ut cheery reports from Colonel Baden-Powell
gave promise of a prolonged stand at the little northern town, while
Lord Methuen's column had on the previous day (the 21st November)
crossed the Orange river and made good the first eleven miles of its
march on Kimberley. Southward, Major-General Wauchope's brigade was
holding the section of the railway line from Orange River station, via
De Aar, to Naauwpoort, the latter station having been re-occupied, and
the formation of a column, to harass and menace the enemy in the
direction of Colesberg, had commenced under the direction of
Lieut.-General French. On the eastern side of the Colony only had the
Boers made any substantial advance; a strong Free State commando had
seized Burghersdorp and detached parties to Aliwal North and Lady
Grey. Sir W. Gatacre, on the other hand, had assumed command of
colonial corps and one and a half battalions of regular troops at
Queenstown, and was preparing to move northward, to check the
commandeering of British subjects, which Commandant Olivier had
instituted in the territory occupied by his burghers. The Basuto
chiefs remained true to their allegiance to the "Great White Queen,"
and by tacit consent their territory was treated by both sides as
neutral. In Griqualand East and the native territories east of Cape
Colony, the Pondo, Tembu and Fingo tribes continued loyal, and
arrangements for the defence of these great masses of native
population against Boer raids were being made by Major Sir H. Elliott,
who as Commandant-General, under the sanction of the Governor, was
defending the passes leading from Barkly East with the Cape Mounted
Rifles and some Volunteers.

[Sidenote: Natal. Sir G. White detains bulk of Boers. Time thus
gained.]

In Natal Sir George White was holding his own at Ladysmith, and, as he
had anticipated, detaining north of the Tugela the main strength of
the enemy's army. After some hesitation on the part of the Boer
leaders, a raid in force had been made to the south, and had for the
moment caused much alarm. But the delay in the movement had greatly
diminished its chances of reaching Maritzburg, although the local
condition was still one of some anxiety. Reinforcements as they
arrived at Durban had been pushed rapidly up by rail north of
Maritzburg, and the British troops were now echeloned along the
railway up to Estcourt. The vanguard of the enemy's raiding column had
reached Mooi River, and his scouts had even pen