BD036741
LANTERN LECTURE. 
]3OER W7bR o IOO 
CHAPTER V. 
Mafeking and Pretoria. 
(33) Colonel Baden-Powell. After the occupation of Bloemfontein there was a long pause ere Lord Roberts resumed his advance, and we may now turn our attention to Mafeking, the gallant little town on the western border, which held out against the Boers from the early days of October, 1899, until relieved by Colonel Mahon on May 17th, 1900. Colonel, now Major-General, Baden-Powell, whose portrait we give, is the hero of the siege of Mafeking, and it was mainly due to his pluck and never-failing 
resourcefulness and courage that the town was enabled to hold out so long and make for itself a name that will for ever endure in the annals of England’s 
history. He has seen active service in India and Afghanistan, in Ashantee, and Matabeleland, and is a man of versatile gifts, keenly devoted to sport. He is a yachtsman, a mighty hunter, and a polo player, and is moreover a brilliant writer and clever artist. He is ambidextrous, and he has two favourite mottoes: “Don’t flurry, patience gains the day,” and “A smile and a stick will carry you through any difficulty in the world.” 
(34) A Sortie from Mafeking. Mafeking is merely a small town on an open plain, with nothing but trenches for defence, but it is the headquarters of the Bechuanaland Borderland Police, and these men, enlisted in Cape Colony itself, and eminently fitted for the task before them, formed the main body of the defenders. They made many sorties, and had some severe fighting with their enemy, especially on December z6th, when they attempted to surprise Game Tree Fort to the north of the town, but found it impregnable, the Boers no doubt having been apprised of their intention. The little force suffered heavy loss—2 i killed, including officers, and 33 wounded—it was 
indeed a “Black Boxing Day” for the besieged town. But there was no despondency, no thoughts of yielding, or any relaxation of the efforts to keep 
the enemy at arms length. There were heavy bombardments, short rations— “four weevily biscuits and a piece of horse flesh”—and much sickness, 
especially amongst the women and children, and as month after month went by the brave defenders looked eagerly for the relief which they knew their comrades and their countrymen were just as eager to send to them. 
(35) The Relief of Mafeking. Relief came at last, but not as expected from the north, for Colonel Plumer, who had long been trying to advance by the railway from Fort Tuli, was compelled to fall back. A flying column, every man of which was carefully selected and most carefully equipped, was sent north from Kimberley, and by a series of brilliant forced 
marches was enabled to relieve the town, as we have already said, on May r7th. ‘I’he news was received at home with unbounded enthusiasm, and the rejoicings of “Mafeking Day” will be long remembered by all patriotic Britons. As for “B.P.” himself, he at once made a dash for the enemy—as you see him in our picture—and captured one of their guns and almost 
captured Commandant Snyman himself. 
(36) Boers Firing the Veldt. The tactics of the Boers since the occupation of Bloemfontein have partaJcen largely of the nature of Guerilla 
warfare, and several times they have. been able to score successes, unimportant in themselves, but galling to e British commanders. A favourite plan with them has been to set fire t the dry grass of the veldt as they 
retreated, thus subjecting the British troops to terrible discomfort, and, in the case of the wounded, to a lingering and shocking death.
(37) The Dorsets at Almond’s Nek. After the relief of Ladysmith, plenty 1 work remained for General Buller in North Natal. The /Boers occupied the a3iountain range of the Biggarsberg in strong force, as well
J as the passes leading into the Free State. By an outfianking movement, extending over several days, he was able to take these positions on May i4th, and on the i5th occupied Dundee and Glencoe. On the r9th Dundonald moved to Laing’s Nek. Of course all this was not accomplished without fighting, and in our picture we show the brilliant charge of the Dorset Regiment which resulted in the deleat of the Boers at Almond’s Nek, in the immediate neighbourhood of Majuba Hill. General Buller has since been enabled to communicate with and visit Lord Roberts at Pretoria via Standerton.
(38) Q Battery at Koorn Spruit. Whilst Lord Roberts was still at Bloemfontein resting his men, organizing his communications southwards, and receiving surrenders from the Free Staters, a somewhat serious disaster befel the British at Koorn Spruit, near the Bloemfontein Waterworks, where a convoy and five guns under Colonel Broadwood fell into a Boer ambush and were captured. Q Battery, however, managed to withdraw from the confused mêlée, and, wheeling into action, under a tremendous fire, gallantly covered the retreat of the British force. For their heroic conduct on this occasion some of the gunners have been awarded the Victoria Cross.
