Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/380

 372] FOREIGN HISTORY. [1899.

The Natal Volunteers received in May general orders to hold themselves in readiness to protect the frontier.

A new Ministry was formed in June. Lieutenant-Colonel A. H. Hime became Prime Minister, and in the Assembly Mr. J. L. Hulett was elected Speaker. A resolution expressing sympathy and approval of the policy of the Imperial Govern- ment in regard to the Transvaal question was presented by Mr. Baynes in the Legislative Assembly on July 19, and passed, with a full House, unanimously.

In the Transvaal war the colonists in Natal bravely flew to arms, and in their own country the first important battles were fought. For political reasons it was determined to try to hold Dundee and Ladysmith, rather than to take up a position on the Tugela River. General Sir W. P. Symons under Lieutenant- General White at Ladysmith occupied Dundee and Glencoe and fought the first serious battle (Oct. 20) in an attack on Lucas Meyer's army of 6,000 men that held a strong position on Talana Hill. He drove the Boers from their guns, capturing them, but General Symons fell mortally wounded. In this action 10 officers and 33 men were killed and nearly 200 men were wounded. General Yule, who succeeded to the command, was compelled to retire before the advance of the heavily reinforced Boer army which threatened to cut him off. He made a masterly retreat to Ladysmith, but a squadron of Hussars and two companies of Dublin Fusiliers were captured. On the next day General Sir G. White, placed in command of the camp at Ladysmith on October 7, moved out a force of cavalry with the Natal field battery under General French in order to drive the Boers from Elandslaagte, the Gordon Highlanders and other infantry regiments with field batteries following. Here a fierce battle was fought and a large army of Boers were defeated, though with heavy loss to the British infantry regiments under Colonel Ian Hamilton. The Gordons, Man- chesters and Devonshires fought gallantly an enemy shooting from behind stones and kopjes. The Boer losses were heavy, estimated at over 100 killed, 108 wounded, including General Kock and 188 prisoners. Two guns were captured and brought into Ladysmith. The British losses were four officers and 37 men killed, 31 officers and 175 men wounded and 10 missing.

Another action took place at Rietfontein, October 24, not with the object of driving the enemy out of their positions, but to prevent his falling on General Yule's flank while falling back to Ladysmith, where on October 26 General Yule rejoined General White. Within a few days the Boers under Joubert completely closed around Ladysmith, but not before several 4*7 naval guns, landed from the battleship Powerful, had been sent through from Durban ; guns that were found able to cope with the Boer long-range artillery. General French escaped from the besieged town before it was completely invested and after- wards led cavalry forces in important engagements elsewhere.