offensive operations.  Finding that they had grown too shy in this much shot over district, Hamilton moved farther south, and early in March took a cast round the Vryheid district, where he made some captures, notably General Cherry Emmett, a descendant of the famous Irish rebel, and brother-in-law of Louis Botha.  For all these repeated successes it was to the Intelligence Department, so admirably controlled by Colonel Wools-Sampson, that thanks are mainly due.

Whilst Bruce Hamilton was operating so successfully in the Ermelo district, several British columns under Plumer, Spens, and Colville were stationed some fifty miles south to prevent the fugitives from getting away into the mountainous country which lies to the north of Wakkerstroom.  On January 3rd a small force of Plumer’s New Zealanders had a brisk skirmish with a party of Boers, whose cattle they captured, though at some loss to themselves.  These Boers were strongly reinforced, however, and when on the following day Major Vallentin pursued them with fifty men he found himself at Onverwacht in the presence of several hundred of the enemy, led by Oppermann and Christian Botha.  Vallentin was killed and almost all of his small force were hit before British reinforcements, under Colonel Pulteney, drove the Boers off.  Nineteen killed and twenty-three wounded were our losses in this most sanguinary little skirmish.  Nine dead Boers, with Oppermann himself, were left upon the field of battle.  His loss was a serious one to the enemy, as he was one of their most experienced Generals.

From that time until the end these columns, together with Mackenzie’s column to the north of Ermelo, continued to break up all combinations, and to send in their share of prisoners to swell Lord Kitchener’s weekly list.  A final drive, organised on April 11th against the Standerton line, resulted in 134 prisoners.

In spite of the very large army in South Africa, so many men were absorbed by the huge lines of communications and the blockhouse system that the number available for active operations was never more than forty or fifty thousand men.  With another fifty thousand there is no doubt that at least six months would have been taken from the duration of the war.  On account of this shorthandedness Lord Kitchener had to leave certain districts alone, while he directed his attention to those which were more essential.  Thus to the north of the Delagoa Railway line there was only one town, Lydenburg, which was occupied by the British.  They had, however, an energetic commander in Park of the Devons.  This leader, striking out from his stronghold among the mountains, and aided by Urmston from Belfast, kept the commando of Ben Viljoen and the peripatetic Government of Schalk Burger continually upon the move.  As already narrated, Park fought a sharp night action upon December 19th, after which, in combination with Urmston, he occupied Dulstroom, only missing the government by a few hours.  In