Ian Hamilton, who had gone home with Lord Roberts, returned to South Africa a year later as Chief of the Staff to Lord Kitchener.

Footnote 55:[(return)]

These posts, however, were small entrenched forts at considerable distances apart for the protection of the road to Basutoland, rather than blockhouses.

Footnote 56:[(return)]

See [p. 326].

Footnote 57:[(return)]

Lyttelton went to the Cape Colony in February, 1901, to direct the operations against De Wet, and was subsequently sent into the Orange River Colony. After a few months' leave he returned to South Africa in September and took over Hildyard's command in Natal.

Footnote 58:[(return)]

He was next heard of at the abortive peace conference held at Middelburg, where he met Lord Kitchener at the end of February.

Footnote 59:[(return)]

Bruce Hamilton succeeded Lyttelton in the Orange River Colony when the latter went home on leave.

Footnote 60:[(return)]

The "protected area" was a district round Pretoria and Johannesburg which was enclosed by a ring of blockhouses and Constabulary posts in August, 1901.

[CHAPTER XVII]

The Mechanical Phase