British tactics had been met by the same constant
evasions on the part of the dwindling commandos. The Colony had been
divided into four military districts: that of Bloemfontein, which was
given to Charles Knox, that of Lyttelton at Springfontein, that of
Rundle at Harrismith, and that of Elliot in the north. The latter was
infinitely the most important, and Elliot, the warden of the northern
marches, had under him during the greater part of the winter a mobile
force of about 6000 men, commanded by such experienced officers as
Broadwood, De Lisle, and Bethune. Later in the year Spens, Bullock,
Plumer, and Rimington were all sent into the Orange River Colony to
help to stamp out the resistance. Numerous skirmishes and snipings
were reported from all parts of the country, but a constant stream of
prisoners and of surrenders assured the soldiers that, in spite of the
difficulty of the country and the obstinacy of the enemy, the term of
their labours was rapidly approaching.

In all the petty and yet necessary operations of these columns, two
incidents demand more than a mere mention. The first was a hard-fought
skirmish in which some of Elliot's horsemen were engaged upon June
6th. His column had trekked during the month of May from Kroonstad to
Harrismith, and then turning north found itself upon that date near the
hamlet of Reitz. Major Sladen with 200 Mounted Infantry, when detached
from the main body, came upon the track of a Boer convoy and ran it
down. Over a hundred vehicles with forty-five prisoners were the fruits
of their enterprise. Well satisfied with his morning's work, the British
leader despatched a party of his men to convey the news to De Lisle, who
was behind, while he established himself with his loot and his prisoners
in a convenient kraal. Thence they had an excellent view of a large body
of horsemen approaching them with scouts, flankers, and all military
precautions. One warm-hearted officer seems actually to have sallied out
to meet his comrades, and it was not till his greeting of them