(39) The Guards Marching through Kroonstad. W7e do not attempt to describe the rather confusing operations conducted to the east of Bloernfontein, which had for their object the relief of Wepener and the capture of Ollivier’s force, retreating northwards froni Cape Colony, but pass on to point out briefly the steps of the main advance on Pretoria. Brandfort, 35 miles north, was occupied on Mty 2nd. On the ioth Lord Roberts forcedthe passage on the Zand River, and on the 12th he entered Kroonstad without opposition, Steyn proclaiming Heilbron the new capital before flying. Our picture shows the Brigade of Guards marching through Kroonstad before Lord Roberts and his staff, en route for Pretoria.
(40) Lord Roberts enters Pretoria. There was no long stay at Kroonstad; the advance was resumed on the 22nd, and on the 27th Lord Roberts crossed the Vaal, and encamped at Vereeninging. On the 28th, after issuing a proclamation, by which the Free State was annexed under the title of the Orange River Colony, he reached the Klip River, eighteen miles from Johannesburg. On the 3oth President Kruger fled northwards, and Pretoria was reported as prepared to surrender. Johannesburg, the city of the gold mines, the commercial capital of the Transvaal,- was occupied on the 3ist, and on June th Lord Roberts made his state entry into Pretoria, accompanied by Lord Kitchener and the members of his staff. And here we conclude these brief notes. Much has of necessity been left unsaid, many important matters passed over. But with the raising of the British Flag at Pretoria the war is virtually over, its ends accomplished, British prestige restored, and British supremacy in South Africa firmly established. May the blessings of peace he soon restored to the sadly-tried Colonists, and may brighter and more prosperous days once more dawn upon the land.
Go %lwe tbe3 Queen.
THE END.
-7---
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CHAPTER IV.
Cronje and Bloemfontein.
(25) Portrait of Lord Roberts. Lord Roberts of Canciahar and Waterford, to give him his full title—though he is fully as well known by the affectionate diminutive “Bobs,” conferred upon him by the army of which he is the idol—was appointed to the supreme command in South Africa immediately after the battle of Colenso, “the campaign in Natal being, in the opinion of Her Majesty’s Government, likely to require the presence and undivided attention of Sir Redvers Buller.” Lord Kitchener was appointed Chief of the Staff. The appointment was received with general
enthusiasm. The nation trusts “Bobs,” the army loves him. He was once asked why he travelled third class: “What’s good enough for my men is good enough for me” was the reply; whilst Tommy Atkins’ opinion of him was tersely expressed by one of his men thus: “Bobs looks after your grub and treats yer like a Christian.” Moreover, Lord Roberts had been recalled from the Cape in i88i when on his way to put down the Boer rising, and it was regarded as peculiarly fitting that he should be now chosen to redeem the prestige of the Empire in the eyes of a hostile world.
(26) “Bobs’ Eyes “— British Scouts. No doubt many of the British reverses in the early stages of the war wese to be directly attributed to lack of knowledge of the enemy’s movements—bad scouting, in short. But with a large increase in the number of mounted men, especially of men used to the rough outdoor life of the colonial settler, this defect has been very largely remedied, and “Bobs’ Eyes,” the British scouts, have served the army well, whilst the improved system has no doubt immensely helped our successful advance into the hostile states. Our picture shows a party of scouts at work.
(27) Boers retreating from a Farmhouse. This picture of Boers retreating from a farmhouse as the mounted infantry appear in view may be taken as typical to a great extent of the progress of the campaign since Lord Roberts assumed the command. Their policy has been largely one of “scuttle,” and the sanguinary fighting of the first months of the war has been succeeded by a series of brilliant outfianking marches on the part of the British, and of hurried retreats on the part of the enemy.
