d five
hundred Boers in that Colony to oppose him.

The strength of the army in the field varied considerably, on account of
causes which are described elsewhere, and there is no doubt that it
frequently fell below twenty thousand men while the Boers were still on
their enemy's territory. The following table, prepared with great care and
with the assistance of the leading Boer commanders, gives as correct an
idea of the burghers' numerical strength actually in the field at various
stages of the campaign as will probably ever be formulated:--

-----------------+----------+------------+------------+-------
Date. | Natal. | Free State | Transvaal | Total.
| | and Border.| and Border.|
-----------------+----------+------------+------------+-------
November 1, 1899 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 5,000 | 29,000
December 1, 1899 | 13,000 | 12,000 | 5,000 | 30,000
January 1, 1900 | 13,000 | 12,000 | 3,000 | 28,000
February 1, 1900 | 12,000 | 10,000 | 3,000 | 25,000
March 1, 1900 | 8,000 | 8,000 | 7,000 | 23,000
April 1, 1900 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 25,000
May 1, 1900 | 4,500 | 9,000 | 9,000 | 22,500
June 1, 1900 | | 4,500 | 16,000 | 20,500
July 1, 1900 | | 4,000 | 15,000 | 19,000
-----------------+----------+------------+------------+-------

According to this table, the average strength of the Boer forces during
the nine months was considerably less than 25,000 men. In refutation of
these figures it may be found after the conclusion of hostilities that a
far greater number of men surrendered their guns to the British army, but
it must be remembered that not every Boer who owned a weapon was
continually in the field.

THE GRESHAM PRESS

UNWIN BROTHERS,
WOKING AND LONDON.

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