after this to eat a Christmas dinner, and to try to think we were very jolly. Turkey, plum-pudding, champagne, impending revolutions, and separation don't mix on a hot summer's evening, so I don't recommend them. There was racing again next day and more rumors.. The Reform Committee, under the title of the National Union, a body which has been in existence for some years, issued a Manifesto, which set forth all the causes for dissatisfaction with the Government, and practically amounted to an ultimatum, while a meeting was called for January 6th, at which the people would be called upon to endorse the manifesto, and show the Pretoria officials that we intended to get our rights. The delay I have referred to was at least in part caused by the frightful block in goods traffic on the line. In October the Government had closed the drifts through the Vaal River in order to try and force all goods and produce to come in by the Netherlands Railway. Though they yielded to strong representations from the Colony and England, and threw the drifts open again in a few days, the mischief was done, and the block on the already overloaded railway became almost hopeless in the hands of an incompetent Boer staff. Unfortunately, too, a railway accident. occurred in the Colony; for days packing-cases containing rifles were scattered on the Veldt, though, fortunately, none were broken, so that discovery was avoided. In all, about 3,000 rifles, a moderate quantity of ammunition, and three Maxim guns had been safely got through, but these were not nearly sufficient, and many more were to arrive before January 6th. The way the customs officials were got at" would probably be instructive reading. Some cases were marked "machinery," some "explosives," some cartridge cases came through as plum pudding,' and were accordingly lined with that commodity. The Maxims, I believe, emerged from a huge cylinder labelled "oil. A quantity of rifles were carefully hidden under bags of coke, and were duly forwarded and off-loaded at the siding of one of our leading mines under the plea of "Urgency.

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On Friday, the 27th, my wife went

to Natal, as her friends at the Cape were not able to have her. It was none too soon to go, as after Friday the already full trains became absolutely crammed with fugitives. I am glad to say very few men except Cornish miners left the country. These ran by the hundred, crowding into cattle vans or anywhere else where they could find standing room. Women and children had to take their seats in the morning in trains that did not leave till nearly midnight. All sorts of old and dirty carriages were pressed into the service. One train I saw off on Saturday, the 28th, consisted of thirty-seven wagons, and must have had 1,000 people in it, many of them standing on the footboards. No joke to undertake a sixty hours' journey to the Cape without a seat, or rammed into a carriage with about ten babies and children. The frightful accident on the Natal line, by which I think nearly forty people were killed and others injured, was one of the results of the panic. I myself saw the ill-fated train start and sent some letters to Durban by one of the passengers who was hurt. Several Netherlands carriages were put on the train; they are not fitted for the curves of the Natal line and must have caused the smash.

I was told I should receive my rifle and some ammunition on Sunday. They were brought round in a fourwheeled dog-cart with a good well, and as few people were about, it was very easy to take them into our houses. They were done up in straw and canvas. On Monday morning I went out to the mine to see how things were going on there. The men had realized by this time that a row was imminent, and were anxious to devise means for protecting the property and for obtaining rifles. A trolley was to go into town that evening to bring out any that could be got. I returned in the evening and did what I could to get them arms, but the authorities were not in a position to give out guns except to men who could come into town. That evening news came in that Jameson had crossed the border and was marching on Johannesburg. All was excitement and bustle. The Committee were taken by surprise. They did