(28) The Fight at Paardeberg. But there was some terrible fighting at Paardeberg, the scene of the surrender of Cronje, one of the most dramatic incidents of the war. Cronje at first refused to believe the news of the British advance, but when at last General French’s presence to the north could no longer be doubted, it was hurriedly decided to abandon the positions so long held and to retreat to the east in the hope of gaining the Bloemfontein road and putting a barrier between the British army and the Free State capital. But the Boers were overtaken and surrounded after some desperate fighting, in which Generals Hector Macdonald and Knox were wounded, near Koodoosrand Drift, on the Modder River. The general scene of operations is well shown in sour picture as seen from the British

position. Lord Roberts decided that it would be impossible to take the enemy’s position by assault except with heavy loss, and dispositions were made to shell him into surrender. A terrific fire was opened upon the Boer laager and entrenchmerits from six field batteries, a howitzer battery, and five heavy naval guns. At night the laager was a mass of flames, the lyddite shells raised clouds of green smoke which filled the bed of the river, whilst shrapnel burst along the edge of each bank and searched every bush or other likely place of shelter. Meanwhile the enemy were burrowing under the banks, finding there shelter from the deadly rain of fire which must otherwise have annihilated them.
(29) In Cronje’s Laager after Surrender. For over a week the Boers held out, but the British crept closer and closer; there was no hope of reinforcements reaching them, and on February 27th General Cronje surrendered unconditionally. Our picture shows him leaving his Iaager for the British camp, where he was received by Lord Roberts, who shook hands with him and said, “You have made a gallant defence, sir,” and assured him that he and his family vould he kindly treated. The Boer army which surrendered with Cronje numbered 4,000 men, of whom about i,oo were Free Staters. Coming on the anniversary of Majuba I)ay, this victory created unbounded enthusiasm at home. It was felt that the tide of fortune had at last turned, and was now running full to the ultimate triumph of the British arms.
(30) Roberts at Dreifontein. From Paardeberg to Bloemfontein Lord Roberts’ progress formed an unbroken series of triumphs. Several times the Boers took up strong positions, only to find their plans outwitted by the brilliant strategy of the British commander. At Dreifontein, however, there was some heavy fighting, and here Lord Roberts himself, who is seen in our picture watching the fight, was witness to one of those flagrant abuses of the use of the white flag which have undoubtedly occurred many times during the war, however strenuously the fact may have been denied by the Boer leaders.
(31) Kruger Appealing to the Burghers. The efforts of Presidents Kruger and Steyn to rally the Boers were unavailing; they visited the camp for this purpose, and narrowly e5caped capture at the hands of the advancing British forces. At Bloemfontein Oom Paul made a final appeal to the Free Staters to defend their capital; this forms the subject of our picture, which gives a most characteristic portrait of the President addressing a circle of despondent burghers, who are evidently indisposed to make any further attempt to stay the progress of the victorious British. Kruger went back to Pretoria, there to meditate on his future plans, whilst Steyn fled to Kroonstad, whither the seat of government had been removed.
(32) Lord Roberts’ State Entry into Bloemfontein. On
‘l’uesday, March 3th, Lord Roberts was met two miles from Bloemfontein by officials of the late Executive Government and of the town, and before night the Union Jack was flying over the Free State capital. Nothing could exceed the enthusiasm of the inhabitants in their welcome of the British troops. When Lord Roberts made his formal entry into the town his arrival was hailed with wild cheering, whilst the begrimed and unshaven soldiers, sun-burnt, battle-worn and weary, were greeted with the strains of “God Save the Queen,” to be followed by “Tommy Atkins” and “Soldiers of the Queen.” And thus, with the occupation of Bloemfontein, ended the first great stage of the war.
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CHAPTER III. The Relief of Kimberley.
(17) New South Wales Lancers Under Fire. From the commencement of the war the colonies have shown the greatest eagerness to help the mother country, but it was not till after the disastrous operations of December that the value of the gallant Colonial contingents was fully understood, and then they responded loyally and liberally to the general “call to arms.” In the advance to relieve Kimberley under Lord Methuen, the New South Wales Lancers first came under fire, and proved themselves true soldiers of the Queen. Kimberley, the diamond city, was invested by the middle of October, and here Colonel Kekewich with a force of some 4,500 men and 45,ocO civilians, Mr. Cecil Rhodes amongst them, were besieged until finally relieved by General French on the 15th of February following.
(18) Belmont—Charge of the Guards. Lord Methuen’s tactics in advancing to the relief of Kimberley were the very reverse of those since adopted by Lord Roberts. He seems to have believed in delivering a direct frontal attack upon the enemy, and overcoming them by sheer fighting strength at close quarters. But this policy was radically wrong with an enemy like the Boers, armed as they were, and trained to the most skilful use of the rifle; and his first successes were only gained at a terrible loss of life. His first blow was struck at Belmont, and here the Brigade of Guards carried off the honours of the day. Three ridges were successfully cleared by them at the point of the bayonet, the Boers clinging to their positions with the most stubborn pluck, and pouring in a terrible fire upon our men as they went up. The losses were heavy upon both sides, but o prisoners were captured by the British, and a iargc quantity of stores.
