Related article: at all times, even when it is met 190I.] CAVALRY CHARGES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 403 by a man armed and resolute to fight for his life, but when resist- ance has ceased and it does its deadly work unopposed, it is fatal indeed. And it is somewhat re- Buy Apcalis Sx markable that the men, who had for hours remained steady under the rain of shrapnel and rifle bullets, should have lost their heads so completely, should have abandoned themselves to a sauve qui pent, and appear not to have Bred a single shot at their ruthless pursuers. If they had been able to make good their retreat, it is more than probable that they would have recovered their mental equi- librium and again have been formidable soldiers. As it was the commando to which they be- longed was stamped out and utterly destroyed — a proof, if proof were wanting that people are utterly wrong who desire to do away with cavalry and to relegate sword and lance to museums of antiquities. The same physical and moral effect could not pos- sibly have been produced by any other class of soldiers or by any other weapons. The total loss in killed, inflicted during the pursuit by the 5th I^ancers, appears to have been at least fifty men, and probably was much more. In any case it amounted to about a third of the loss sustained by the Boers during the whole day's fighting. The battle of Elandslaagte was a most brilliant little action in every respect and it stands out as being the most theoretically complete engagement that has been fought by our troops during the war. Every phase was distinctly marked and each arm of the service had in it its due and proper share. It was opened by a reconnaissance, an artillery bombardment fol- lowed, there was a determined and successful attack by infantry and victory was clinched by an effective cavalry pursuit. The whole movement of 5,000 men to the relief of Kimberley was one of the greatest cavalry operations of the century. It was essentially a work for the mounted arm and could have been at- tempted by no other troops. It will always be remembered for the fearful loss of horses that it caused, and those who took part in it may be thankful that they were not called upon to meet au equal, or even smaller, number of fresh, well- mounted and well- trained cavalry. Their own valour might have carried them through but the chances would have been terribly unfavourable. As it was, nothing could have been more gallant and daring than the way in which the mass of horsemen broke through, with a rush, the cordon surrounding the be- leaguered city. The Lancers and Scots Greys formed the advanced line of the division as it hurried on its course. The fringe of kopjes on each side was strongly held by the Boers who poured a rain of bullets and shells into the dust-enveloped columns. And well was it that they were dust- enveloped for this to a certain extent neutrahsed the fire and made it less deadly than it might otherwise have been. The mounted infantry on the flanks did noble work in clearing the kopjes one after another, but some of the 9th and i6th Lancers had an opportunity of charging with their proper weapon. Well they availed themselves of it, though they themselves had la- mentable losses in officers and men. Before the Boers could disentangle themselves nearly twenty were overtaken and slain. A small force of resolute men relying on horse and lance had, in five Apcalis Sx 20mg minutes, disposed of what was intended to be, and indeed was, a desperate resistance. If at the 404 BAILY S MAGAZINE. [JOXK time the Lancer horses had been in good condition and had been only burdened with a reasonable weight, the death roll of the Boers would have been very greatly increased, but how could weakly animals, carrying not much less than twenty stone, succeed in overtaking, on very rough ground, lightly - equipped horsemen on fresh, active ponies? The best authorities however, men who were on the spot and carefully watched the subsequent opera- tions of the campaign, are con- vinced that the slaying of a few men on this occasion with the artne blanche had an immense moral effect which was felt throughout the later actions. The enemy above all things afterwards dreaded the real action of cavalry and carefully avoided giving the smallest opportunity for its em- ployment. On June nth, 1900, the enemy was holding a strong position along a line of hills which extend north and south of the Delagoa Bay railway about fifteen miles east of Pretoria. This range of heights, generally steep and often precipitous is known as Diamond Hills, and its occupation formed a very serious threat to the Eng- lish army in possession of Pretoria. Lord Roberts felt that it was necessary to dislodge the Boers from their post of vantage, and to do this he moved against them almost all of his available forces. He had from the first moment of taking the field realised that wide flanking movements were more effectual and less expensive in sacrifice of life than direct frontal attacks, and the plan that he formed was to turn both flanks of the position with cavalry and to cut his enemy's line of retreat, so that, when the infantry at last advanced, the Boers would find that their escape was threatened and would give way, possibly with the loss of their heavy guns. General French was therefore sent to make a wide sweep to the northward, while General Broad- wood acting under General Ian Hamilton was to endeavour to turn the enemy's left. General Pole Carew with the Guards and the 1 8th Brigade was to be in the centre, and, though he was to make a demonstration mth his long range artillery, he -was not to engage seriously until the flank- ing operations had made them- selves felt. The whole British front from flank to flank extended over sixteen miles, a very strik- ing example of the enormous dist- ances included in a modern battle- field. Broadwood and Ian Hamiltcm, advancing on the right, found that the mission entrusted to them was