holding their own. This was very satisfactory news to
us, especially as we had not received any tidings for over a month. I
again sent in a report to our Commandant-General relating my
adventures.

We had much difficulty in getting the necessary food for the
commandos, the enemy having repeatedly crossed the country between
Roos Senekal, Middelburg, and Rhenosterkop, destroying and ravaging
everything. I therefore resolved to split up my forces, the corps
known by the name of the "Rond Commando" taking one portion through
the enemy's lines to Pilgrimsrust, North of Lydenburg, where food was
still abundant. Fighting-General Muller was left behind with the
Boksburg Police and the Middelburg Commando, the Johannesburg corps
going with me to Pilgrim's Rest, where I had my temporary
headquarters. We had plenty of mealies in this district and also
enough cattle to kill, so that we could manage to subsist on these
provisions. We had long since dispensed with tents, but the rains in
the mountain regions of Pilgrim's Rest and the Sabi had compelled us
to find the burghers shelter. At the alluvial diggings at Pilgrim's
Rest we found a great quantity of galvanized iron plates and deals,
which, when cut into smaller pieces, could be used for building. We
found a convenient spot in the mountains between Pilgrim's Rest and
Kruger's Post, where some hundreds of iron or zinc huts were soon
erected, affording excellent cover for the burghers.

Patrols were continually sent out round Lydenburg, and whenever
possible we attacked the enemy, keeping him well occupied. We
succeeded in getting near his outposts from time to time and
occasionally capturing some cattle. This seemed to be very galling to
the English, and towards the end of September we found they were
receiving reinforcements at Lydenburg. This had soon become a
considerable force, in fact in November they crossed the Spekboom
River in great numbers, and at Kruger's Post came upon our outposts,
when there was some fighting. The enemy did not go any further that
night. The following day we had to leave these positions and the other
side took them and camped there. Next day they moved along Ohrigstad
River with a strong mounted force and a good many empty waggons,
evidently to collect the women-folk in that place. I had to proceed by
a circuitous route in order to get ahead of the enemy. The road led
across a steep mountain and through thickly grown kloofs, which
prevented us f