(19) Graspan—The Naval Brigade. Two days later came the fight at Graspan or Enslin, five miles to the north. Here the enemy held a row
of five kopjes, and the Boers were entrenched behind ribs of rock that girdled an almost inaccessible hill. Our soldiers tried to storm the heights at the
bayonet’s point, but were shot down or driven back again and again. At last the men of the Naval Brigade advanced to the attack. Upwards, always upwards, the sailors pressed in broken and irregular line, until out of a little band scores had fallen dead or, disabled. Their attack was followed up by the Yorkshire Light Infantry, util finally the hill was won, the bloodstained rocks and splintered boulders of the summit bearing witness to the terrific nature of the British fire.
(20) Modder River—The Fight at the Farm. The battle of Modder River was fought on November 28th, and was described by Lord Methuen himself as “one of the hardest and most trying in the annals of the
British Army.” The enemy’s position extended for about five miles along the bank of the river, and was immensely strengthened by carefully constructed trenches and rifle pits. Our men got within 700 yards of the enemy’s trenches with hardly a shot, when suddenly the whole front became alive with Boers, who poured in a perfect hail of fire, lasting perhaps a quarter of an hour. Cover was extremely scarce, and our men, lying down, had to make the most of such scrub and ant-hills as were about. The artillery was handled with great skill and quickness, and the Naval Brigade rendered great assistance from the railway. A small party succeeded in crossing the river, and maintained their position on the Boer flank. Sharp fighting took place for the possession of a farm near Modder Village, which the British captured and burnt, and this incident is itrikingly shown in our picture. Next morning the Boers, whd numbered 8,ooo, with a quantity of heavy guns, were found-to have evacuted the position during the night, and during the following week the engineers, by dint of continuous exertions, 4,j
succeeded in throwing a tenorary raihay bridge as well as a pontoon bridge acrosr

(21) Magersfontein—Piper MacKay. The Boers proceeded to strongly entrench themselves at Magersfontein, and here on December i oth Lord Methuen met with the disastrous check and defeat to which we have already referred. The gallant Highland Brigade—Black Watch, Seaforths and Gordons—suffered most terrible losses, and their brave commandant, General Vauchope, was mortally wounded. Twenty-three officers and 148 men were killed, 5 officers and 647 men were wounded, whilst over a i 00 were reported missing. A notable incident occurred during the fight which reminds us of the brave Piper Findlater’s conduct at Dargai. When the noise of the battle became too great for the officers’ voices to be heard, Corporal MacKay, of the Argyle and Sutherland Highianders, stepped out amid a perfect storm of bullets, and made the kopjes ring with the stirring strains of “The Campbells are Coming,” in order to get the men together again.
• (22) Prince of Wales and Imperial Yeomanry. No worse news had reached England since the terrible days of the Indian Mutiny than came over the wires during the black week ending December 15th. But when adversity is upon him the Englishman, to quote a foieign critic, “sets his teeth and squares his shoulders.” The government awoke to the serious nature of the task before them, and the nation responded nobly to their call for help. A strong force of Imperial Yeomanry was formed, and quickly dispatched for service in South Africa, alter being inspected by the Prince of Wales. Our picture shows 6oo of thD men on parade at the Albany Barracks on January 26th, Lord Chesham calling for cheers for the Prince. Other strong mounted contingents were furnished by the Colonies, and further local corps raised in Cape Colony and Natal, for we had found out by this time that cavalry were the men needed to cope with the mobile forces of the Boers.
(23) C.I.V’s Scouting. But the Volunteers were also to the front. The government asked for about 9,000 men for active service, and they were immediately forthcoming. In London a special corps was iaised by the city, the corporation contributing £2,500 towards its equipment, and called the City Imperial Volunteers or “Lord Mayor’s Own.” The C.I.V’s, a body of 1,400 men, 6oo of whom were mounted, have since proved themselves brave and gallant soldiers in many a fight with the Boer. We show on the screen a party of them scouting for he enemy, and the picture also gives a vivid impression of the scecery amidst which the campaign has been conducted.
