some 10,000 acres.  Arable land in the Karroo is of course very rare, and one would think that the “Ooms” and the “Tantas” and their young hopefuls would have their time fully occupied even in keeping their large herds and flocks within bounds.  One continually sees half a dozen ostriches stalking solemnly about a huge piece of the veldt, with no farm-house anywhere in sight, and it is difficult to understand how these people contrive to catch their animals.

At the lower extremity of the vast Nieuweveld range which shuts in the Karroo on the west lies the little township of Matjesfontein, a veritable oasis in the desert.  Here lies the body of the gallant Wauchope who perished in the disastrous attack on the Magersfontein trenches.  The whole line north of this point was patrolled by colonial volunteers, amongst whom I noticed especially the Duke of Edinburgh’s Rifles, with gay ribbons round their “smasher” hats.  Nothing could be less exciting or interesting than their monotonous routine of work.  We continually came across a little band of, say, twenty or thirty men and a couple of officers stationed near some culvert or bridge.  Their tents were pitched on a bit of stony ground, with not a trace of vegetation near it, and here they stayed for months together, half dead from the boredom of their existence.  Nevertheless such work was quite essential to the success of the campaign, for the attitude of the Dutch colonists up-country has been throughout the war an uncertain factor, and if these long lines of communication had been left unprotected it is more than likely that our “Tommies’” supplies would not have arrived at the front with unfailing regularity.  As it was, shots were occasionally fired at the trains, and at one spot we passed a curious incident occurred in this connection.  A patrol suddenly came across a colonist who had climbed up a telegraph post and was busily engaged in cutting the wires.  “Crack” went a Lee-Metford and the rebel, shot like a sitting bird, dropped from his perch to the ground.  On another occasion we heard a dull explosion not unlike the boom of a heavy gun, and found a little later that a culvert had been blown up a few miles ahead of us not far from Graspan.  In short, I do not think that the British public fully realised the danger threatened by any serious and extensive revolt of the Dutch colonists.  Had the farmers in that vast triangle bounded by the railway, the coast and the Orange River thrown off their allegiance, it would have taken many more than 15,000 colonial volunteers to prevent their mobile commandos from swooping down here and there along this long line of railway, and utterly destroying our western line of communication as well as menacing Lord Methuen’s forces in the rear.  Whatever may be said or thought of some of Mr. Schreiner’s actions, it is held, and justly held, by level-headed people of both parties at the Cape, that the continuance in office of the Dutch ministry has contributed more than anything else to preserve the colony from the peril of an internal rebellion.  For this we cannot be too thankful!