Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/378

 370] FOREIGN HISTORY. [1899.

Molteno, where his troops had arrived on the 9th by railway, he missed the right turning, and marched on till daybreak when he was surprised by the enemy who were occupying the top of an unscalable hill. He was obliged to retreat to Molteno while harassed for nine miles by the enemy's guns, well served and carrying 5,000 yards, that were mounted on the hill sides. Not many were killed, but a part of his forces, numbering over 500, officers and men, were cut off and made prisoners.

Another disaster came the very next day. On December 11 Lord Methuen fought the battle of Magersfontein, where General Cronje had prepared a long series of concealed en- trenchments, north of the Modder River. The British force numbered about 11,000 in all, and the Boer army nearly 15,000. The Highland Brigade, marching in quarter column in the dusk of early morning, found itself close to the barbed- wire obstructions of the very strongest entrenchment. Instantly a tremendous rifle fire at close range struck down one out of five of the 3,000 under General Wauchope. The brave general himself, the idol of the Highland regiments, fell riddled with bullets, and the entire losses of the whole force under Methuen in the battle, which lasted all day, were 152 killed, 667 wounded, and 129 missing. The Boers, concealed in their trenches, could not be driven out without a much greater loss of men, and Lord Methuen retired to the Modder River.

Mafeking and Kimberley, on the western border of the Transvaal, were closely invested early in the war. At Mafeking dolonel Baden-Powell with a small garrison was still holding out bravely at the close of the year, although Commandant Cronje had made many attempts to capture them. In October fighting was frequent, yet all the engagements resulted in favour of the garrison. About 40 Boers were killed and wounded by bayonet and many were shot. After a bombardment Cronje presented (Oct. 16) a demand for the surrender of the place " to save further unnecessary bloodshed." His messenger, who found Colonel Baden-Powell fast asleep, was sent back with the answer that he would let General Cronje know when he had had enough.

Commandant Snyman relieved Cronje in November, by orders from Pretoria.

Early on the morning of December 26 an unsuccessful attempt was made to capture a strong position at Game Tree, two miles from Mafeking. Spies conveyed information to the enemy of the intended attack, *and the fort was strength- ened and reinforced the previous night. Captains Sandford and Vernon and Lieutenant Paton with 18 non-commissioned men were killed, and over 20 were wounded. The Boers were accused of using expansive bullets in this fight, and of robbing the dead and wounded.*

Kimberley was isolated on October 15. Bombardment

Mafeking in December.
 * A force under Colonel Plumer was coming from Rhodesia to the relief of