(24) Lancer Patrol Under Fire. Almost exactly two iionths elapsed after the battle of Magersfontein ere Lord Roberts’ arrival at Modder River Camp, and during that time but little change had taken place in the position of the opposing forces. But now there came a sudden change, and within a week from the time when the army began to move, Sunday,
February 11th, England was electrified by the news that Kimberley had been relieved. Leaving Magersfontein, which the Boers had converted into a veritable Gibraltar, severely alone, Lord Roberts sent three divisions forward into the Orange Free State, the sixth and seventh under Major- General Kelly-Kenny and Major-General Tucker, and the cavalry under General French, and the magnificent and dashing march of the latter across the Riet and Modder Rivers to Kimberley will ever rank amongst the great achievements of the British Army. We show one of French’s Lancer Patrols under a cross fire from the Boers, as well as a portrait of the gallant general. He entered Kimberley none too soon. The people were being fed on horseflesh, and during the last week ct the siege the town had suffered greatly from the heavy bombardment, over 3,000 women and children having taken refuge in the mines. Lord Roberts’ brilliant stratagem thus met with its first striking success, to be followed by a long series of victories, which changed the whole complexion of the war.
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CHAPTER II. The Siege of Ladysmith.
(9) Building the Pontoon Bridge. General Buller’s failure to force the passage of the Tugela at Colenso by a direct frontal attack had convinced him of the immense strength of the Boer defences, and he set to work to find, if possible, “a way round.” For some three weeks there was a general lull at the front, but on January toth, the second attempt to relieve Ladysmith began. Lord Dundonald with the cavalry marched out to Springfield, about 15 miles to the north west, and the ferry at Potgeiter’s Drift was seized, thanks to the bravery of a party of volunteers of the South African Light Horse, who swam across and got possession of the pont or boat, despite a heavy fire from the Boers. The main body of the army, with its miles of transport waggons, followed, and at this point, on January i6th, Gen. Lyttelton’s Brigade crossed safely to the north bank of the Tugela. Sir Charles Warren’s force moved five miles farther to the west, and effected a crossing by means of a pontoon bridge, about 85 yards long, which the Royal Engineers threw across the river in a few hours.
(10) Boer Invisibility. The Boer method of fighting is well shown in our next picture, where we have a group of Boer marksmen firing from behind the shelter of the big boulders which everywhere strew the sides of the hills or kopjes of the Transvaal. A lad is handing cartridges to the old Boer who makes so prominent a figure. Constantly do we read in accounts of the fighting of the “invisible enemy,” and soldiers tell how they have been through battle after battle without seeing a single Boer, though their bullets may have fallen thick as hail. Such was their experience at Colenso, and now again, as they attempted to reach Ladysmith from Potgeiter’s Drift. Our men adopted the same tactics, and took advantage of every stone that could afford them cover, but when opportunity offered charged the enemy with a courage which nothing could withstand. During the next three days ridge after ridge was taken, sometimes at the point of the bayonet. But it was slow work, and entailed heavy sacrifices upon the infantry.
(11) Shelling the Boers at Potgeiter’s Drift. After crossing the Tugela, General Lyttelton got his guns into position on the north bank, and shelled the Boers out of the dongas or shallow depressions in the veldt in which they lay hid, assisted by the 47 naval guns that had been got into position on Mount Alice, a commanding height south of the river. Our picture illustrates in a striking manner the effect of a well-placed shell upon one of these groups of Boers. But as the troops advanced it was found
impossible to get guns up into positions to command the enemy’s entrench
ments, and it was determined to attempt the capture of Spion Kop, which
was believed to be the key of the position. At two o’clock on the morning
of January 24th, when heavy clouds rested on the kopjes, the hill was
stormed and, captured by the infantry under General Woodgate. But the
place upon which so many hopes had been fixed proved to be a mere death-
trap. As morning broke, the Boers opened a withering fire upon our men
from surrounding and higher elevations, and terrible slaughter ensued.
Reinforcements were sent up, but this did not improve matters, for the men
had no shelter from the pitiless hail of lead coming from all directions.
(12) Thorneycroft at Spion Kop. General Woodgate was down,
mortally wounded, and the command devolved upon Colonel Thorneycroft.
The Boers sent an emissary with a white flag to demand surrender, but1
Thorneycroft said, “I am commander here, there’s no surrender !‘ th9’
incident illustrated in our picture. It was half-past eight in the evenii.
