ighteen and sixty. The mounted
police force in both Republics is comparatively small, and the
permanent corps of artillery in each case is also small. The Boers do
not, as a matter of fact, repose much confidence in artillery at any
time, and they regard the mounted police force as valuable only in
time of peace. The burghers themselves comprise the entire force. In
the Free State alone there are 17,000 burghers liable to be called up
on commando at a moment's notice.

The country is divided into districts, and each district is under the
charge of a Commandant and a Field-cornet. The duty of the latter is
to warn the burghers on receipt of instructions from his Chief, and he
may also call a meeting of burghers in his district should any crisis
of a serious nature be imminent. On the whole, the Field-cornet's life
is not a happy one; and although he has numerous opportunities of
making himself objectionable and disagreeable, he usually prefers to
perform his onerous duties in a humble and unassuming spirit. In times
of peace those duties are few. In the first place, he must satisfy
himself that all the burghers in his district are in possession of
rifles and ammunition; and in the second place, he must call the
burghers together once a year for inspection. The good old times are
now over when a score of burghers could with impunity produce one and
the same rifle. In those days it was customary for burghers to appear
for inspection when convenient to themselves, and in these
circumstances it was not a difficult matter to borrow your neighbour's
rifle and present it as your own. But this little game was found out,
and an order was at once issued to the effect that all burghers must
assemble at one particular hour. The weapons used are of different
kinds, but they must all be breech-loaders. Every burgher must
likewise be in possession of thirty rounds of ammunition, and in time
of war the Government supply unlimited ammunition. Should the burghers
be called out to action, they must supply themselves with provisions
to last fourteen days. This might be difficult to carry out, but the
explanation is simple. The provisions consist solely of biltong--that
is, dried meat, generally venison. The sustenance contained in even an
inch of this is such that the fourteen days' provision amounts to but
little in bulk. It is said that if a Boer has a rifle, ammunition, and
a piece of biltong in his pocket, he will fight till further ord