n, looking towards the permanent isolation of the place;
nor was there any attempt to capture it. The whole movement, as it
resulted, was simply a raid, and nothing more, with no apparent
objects except to secure supplies, and, while so engaged, to insure
their own safety from molestation by occupying positions of command,
which facilitated their defence and--by menace or otherwise--imposed
obstacles upon the movements of the British. A certain amount of
outpost skirmishing of course occurred, and on the night of the 22nd
some 4,000 British, under General Hildyard, moved, by way of Willow
Grange, to attack Beacon Hill, which overlooks {p.209} Estcourt from
the west. The Boers were in force there, and upon still higher ridges
farther to the westward. A sharp engagement took place that night, in
which the British first carried the position, but afterwards retired,
leaving it to be reoccupied by the enemy. The movement on their part
seems to have been simply precautionary, a sharp rap to check the
over-confidence of the opponent, and to deter him from pushing attacks
upon the railroad, which for the time being might be inconveniently
successful; the reinforcements from Durban having as yet only
partially come up, and the organisation for advance being still
incomplete. The British loss was 11 killed, 67 wounded.[20]

[Footnote 20: The latest revised official returns
of casualties now (July 18) accessible to the
author are to be found in the London _Times_ of
July 4, and are complete to June 30.]

No attempt on a large scale was made to arrest the Boer raiding
operations. From this, and from their mutually independent character,
it has resulted that the numbers engaged in them have remained very
uncertain, not having been observed or tested by the usual military
methods. By one correspondent on {p.210} the spot they were estimated
at not over 5,000;[21] by another, equally present, at from 7,000 to
12,000.[22]

[Footnote 21: Atkins, "Relief of Ladysmith," p.
117.]

[Footnote 22: Burleigh, "Natal Campaign," p. 127.]

Sir Francis Clery had apparently determined to concentrate his entire
effort upon organising the relief of Ladysmith, and was not to be
drawn off by side events, however disastrous to local interests. The
British force at Estcourt and at Mooi River were considered safe, and
t