Preparations were going on blyto seqid UI) guns and engineers to constrct
trenches, but Thorneycroft was ube of this, and surrounded -by dead
and dying men, his force fast being ecimated, he recognised that it was
impossiblc{’o hold the bill, and .order) the retirement which was conducted :

in perfect order. General Buller entirely exonerated the gallant offic’er of all blame, stating in his despatch that “under the loss of at least 40 per cent., he conducted the defence with conspicuous courage and ability throughout the day.” But the second attempt at relief had failed, and after this disastrous week’s fighting, ending in the abandonment of Spion Kop and the loss of nearly 300 killed and iioo wounded, General Buller recrossed with his army to the south of the Tugela. A third time, on February 5th, the river was crossed at two points, and Vaal Krans seized. But the position was no more tenable than Spion Kop; not Iflal way lay the road to the besieged city, and once more the army was withdrawn. The dogged determination of Gen. Buller was, however, to succeed at last, and his fourth attempt brought the long-looked-for relief to the beleaguered garrison.
(13) Inniskillings at Piecer’s HiLl. This time the attack was directed at the enemy’s left, Hlangwane Hill being taken and Colenso re-occupied on February i9th, the Tugela once more crossed on the 21st, and Pieter’s Hill stormed on the 27th. Here the Inniskillings distinguished themselves by their gallant and steady charge up the hill under a terrific fire. It was in special allusion to this incident that the Queen sent the message in which she thanked “Her brave Irish soldiers,” and expressed her sympathy for their heavy losses and her admiration for their splendid fighting qualities. She further showed her appreciation by her timely visit to Ireland, and her command that the Irish regiments should wear the shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day, probably one of the wisest and kindliest acts of her long and beneficent reign.
(14) Sailors at the Front with 47 Gun. We have here sonie r-’of the gallant defenders of Ladysmith, sailors from the “Powerful” with their
guns mounted on the special carriagedesigned by Captain Percy Scott. They• were hurried up to the front at the commencement of the war, and badly
might it have gone with the town but for the help of these gallant Jack Tars.
(15) The Fight for the Trenches. And what had been happening in Ladysmith itself during these weary months of waiting? There
had been some very heavy fighting on several occasions, notably on January
6th, when the Boers made a most determined attempt to bring the siege
to an end by storming the British defences. For sixteen hours they maintamed the assault, often at such close quarters that the defenders relied entirely on the bayonet, but finally they were repulsed with heavy loss. “Some of the entrenchments were three times taken by the enemy and retaken by us,” to quote Sir G. White’s clespatch, “and one point in our position was occupied by the eneLny the whole of the day, but at dusk, in a very heavy rain storm, they were turned out of this position at the point of the bayonet in the most gallant manner by the Devon regiment, led by Colonel Park.” After this failure the Boers confined themselves to bombarding the town, whilst the besieged, beginning to feel the pinch of reduced rations and attacked by enteric fever and dysentery, watched eagerly for the long-delayed relief.
(16) The Relief of Ladysmith. Lord Dundonald with a small
column of mounted infantry entered Ladysmith on the night of the 28th,
and it is needless to describe the joy with which they were received. The
garrison had long been fed on horseflesh, and there were 8oo sick and
wounded in hospital. Famine prices ruled, and at an auction, held a week
before relief arrived, the following were the sums realized for articles of
food:—a tin of condensed milk ios., a pçund of fat beef us., a pound
of coffee i 7s., eggs L2 8s per dozen, a fowl i8s., a plate of potatoes 195.,
a marrow LL 8s., a pound of marmalade L’ is., a dozen matches 13s. 6d.,
a packet of cigarettes Li 5S., and so on. With the entry of General Buller
and his army on the following day the memorable siege of Ladysmith came
to an end From first to last it l’ad cost ‘wards of’ 5,ooo casualties in
a force of only 25,000 men, but the vord of the gallant General Sir George
White, “Thank God we have kept tl flag flying,” fobd a heartfelt response
throughout the length and breadth o the Empire.

in perfect order. General Buller entirely exonerated the gallant offic’er of all blame, stating in his despatch that “under the loss of at least 40 per cent., he conducted the defence with conspicuous courage and ability throughout the day.” But the second attempt at relief had failed, and after this disastrous week’s fighting, ending in the abandonment of Spion Kop and the loss of nearly 300 killed and iioo wounded, General Buller recrossed with his army to the south of the Tugela. A third time, on February 5th, the river was crossed at two points, and Vaal Krans seized. But the position was no more tenable than Spion Kop; not Iflal way lay the road to the besieged city, and once more the army was withdrawn. The dogged determination of Gen. Buller was, however, to succeed at last, and his fourth attempt brought the long-looked-for relief to the beleaguered garrison.