not intend that any outside help should come in until a revolt in Johannesburg had actually occurred, and I know that every endeavor was made between Christmas Day and the 29th to communicate with Dr. Jameson and inform him of the postponement of events, but no replies were received. As it was, the Committee had to act on the spur of the moment. Guns and ammunition were hastily run into the town from the Irene estate and other places during the night. Packing cases had to be forced and arms distributed all in a hurry. Horses had to be brought in from different localities, saddles and bridles unpacked. In fact the night was one rush of preparations. Tuesday morning early (December 29th) I cleaned my rifle and made my preparations. Bought a belt, canvas bag, huge flask, etc. Then I went to the club to receive instructions. These were to be in Von Brandis Square at 4.30 in the afternoon, equipped and ready to march. By this time all the regular police had been withdrawn, and men were going about rifle in hand to the different rendezvous. A word of praise is due to the officials for so promptly withdrawing the police. They undoubtedly saved useless bloodshed, as their numbers were too small to be effective. Shops began to close and many put up barricades. At 4.30 my company, about 50 strong, paraded, and with about 120 others were addressed by the commander of our division. 'The windows of the houses and balconies were filled with spectators who cheered and waved handkerchiefs. Of course, we all felt very brave and warlike, as there was an encouraging absence of any enemy. One amusing incident was the arrival of Captain Von Brandis, an old man and chief magistrate of the town. He insisted on talking to us, expressing a wish that he was a younger man that he might come out with us. and ended up by saying he hoped we should not make fools of ourselves. I rather think he has the laugh on us just now. Most of us filled our pockets with biltongdried buck or beef-a most sustaining food, and our flasks with whiskey. Whiskey, oddly enough, is considered indispensable by most South Africans.

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After about an hour we were dismissed till 7.30, so that we might have a chance of getting food, and I with several others adjourned to the club, where we had dinner as soon as possible, and ate all we could as we did not quite know when the next chance of feeding would be. At a quarter past seven we took up our accoutrements" and marched off to Von Brandis Square as if the world belonged to us. Arrived there we fell in and numbered. After a short pause, while other companies were falling in, we united, formed fours and set off for Doornfontein hill. The crowd cheered us and we beguiled the two hours' march by singing songs. Nearing the top of the hill which commands the town we passed the contingents from the mines east of Johannesburg. At the Nazareth Home, a large and not quite finished building, we halted, were dismissed, and told we might sleep inside. A few minutes found some of us in a large lofty room capable of holding 100 or more. It was evidently the temporary carpenter's shop, as there were lots of timber and shavings about. We hoped for a few minutes that we should have the place to ourselves, but, in a short time, in tramped the mine contingent, quickly filling up our room, the passages and all the other rooms on the ground floor.

The noise was awful and the language worse. Many of these men had marched over twenty miles that day and were loud in their complaints, though the commissariat wagons were being rapidly off-loaded outside. After a time they were served with food, but the noise was kept up till past one o'clock and was then succeeded by the best collection of snores and grunts it has ever been my fate to listen to. About twelve o'clock a few of us went outside as we could not sleep, and drank the new year in under the brilliant light of the South African moon. By-and-by we returned to our floor, but the snoring and grunting of scores of not very sweet-smelling men, the trampling of others in the passage, and the yelling of Kaffir mule-drivers outside, did not allow of much sleep. Besides, the first night on the hard boards with only a mackintosh for a pillow, is not exactly comfortable. At

four o'clock a bugle sounded what was intended for reveillé, and we turned out. Why so early I do not know, as there was nothing to do. One or two water taps served for washing purposes, and were much patronized. Between six and seven a good Samaritau turned up from a neighboring house with "boys" carrying huge jugs of coffee which they dispensed to all around. Very refreshing it was, though as a rule I bate early coffee. We then paraded, and pickets were told off. By eight o'clock rations of coffee, tea, bully beef, and bread were served out, and we soon formed messes and had breakfast. After the first day the commissariat was really excellently managed and all sorts of food provided. About eleven I was told off on picket duty and was very glad to get outside the camp, as several rifles had been let off in unpleasant proximity by enthusiastic recruits, in a vain endeavor to improve their knowledge of Lee-Metfords. By nightfall things were more ship-shape, and quarters were allotted to us at the end of a long passage, about ten feet wide, so that when we lay down there was a considerable mixing up of legs. One man whose "bed" was next to mine was very energetic in his endeavors to make himself comfortable. After a prolonged absence he reappeared with a brick and a piece of wall paper. The brick was to be a pillow, the paper did service as a blanket. He retired to roost triumphantly half an hour before we did. Presently I arrived from a foraging expedition with a glass of whiskey and water and a crust of bread, and proceeded to step over him to get to my nook. He sprang up very indignant, and abused me soundly for scattering bread-crumbs in his bed. That crumb story, of course, well embellished, is still going round, and I don't think he will easily forget it. Night pickets and guards were posted, and many yarns are told of the fslse alarms they spread. One man was certain the Boers were coming. He had seen large bodies of them approaching. The Boers resolved themselves into a plantation of gumtrees waving in the wind.

