then said they may be Mashonaland or Bechuanaland police, but he believes the information that a force had entered the State, and he said he would take immediate steps to stop their progress. His Honour requested me to ask Your Excellency whether this force is composed of British troops or police under Your Excellency's control, or whether you have any information of the movement?' I replied that I had heard a rumour to the same effect, and have telegraphed to inquire, adding that, if true, the step has been taken without my authority or cognisance, and that I have repudiated the act and ordered the force to return immediately." The same night Mr Chamberlain cabled to the High Commissioner as follows:-" In reply to your telegrams relative to the situation in South African Republic, your action is cordially approved. I presume that Mr C. J. Rhodes will co-operate with you in recalling Administrator of Matabeleland. Keep me informed fully of political situation in all its respects. It is not clearly understood here. Leave no stone unturned to prevent mischief." The following morning, Tuesday, December 31st, Sir Hercules Robinson cabled, that in consequence of an urgent telegram from the British Agent in the Transvaal, he had instructed the Agent to send at once a thoroughly trustworthy mounted express with the following message to Dr Jameson who was to be met on the road:-"Her Majesty's Government entirely disapprove your conduct in invading Transvaal with armed force. Your action has been repudiated. You are ordered to return at once from the country, and

will be held personally responsible for the consequences of your unauthorised and most improper proceeding."

And now to revert to Dr Jameson and his proceedings. On Sunday, December 29th, the late Administrator of the Chartered Company's territory, in company with Sir John Willoughby, the Commandant of the Chartered Company's forces, started from Mafeking with a force, whose numbers have been variously stated at from 400 to 600 men, besides eight Maxim and three Whitworth guns. The party cut the telegraph wires, and in crossing the Transvaal frontier they were met by an official of the Republic who advised them to retire, and warned them of the consequences of their act. To this caution Dr Jameson replied in writing, as follows:

"SIR,-I am in receipt of your protest of above date, and have to inform you that I intend proceeding with my original plan, which had no hostile intentions against the people of the Transvaal, but we are here in reply to an invitation from the principal residents of the Rand to assist them in their demand for justice and the ordinary rights of every citizen of a civilised State."

The messengers despatched with the order of recall overtook Jameson close to the Elan River, and received a verbal message that the orders had been received and would be "attended to."

President Kruger had no intention whatever

F

of allowing this party to make a triumphal entry into Johannesburg, and the burghers who had been commandeered, on the first news of Jameson's party having crossed the frontier, intercepted him at Krugersdorp, some fifteen miles from Johannesburg. Here the fighting commenced at one a.m. on New Year's Day. On the approach of Jameson to Krugersdorp, he gave notice to the women and children to leave the town, as he was going to take it. He was, however, a little bit premature. The road to Krugersdorp lay directly between two kopjes, and these were both strongly held by the Boers, who led him towards them by those tactics which have been always employed with so much success in Kaffir warfare. Small bodies kept retreating before him and gradually brought him to their first main position. Finding the fire too hot for him there, he could only throw some shells into the town or the court house, and then took the other road through Randfontein, by Brink's farmhouse at Dornkop. At Randfontein two troopers were killed, but again the Boers reserved their full attack. Beyond Dornkop, they commanded the road strongly on two sides, and as the night closed in, Jameson seems to have had them all round him. He was on a small kopje and some ground stretching beneath, but the enemy were overlooking him from four sides.

It seems that on Wednesday afternoon (January 1) the Boers had not more than 1500 men on the field, but during the night the different contingents coming in brought their numbers up to some 4000 men, all