(13) Inniskillings at Piecer’s HiLl. This time the attack was directed at the enemy’s left, Hlangwane Hill being taken and Colenso re-occupied on February i9th, the Tugela once more crossed on the 21st, and Pieter’s Hill stormed on the 27th. Here the Inniskillings distinguished themselves by their gallant and steady charge up the hill under a terrific fire. It was in special allusion to this incident that the Queen sent the message in which she thanked “Her brave Irish soldiers,” and expressed her sympathy for their heavy losses and her admiration for their splendid fighting qualities. She further showed her appreciation by her timely visit to Ireland, and her command that the Irish regiments should wear the shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day, probably one of the wisest and kindliest acts of her long and beneficent reign.
(14) Sailors at the Front with 47 Gun. We have here sonie r-’of the gallant defenders of Ladysmith, sailors from the “Powerful” with their
guns mounted on the special carriagedesigned by Captain Percy Scott. They• were hurried up to the front at the commencement of the war, and badly
might it have gone with the town but for the help of these gallant Jack Tars.
(15) The Fight for the Trenches. And what had been happening in Ladysmith itself during these weary months of waiting? There
had been some very heavy fighting on several occasions, notably on January
6th, when the Boers made a most determined attempt to bring the siege
to an end by storming the British defences. For sixteen hours they maintamed the assault, often at such close quarters that the defenders relied entirely on the bayonet, but finally they were repulsed with heavy loss. “Some of the entrenchments were three times taken by the enemy and retaken by us,” to quote Sir G. White’s clespatch, “and one point in our position was occupied by the eneLny the whole of the day, but at dusk, in a very heavy rain storm, they were turned out of this position at the point of the bayonet in the most gallant manner by the Devon regiment, led by Colonel Park.” After this failure the Boers confined themselves to bombarding the town, whilst the besieged, beginning to feel the pinch of reduced rations and attacked by enteric fever and dysentery, watched eagerly for the long-delayed relief.
(16) The Relief of Ladysmith. Lord Dundonald with a small
column of mounted infantry entered Ladysmith on the night of the 28th,
and it is needless to describe the joy with which they were received. The
garrison had long been fed on horseflesh, and there were 8oo sick and
wounded in hospital. Famine prices ruled, and at an auction, held a week
before relief arrived, the following were the sums realized for articles of
food:—a tin of condensed milk ios., a pçund of fat beef us., a pound
of coffee i 7s., eggs L2 8s per dozen, a fowl i8s., a plate of potatoes 195.,
a marrow LL 8s., a pound of marmalade L’ is., a dozen matches 13s. 6d.,
a packet of cigarettes Li 5S., and so on. With the entry of General Buller
and his army on the following day the memorable siege of Ladysmith came
to an end From first to last it l’ad cost ‘wards of’ 5,ooo casualties in
a force of only 25,000 men, but the vord of the gallant General Sir George
White, “Thank God we have kept tl flag flying,” fobd a heartfelt response
throughout the length and breadth o the Empire. The Boer Invasion.
(1) President Kruger and his Lions. Once more the British
flag floats at Pretoria, and the Boer Republics belong to the history of the past. Such is the result of the great war of i 900, and President Kruger has gone along with them. We see him here sitting between the pair of marble lions presented to him by the African millionaire, Mr. Barney Barnato. He has been a bitter opponent of the British ever since he left Cape Colony with his father in the great trek of 1839. Like all the Boers he knows how to use a rifle. On one occasion his rifle burst and shattered his thumb, mortification set in and the doctor said his arm must be amputated. But Oom Paul said “no,” and cut off his own thumb with his jack-knife. He is six feet high, very fat, wears ill-fitting clothes and a shocking bad hat, and is an inveterate smoker.
(2) General Buller leaving Southampton. The war broke out on October i ith, 1899, and General Sir Redvers Buller, v.C., was appointed to command the British forces in South Africa. He left Southampton on October i4th by the “Dunottar Castle,” and arrived at the front on November 25th. He was born in 1839, and has fought in China, Ashantee, Zululand —.where he won his Victoria Cross—and Egypt. He is a born leader of men, and possesses great determination of character. An amusing story is told of him and Lord Charles Beresford. When they were serving together in Egypt they differed as to which was the proper channel of the Nile to advance by, and Buller’s opinion carried the day. Afterwards he said to Beresford, “You see I was right, mine was the proper channel.” To which Beresford replied, “It was mine, too, I only recommended the other because I knew you would go against anything I said.”