Besides our own camp of one thousand men, there was one at Hohenheim

in a commanding position, and another farther west at Auckland Park. The town was policed by a body of men under Trimble, late head of the detective department, who was deposed about two months ago because he was not a burgher. Bodies of horsemen under Bettington and others were constantly patrolling the town and neighborhood. Large corps of Australians, Scotchmen and Irishmen were also formed, but unfortunately there was not sufficient ammunition. Shops were barricaded and business at a standstill. Huge crowds daily collected round the Reform Committee offices, waiting for news of Jameson and the movements of the Boers. Forage, mealies, etc., went up to famine prices, in spite of the large stocks known to be in the place. The next day, Thursday, the 2d, we did some drilling, and about 9.30 I was instructed to get the children and Sisters out of the Home, and send them on trolleys into town. They had all retired to the upper floors on our first arrival. With the assistance of another man I had just got two trolleys covered with mattresses and about forty children with two or three Sisters on them, when an order came to fall in.

Back into the upper rooms they had all to be bundled, while the trenches dug round the building on the previous day were lined. My company was first put in the building to man loop-holes, but most of us were soon moved out to the trenches, where we remained in a blazing sun for some hours. The alarm was a false one, and was probably caused by parties of Boers being sighted in the distance moving toward Krugersdorp. At no time did they really contemplate attacking our positions, as the armistice, pending the arrival of Sir Hercules Robinson in Pretoria, was already arranged. In the afternoon I did four hours' picket duty. We had strict orders not to return the fire of any enemy should one appear.

Rumor at this time ran absolutely mad. We heard that the Government was prepared to give us everything we wanted. Indeed, for the first day or two, I believe this was practically the case, as the Government had information to the effect that we had twelve

Maxim guns instead of only three, and about twenty thousand rifles, whereas we had but three thousand, if so many. At that time they had not succeeded in stopping Jameson. The reports came in of a battle near Potchefstroom, in which Jameson had defeated the Boers with a loss of about three hundred men. Five minutes later we would be told that he was near Krugersdorf, then at Randfontein fighting hard. Half an hour later he was close to Johannesburg, and was expected in half an hour. Sir John Willoughby was killed one moment and revived the next, and so on. The Reform Committee agreed to an armistice on the 1st, the fact being that they were not sufficiently strong to take the initiative. They have been blamed for not seizing the jail, which commands the town, as well as the position which we occupied at the Nazareth Home; also for not blowing up the railway and taking possession of the telegraph offices, and above all, for not sending assistance to the Doctor; but it must be remembered that through force of circumstances they were weak, and that if we were to secure the sympathy of the British Government and the outside world, it was imperative to be very careful how we acted. The prompt action of the Imperial authorities in attempting to recall Jameson, and ordering all British subjects to refrain from assisting him, must have had due effect on their decisions. No one seriously doubted that Jameson would get through safely, as we did not think that the Boers would have time to muster so strongly, and it was hoped that his arrival would be the signal for a surrender on the part of the Government. When the news of his capture was confirmed, most of us could scarcely accept it. We believed that he must have surrendered to the Queen's proclamation or something of that sort.

Up to the time when he reached Doornkop his loss had not been severe, and it seems probable, from observations made on that ground, that he could even then have retired from the trap laid for him. But men and horses must have been thoroughly fagged by their long march and about thirty hours' almost continuous fighting. It

is evident that he either moved on to the rough country near Krugersdorp, in the expectation of meeting relief from Johannesburg, or else was ignorant of the country, both there and at Doornkop, some eight miles S. E. His guides were either treacherous or incompetent. By keeping further south and coming in on the Kimberley road, I cannot but think that he would have come through without much loss. Doornkop is the last bit of really rough country he would have encountered, and any one could have avoided it who was well acquainted with the district. But these are considerations for military men, not for amateur revolution ists.

