154 SOUTH AFRICA. 



have compelled the Boers to attempt on the advent 

 of winter ; in fact, without firing another shot, they 

 must have surrendered at discretion, or succeeded 

 in finding shelter by capturing our strong fortified 

 positions in Natal which to them would have 

 been certainly impregnable. 



Our Government was either inexcusably ignorant 

 of the nature of the country, the climate, and of the 

 straits the enemy were reduced to, or wilfully 

 ignored these things from unpatriotic motives. 



Shortly after peace was concluded, I sojourned 

 on a farm near the Oliphant's River for a few 

 months ; as the two sons of the Boer proprietor 

 had fought at Majuba, conversation often turned on 

 the recent campaign. I am bound to admit that 

 the Majuba exploit was never spoken of in a 

 boasting spirit by these young men, or, indeed, by 

 any of the victors with whom I came in contact. 

 From these conversations it was easy to gather the 

 opinion that when the Boers began to attack the 

 hill it was mainly with the intention of trying to 

 discover the nature and numbers of the troops 

 occupying the summit, and of taking pot shots at 

 long range at any of the very conspicuous white 

 helmets exposed. As the rocky nature of the 



