III. have proved a most anxious charge to its commander, CHAP. who had to deal with men of varied nationalities, prejudices, and opinions-many, probably, little to be trusted. The ceaseless vigilance of Major Le Mesurier in overlooking the working of the pickets and sentries, thickly thrown out in this direction at night he rarely, it was said, resting for more than a couple of hours at a time-precluded any disaffected men being able to compass mischief. To his tact and judgment in managing a body composed of such strange elements may be ascribed the avoidance of serious outbreak. That the danger existed, a district order, issued on the 29th January, on the "serious insubordination" of one company-which led to all its officers being reduced-seems to show. Another 1 District Orders by Colonel W. Bellairs, C.B., Commanding Transvaal District : "PRETORIA, 29th Jan. 1881. "Serious insubordination having occurred recently in a company of a volunteer corps, when many men refused to perform a duty for which they had been detailed, presumably because they believed they had a grievance, and were worked harder than they should be,-it seems necessary to point out that no man is justified, no matter how legitimate his grievance may be, in refusing to perform duty he has been detailed for or to carry out an order given to him. "The following extracts from the Queen's Regulations, section 5, para. 36, and the Army Discipline Act, section 43, show the mode of complaint sanctioned : "The manner in which officers or soldiers should proceed to obtain redress for any grievance under which they may conceive themselves to be suffering, is prescribed in the Army Discipline Act; but if they should desire to bring their grievances to the notice of an inspecting general officer, they are to be afforded an opportunity of doing so.' "If any soldier thinks himself wronged in any matter by any officer other than his captain, or by any soldier, he may complain thereof to his captain; and if he thinks himself wronged by his captain, either in respect of his complaint not being redressed or in respect of any other matter, he may complain thereof to the general or other officer com CHAP. III. Civil company raised a remonstrance against being detailed for exterior duty, but was promptly silenced, and informed that, though called volunteers, they were, under martial law, to do the bidding of the commanding officer, and go wherever they were required. Only one man-a brother of the Boer general commanding outside-deserted towards the close of hostilities. Finally, there was the Civil Guard, a nondescript body of from forty to fifty men-not adapted, from various causes, for swelling the ranks of the volunteer corps. They continued throughout in a chronic state of grievance, and it was found difficult to get them to undertake even the protection of their own laager, by throwing out a few sentries at night on the west front, joining others on the right and left. They manding the district or station where the soldier is serving; and every officer to whom a complaint is made in pursuance of this section shall cause such complaint to be inquired into, and shall, if on inquiry he is satisfied of the justice of the complaint so made, take such steps as may be necessary for giving full redress to the complainant in respect of the matter complained of.' "The colonel commanding will always be ready to inquire into a complaint coming through the proper channel and fairly stated, and to give such redress when possible as the case may call for; but at the same time he desires to caution all that those bringing forward false accusations or statements will be punished, as provided for by the 27th section of the Army Discipline Act, viz. :— : "Every person subject to military law who commits any of the following offences; that is to say: "(1.) Being an officer or soldier, makes a false accusation against any other officer or soldier, knowing such accusation to be false; or “(2.) Being an officer or soldier, in making a complaint where he thinks himself wronged, knowingly makes any false statement affecting the character of an officer or soldier, or knowingly and wilfully suppresses any material facts, "Shall on conviction by court-martial be liable to suffer imprisonment, or such less punishment as is in this Act mentioned.'” regarded their position as too exposed, and clamoured CHAP. for a special blockhouse to be built. III. scouts. Native scouts, both mounted and on foot, were Native most usefully employed, especially at night, as parties of observation to give notice of any movement threatened by the enemy, being placed out at long distances at the drifts, passes, and approaches all round. volunteers. Five shillings a-day was fixed as the rate of pay for Pay of the each volunteer private, in addition to rations, which latter, however, were given free to all civilians, women and children included. Those employed as artisans in skilled labour-saddlers, blacksmiths, carpenters, bricklayers, &c.-received some further small allowances. construct In order to prevent any chance of the enemy Hill-forts occupying the hill-range to the south, which com- ed. manded the camp at rifle distance, two covered forts of rough stone, for twenty-five men and a 4-pounder Krupp gun each, were placed thereon,-one, called Fort Tully, to the east of the Poort, to command the approaches from that side, together with the stream which furnished the town and camp water-supply; and the other, Fort Commeline, to the west side, similarly to command the approaches from that quarter. They were provisioned for three weeks, and garrisoned by the Royal Scots Fusiliers. There being a good look-out for many miles-though hills intervened here and there-to the south and in other directions, these positions were also utilised as signalstations, in communication day and night by helio H III. CHAP. graphs, flags, and flashing lamps, with the camp below. The surroundings of the forts were well protected by abatis, wire entanglements, &c.; while hand-grenades, and blue-lights mounted on poles with reflectors improvised for the occasion, were kept in readiness to discover the near approach of and give an enemy a warm reception. As, from the inequalities of the ground, these forts could not sufficiently command the Poort, a blockhouse was built on the eastern side of it, for a night picket of twelve Fusiliers, and stakes with wire entanglement, removed by day, were placed across the road. Fort Royal. The Jail Convent Fort Royal-occupied by a company of the 94th Regiment, with a 4-pounder Krupp gun-below Fort Tully, and between it and the town, was about 1000 yards east of the Headquarter Camp, and commanded the South Poort and east side of the town and camp ground. The jail was strengthened by the completion of a high wall surrounding the interior buildings, and with a bastion for a 4-pounder Krupp gun at its south-east corner. When all the available space within its walls came to be crowded with the families of the civil population, this defensive position became known as the Jail or Tronk Laager. Mr Steele, Finance and Revenue Commissioner, was appointed assistant-commandant, and supervised the arrangements of the laager and prison, until he fell seriously ill about the middle of February. The Convent Redoubt, about 700 yards from the north-east corner of the Headquarter Camp, was gar III. risoned by the Pretoria Rifles and Transvaal Artillery, CHAP. under Major Le Mesurier as Commandant. It may be said to have included Loretto House and the jail, with the intervening space, used as a camp, enclosed to the east and west by defensive walls joining on to the two buildings. ter Camp. The Headquarter Camp, forming an inner line of Headquar defence, was below and to the north of Fort Commeline, overlooking the west side of the town and the Daas Poort in the north range of hill, through which the road to Rustenburg passed. The camp includedwithout much eye originally to defence-various commissariat and ordnance-store buildings, soldiers' huts and married quarters, officers' and sergeants' messes, canteens, stables, &c., the walls of stone, brick, or corrugated iron, and roofs generally thatched. These were grouped, as far as possible, to form several squares, with defensive walls and shelter-sheds behind them, for the defenders-the whole garrison--to take up their nightly allotted posts in. Looking north was a salient angle with parapet and ditch-in the former of which were placed some old guns for ornament-enclosing the provost prison building, in one of the cells of which was placed several hundred pounds weight of dynamite, and a large quantity of gold-dust belonging to one of the banks. Some thirty to forty prisoners were retained here-principally old offenders, deserters, and others sentenced at an earlier period to long terms of imprisonment. A portion of the provost enclosure was filled with hospital-tents. In the adjoining enclosure, |