On Friday, the 3d, most of the mine contingents were disarmed and sent back to their various homes to resume work. This was a good move, as there were numbers of volunteers in the town who were better suited for using guns, but who were totally unarmed. I do not wish to say anything against the miners and mechanics who so readily turned out; but it was impossible that the majority of them should be accustomed to firearms. Their discipline in camp was good, and their coming out an excellent demonstration of earnestness.

Enormous stores of provision had been accumulated by the Reform leaders, and also forage for the horses and cattle. The commissariat was well managed, though there was a little trouble at first. Positions for defending the town had been carefully surveyed. The Maxim guns were well placed, two being taken up to the Nazareth Home and one at Hohenheim. During the week when Johannesburg was under arms I may truthfully say there was less crime and less drunkenness than has ever been known. were a few cases of store looting by Kaffirs, but as most of these low-class Kaffir stores are the channel of the illicit drink trade, I do not think their destruction altogether a misfortune. We remained in the camp till the following Tuesday, January 7th, some of us getting leave every day to go into the town, which meant a bath and change. We all helped more or less in cooking, but for the last two days

There

had a coolie. We kept our spirits up in spite of the rather depressing probability of it all proving a fiasco. Wildcat stories of all sorts were flying about, but trustworthy information was difficult to obtain.

The High Commissioner had arrived in Pretoria on Saturday night, but negotiations were not begun before Monday, as the Boer absolutely refuses to attend to business on a Sunday. It was known that we were surrounded by large numbers of Boers, but they kept some distance off. On Monday, the 6th, it was rumored that we should have to lay down our arms in order to save the lives of Jameson and his men. This proved to be true on Tuesday, and though many of us felt much more inclined to fight it out, it had become generally known that we were very short of arms and ammunition, and very little difficulty was experienced in carrying out the order of the Reform Committee. I was in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning, and stayed to hear Sir Jacobus de Wet and Sir Sidney Shippard address the people from the balcony of the club. The crowd was enormous, and naturally very excited. The speeches, asking the towns

people to give up their arms and to remain quiet, in order to save Jameson, were not good; but as the majority of the audience had no arms to lay down, it, perhaps, did not much matter.

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It

When I got back to Nazareth Home the camp was already broken up. On the evening of the next day the police began arresting the Reform leaders. They surrounded the club while we were at dinner, and at first none of us knew who would be taken and who would be left; so we ordered coffee and large cigars, and awaited events. soon became evident that few besides the actual committee were wanted," and I think a good many of us sighed. with relief, though the next day we all pretended to be insulted by the fact that we were not considered big enough game to be noticed by the Government. For some days the authorities did not think that sufficient arms were surrendered, and investigated mines, houses, and stores. Some annoyance was also given by the Boers searching people travelling on the roads, and making themselves objectionable; but on the whole I think they behaved wonderfully well.-Fortnightly Review.

SIR WILLIAM NAPIER'S statement that a wise policy does not consist in pushing any one point to the utmost perfection of which it may be susceptible, but in regulating and balancing opposing interests in such a manner that the greatest benefit shall arise from the working of the whole," is peculiarly applicable to the present phase of army administration, when the public are eagerly watching what changes will be initiated by the new military rulers who have been substituted for the old. The school of thirtyfive years ago denounces dangerous enterprise; the modern school protests against putrefying inactivity; and a third section applies Victor Hugo's

"I

simile of rancid perfume to the perpetuation of once honored but subsequently out of-date institutions. was formerly the rose," pleads the perfume, to which the pitiless answer must be, "Yes-formerly." I have endeavored to prove in my former papers* the increased efficiency of our officers and of our rank and file, resulting from many years' persistence in the path of progress; I have tried to show that the English army-constantly absurdly underrated in foreign countries, and intermittently belittled in its ownpossesses a personnel in a high state of

*See "Blackwood's Magazine," October and December 1895.