un for De la Rey and Kemp. Hence it was expected, as actually
occurred, that in this quarter the most stirring events of the close of
the campaign would happen.

General Bruce Hamilton in the Eastern Transvaal had continued the
energetic tactics which had given such good results in the past. With
the new year his number of prisoners fell, but he had taken so many, and
had hustled the remainder to such an extent, that the fight seemed to
have gone out of the Boers in this district. On January 1st be presented
the first-fruits of the year in the shape of twenty-two of Grobler's
burghers. On the 3rd he captured forty-nine, while Wing, co-operating
with him, took twenty more. Among these was General Erasmus, who had
helped, or failed to help, General Lucas Meyer at Talana Hill. On the
10th Colonel Wing's column, which was part of Hamilton's force, struck
out again and took forty-two prisoners, including the two Wolmarans.
Only two days later Hamilton returned to the same spot, and was rewarded
with thirty-two more captures. On the 18th he took twenty-seven, on the
24th twelve, and on the 26th no fewer than ninety. So severe were these
blows, and so difficult was it for the Boers to know how to get away
from an antagonist who was ready to ride thirty miles in a night in
order to fall upon their laager, that the enemy became much scattered
and too demoralised for offensive operations. Finding that they had
grown too shy in this much shot over district, Hamilton moved farther
south, and early in March took a cast round the Vryheid district, where
he made some captures, notably General Cherry Emmett, a descendant of
the famous Irish rebel, and brother-in-law of Louis Botha. For all these
repeated successes it was to the Intelligence Department, so admirably
controlled by Colonel Wools-Sampson, that thanks are mainly due.

Whilst Bruce Hamilton was operating so successfully in the Ermelo
district, several British columns under Plumer, Spens, and Colville were
stationed some fifty miles south to prevent the fugitives from
getting away into the mountainous country which lies to the north of
Wakkerstroom. On January 3rd a small force of Plumer's New Zealanders
had a brisk skirmish with a party of Boers, whose cattle they captured,
though at some loss to themselves. These Boers were strongly reinforced,
however, and when on the following day Major Vallentin pursued them
with fifty men he found himself at Onverwacht in the presence o