(3) Yule’s Retreat. The first fighting took place at Kraaipan,
40 miles south of Mafeking, where an armoured train was shelled and derailed by the Boers. Then the Boer invasion began. Through Laing’s Nek by Majuba Hill and through the passes of the Drakensburg, the Boer commandos came pouring into Natal under the leadership of General
Joubert. The British gained a dearly-bought victory at V Glencoe on
October 20th, in which General Symons was killed, hut his successor, General Yule, was compelled to fall back from Dundee and join General White at Ladysmith. The retreat was successfully accomplished under most depressing conditions, in torrents of rain and through a very difficult country, and on the 25th the two generals joined hands.
(4) Gordons and Boers at Elandslaagte. On October 21st, at Elandslaagte, a village an hour’s rid from historic Ladysmith, a brilliant ‘ictory was gained by General French,. the dashing cavalry leader who has so greatly. distinguished himself during the war. The Boers were driven from a very strong position on a chain of hills by the gallant Gordons

and the Devonshire Regiment, and after a desperate struggle at close quarters, as shown in our picture, they broke and fled, hotly pursbd by the
British cavalry. Two guns and a number of prisoners were taken.
(5) Bugler Sherlock. During the pursuit of the retreating Boei after the battle of Elandslaagte, the young bugler of the 5th Lancers, Sherlock, distinguished himself by shooting three of them with his revolver. The names of Bugler Sherlock and of another brave lad, Bugler Dunne, who was wounded at the battle o Colenso, invalided home and presented to the Queen at Windsor, have become two of the best known names in connection with the war. But the Boers were not to be defeated in one or two sharp fights. For a time the tide of successes set strongly in their favour, and disaster after disaster taught the British the folly of entering upon the war unprepared. Several severe fights took place around Ladysmith, the Aldershot of Natal, in which General White and his forces attempted to beat off the encircling enemy. In one of these, the affair at Nicholson’s Nek, about i,ooo men of the Irish Fusiliers and the Gloucester regiment were taken prisoners, whilst on November 2nd the telegraph wires were cut and the town completely isolated. General French escaped by the last train, and the famous siege of Ladysmith began.
(6) Attack on Armoured Train. Whilst British troops were being dispatched in all haste to cope with this serious state of affairs, and on the very day when General Buller arrived at the front, Novmeher 25th, the incident shown in this picture took place. At Chieveley, near Estcourt, where the relieving army was assembling, an armoured train was attacked by the Boers, the trucks and engine derailed, and the British force captured. In this affair Mr. Winston Churchill, who was acting as correspondent to the “Morning Post,” was also taken prisoner, and sent to Pretoria, from which place he escaped after some exciting adventures.
(7) Advance of the Surreys at Colenso. Lord Methuen was meanwhile advancing in the west to the relief of Kimberley, also besieged by the enemy, but here again a series of dearly bought victories only led up to the disastrous affair of Magersfontein on December iith. On the day before this, December ioth, General Gatacre had met with a serious reverse at Stormberg, and on December i5th came the crowning misfortune, General Buller was defeated at Colenso and lost ii guns. The Boers had lined the river banks with their trenches, and our brave fellows were powerless to advance against the pitiless storm of bullets that fell around them. In our picture the Royal Vest Surrey Regiment (the Queen’s) are seen advancing to the attack.
(8) Lieutenant Roberts trying to save the Guns. Several gallant attempts were made to save the guns, and in one of these Lieutenant Roberts, Lord Roberts’ only son, was mortally wounded. The Victoria Cross was awarded to him, as well as to several other officers for the bravery and heroism displayed in these plucky hut futile attempts. These accumulated disasters, following so closely one on another, caused a profound sensation at home. The fighting instincts of the Briton were aroused, and a wave of patriotic enthusiasm swept over the length and breadth of the Empire. From ,every colony came offers of help, and an army of some 25o,coo men under the able leadership of Lord Roberts, with Lord Kitchener as his Chief of Stft was sent over sea to uphold Bridsh supremacy in South Africa.