The Red Cloud chief., 1900-02-09
BRITON ANDTHEBOER
MOUNTAIN WALLS PROTECT
THE BURGHERS.
The Natural Dcf,nscs Of the Trnns,aal
would Tcst the Genius of the
Greatest C~oniman That Ever Drew
n sword.

No correct understanding OF the task
or position of the English army in
South Africa can he had without II
know ledge of the geography and to
Biography of the Transvaal aud Orange
Free Statc-cspccially of the border
lines of these two republics. The fight
ing and tactics of the last two months
have been about L~adysmith, Mafc-
king Kimberley. MOddcr river, Tugcla
river, Colosburg. Belmont and storm
berg.
The boundaries of the Transvaal and
the Orange Free state, which the Eng
fish must cross before they can con
qucr. are formed by the Mkusi. Cmwo-
tosi and TuEcla rivers. the kathlamha
or Drakcnherg mountains, and the
MOddcr ana Orange rivers. At every
point ON the southern. southeastern
and southwestern approaches to the
republic there Is either Il river to he
crossed, an omen plateau to he marched
over or a plateau ana mountain wall
to be scaled. The Mkusi, CmwOtosi
and lugcla rivers sweep across the
southeastern border oi the TransNaal,
the Tugcla forming a barrier to the
approach to Ladysmith, Dundee and
Majuba hill. The mountain elevations
here range from | 200 feet above the
level of the sea TO more than II ,OOO
feet. This is In Natal land. whore
British occupy the plain approaches
and the Beers the mountain heights.
The Tugela is deep, swift. has slippery
banks and Is exposed to gun fire from
the hill and mountain crcsts. In this
nciEhborhood and also at Colcnso, on
the Tugcla. there are peaks like Mount
Aux Gources. Hiss feet in height,
Mount Melanic. 1900 feet in height;
Majuba. 1900 feet; Champagne Castle,
1887 feet. and Giants Castle, 1851
feet. The Beers are familiar with ev-
cry trail of the ranges, have excellent
artillery at the passes, and guns that
command fordahle places in the
streams. geographically the English
are in the position OF a mai who mus
fight uphill over $50 miles before 1t
passes Majuba and enters the Trans
yaal valleys. His opponent may al
ways fire down upon him. The Drak
enberg range forms part of the south
ern boundary of the Transvaal, AM
nearly all of the eastern boundary o
the Orange Free State. At Butthi
Buthe. Ladybrand, Thlotsi, Ongeluk
Mex and Zastron the elevations ruI
from 900 to 5000 feet while the passe
are few, the streams usually swolleI
with floods. and the trails obscure an
misleading. Ii Is evident that tn
English are without mountain guide
and cannot rely on the loyalty of tn
Natal Dutch to give them accurate In
} formation. In the Colesborg dlstric
due south OF the Orange Free Stat'
the Orange river forms IA barrier of n
, small size. The stream is one of tn
noble South African waterways. ofte
impossible, and well guarded on tn
Boer side by plateaus n small range
a second obstacle to the approach I
, der river breaks away from tn
Orange south Of Kimberley and form
a second obstacle to the approach t
the diamond fields. About the Modde
river and Kimberley the elevation
reach a height of | 900 feet and ar
controlled by the Beers. The Englis
: column of Gen. Butler Is at Tugei
river; Methuen is at Modder rive
White is cooped up in Ladysmith, Ga,
acre is at Sterkstroom, and Kimberle
is besieged. geographically Bulle
has a climb before him averaging 800
feet: Methuen's climb will averag
$500 feet; White has Boer guns look
ing down on him from an elevation {
500 feet, and Kimberley Is commando
| by guns from 600 to 700 feet above II
plane.
I II this outer prospect Is not invitin
| the inner Typographical formation {
) the T%ransvaal is less so. The inn6
: rim is known as the R~oggeveld, Met
weveld and Quathalamba ranges, Tn
highest point is the Mauchberg, 81:
l feet. There are several ridges know
! as Verzamelburg. R%andberg. Slaug;
piesberg and Komatiberg. These ia
!, precipitously eastward toward the l.
= comba range. which maintains a mea
= elevation of 1000 feet.