dy of men who had seen much less service
and were in every way less reliable. It included a curious mixture of
units, the most solid of which were four guns (two of the 4th, and two
of the 38th R.F.A.), 200 Northumberland Fusiliers, and 100 Loyal North
Lancashires. The mounted men included 5th Imperial Yeomanry (184),
Cape Police (233), Cullinan's Horse (64), 86th Imperial Yeomanry (110),
Diamond Fields Horse (92), Dennison' s Scouts (58), Ashburner's Horse
(126), and British South African Police (24). Such a collection
of samples would be more in place, one would imagine, in a London
procession than in an operation which called for discipline and
cohesion. In warfare the half is often greater than the whole, and the
presence of a proportion of halfhearted and inexperienced men may be a
positive danger to their more capable companions.

Upon March 6th Methuen, marching east towards Lichtenburg, came in
touch near Leeuwspruit with Van Zyl's commando, and learned in the small
skirmish which ensued that some of his Yeomanry were unreliable and
ill-instructed. Having driven the enemy off by his artillery fire,
Methuen moved to Tweebosch, where he laagered until next morning. At 3
A.M. of the 7th the ox-convoy was sent on, under escort of half of
his little force. The other half followed at 4. 20, so as to give the
slow-moving oxen a chance of keeping ahead. It was evident, however,
immediately after the column had got started that the enemy were all
round in great numbers, and that an attack in force was to be expected.
Lord Methuen gave orders therefore that the ox-wagons should be halted
and that the mule-transport should close upon them so as to form
one solid block, instead of a straggling line. At the same time he
reinforced his rearguard with mounted men and with two guns, for it
was in that quarter that the enemy appeared to be most numerous and
aggressive. An attack was also developing upon the right flank, which
was held off by the infantry and by the second section of the guns.

It has been said that Methuen's horsemen were for the most part
inexperienced irregulars. Such men become in time excellent soldiers, as
all this campaign bears witness, but it is too much to expose them to a
severe ordeal in the open field when they are still raw and untrained.
As it happened, this particular ordeal was exceedingly severe, but
nothing can excuse the absolute failure of the troops concerned to rise
to the occasion. Had Me