These had sailed in the early days of October.
[Footnote 7: There may have been one or two more battalions of infantry, but I have not been able to trace such.] Such was the mighty enginery antecedently set in motion, to crush the liberties of the Transvaal.

An interesting further illustration of the way decision was precipitated toward the end is found in the fact that Sir George White was gazetted Governor of Gibraltar in the last week in August, and on September 15 sailed to command the forces in Natal.
"My small experience," wrote Steevens about October 12 from the well-advanced station {p.104} of Stormberg Junction, in Cape Colony, "has been confined to wars you could put your fingers on; for this war I have been looking long enough and have not found it....

We are heavily outnumbered, and have adopted no heroic plan of abandoning the indefensible.

We have an irregular force of mounted infantry at Mafeking, a regiment (regulars) at Kimberley, a regiment and a half at De Aar" (the most important of junctions), "half of the Berkshires at Naauwport, the other half here." Stormberg and Naauwport were also junctions, secondary only, if secondary, to De Aar, in the strategic importance that always attaches to cross-roads.

"The famous fighting Northumberlands came crawling up behind our train, and may now be at Naauwport or De Aar.