cover the crossings of that river, and the
approaches to Langewacht Spruit. The Natal Field battery and Natal
Naval Volunteers' guns were again seriously outranged by the Boer
artillery, and Colonel Cooper decided that, having regard to his
instructions, he must fall back on Estcourt. The withdrawal to that
town was effected on the night of November 2nd-3rd without molestation
from the enemy, the infantry being conveyed in special trains, the
mounted troops and field artillery moving by road. The 1st battalion
Border regiment was simultaneously pushed forward by rail from
Maritzburg to Estcourt, and Brigadier-General Murray proceeded, on 3rd
November, to the latter station to take personal command of the force
there concentrated, which now amounted in all to about 2,300 men. With
this force, weak though it was in guns and mounted troops, he intended
to dispute the Boer advance from the north, falling back, if
necessary, on the prepared position at Maritzburg. A telegram, dated
4th November, conveyed General Buller's approval of these
dispositions, but added: "Do not risk losing Durban by over-prolonged
defence of Maritzburg, but hold the latter so long as you safely can.
I fear it will be at least ten days before I can send you substantial
assistance."

[Sidenote: After much delay, on Nov. 13th/99, 4,200 Boers under
Joubert and Botha reach Colenso.]

Fortunately, until the last but one of these ten days, the enemy held
back on the north bank of the Tugela. A Krijgsraad, at which all the
Boer generals and commandants attended, had assembled in front of
Ladysmith on 1st November to decide whether the main effort of the
Boer army should be concentrated on the attack of that town, or
whether, leaving a detachment to hold Sir G. White's troops, they
should at once advance on Maritzburg and Durban. Some of the younger
leaders, including Louis Botha, as yet only plain commandant, were in
favour of the latter course. The majority of the council decided that,
so long as 12,000 effective British troops remained at Ladysmith, the
commandos were not numerous enough to allow them to win the
much-coveted prizes of the capital and seaport of Natal. It was
believed that General White's troops would be unable to withstand an
assault. On the 9th November, therefore, an abortive and ill-arranged
attack was made. It sufficed to show that the Ladysmith garrison was
by no means disposed to yield, and that a formal and perhaps prolonged
in