Others took their calculation from the number of voters in the last presidential election: but no one could tell how many abstentions there had been, and the fighting age is five years earlier than the voting age in the republics.

We recognise now that all calculations were far below the true figure.

It is probable, however, that the information of the British Intelligence Department was not far wrong.

According to this the fighting strength of the Transvaal alone was 32,000 men, and of the Orange Free State 22,000.

With mercenaries and rebels from the colonies they would amount to 60, 000, while a considerable rising of the Cape Dutch would bring them up to 100,000.