MILITA R Y OPERA TIONS IN SO UTH A FRICA 189 



the midland and eastern by a line from Rosmead Junction, on the 

 former, to Stormberg Junction, on the latter. The eastern section is 

 also connected with the Orange Free State line by a branch running 

 from Albert Junction to Springfontein, a short distance from the 

 Orange River, in the Orange Free State. It crosses the river at 

 Bethulie Bridge. These roads have numerous branches in Cape 

 Colon}^, so that the British are fairl}^ well supplied with railroads 

 south of the Orange River, but the Orange Free State line bej^ond 

 Springfontein is the only line running north through Boer territory. 

 The distance from Cape Town to Bloemfontein is 750 miles, while 

 from Port Elizabeth to Bloemfontein it is 300 miles less. 



There is a railroad running from Durban, on the Indian Ocean, in 

 a general northwesterly direction. At Ladysmith it branches, one 

 branch going northwest from Lad3'smith through the mountains into 

 the Orange Free State; the other branch runs north from Lad3'smith 

 through the apex from Natal, then turns to the northwest and goes 

 to Johannesburg and Pretoria. B3' this line Ladysmith is 180 miles 

 from Durban, and Pretoria is 511 miles. 



Still farther to the north a railroad runs from Delagoa Bay in a 

 westerly direction to Pretoria. This road runs through Portuguese 

 territory, and is the only means of access to the sea from Boer terri- 

 tor3\ It will thus be seen that one system of roads gives transporta- 

 tion from the south to the Boer countr3% while the other at Durban 

 gives it to the northwest. There is no communication between these 

 S3^stems, and troops and supplies for Natal must be landed at Durban. 



THK RAILROAD FROM BEIRA 



The permission recentl3'- given to England b3' Portugal to transfer 

 troops through Portuguese territory has directed attention to a line 

 of which very little is generall3" known. This line starts from Beira, 

 a port on the Indian Ocean about 850 miles north along the coast from 

 Durban, and extends in a general northwesterl3' direction via Umtali 

 to Salisbury. Here the road ends. If the troops sent by this route 

 are intended as an expedition for the relief of Mafeking, it will ])e 

 some time before they can reach it, as the3'^ will have a march of about 

 300 miles over the country to Bulawa3^o, the present northern terminus 

 of the Rhodesian railway. This ex])editi()n can hardly have any other 

 o])ject, as Sidisbury'is aV)out 300 miles north of the northern border 

 of the Transvaal and about GOO miles noith of Pretoria, and no part 

 of this distance is covered bv railroads. 



