South Africa -- History; South African War, 1899-1902 -- Causes
Among these papers there are portfolios of military sketches of
various routes of invasion from Natal into the Transvaal and Free
State, prepared by Major Grant, Captain Melvill, and Captain Gale
immediately after the Jameson Raid.
A further portfolio marked secret styled "Reconnaissance Reports
of Lines of Advance through the Free State" was prepared by
Captain Wolley, on the Intelligence Division of the War Office,
in 1897, and is accompanied by a special memorandum, signed by
Sir Redvers Buller, to keep it secret.
Besides these there are specially executed maps of the Transvaal
and Free State, showing all the natural features, also a further
secret Report of Communications in Natal north of Ladysmith,
including a memorandum of the road controlling Lang's Nek
position.
Further, there is a short Military Report on the Transvaal,
printed in India in August last, which was found most
interesting. The white population is given at 288,000, of whom
the Outlanders number 80,000, and of the Outlanders 30,000 are
given as of British descent--which figures the authorities regard
as much nearer the truth than Mr. Chamberlain's statements made
in the House of Commons.
One report estimates that 4,000 Cape and Natal Colonists would
side with the Republics in case of war, and that the small
armament of the Transvaal consists of 62,950 rifles, and that the
Boers would prove not so mobile or such good marksmen as in the
War of Independence.
Further, the British did not think much of the Johannesburg and
Pretoria forts.
A further secret Report styled "Military Notes on the Dutch
Republics of South Africa," and numbers of other papers, not yet
examined, were also found, and are to be forwarded to Pretoria.
The Free State burghers are now more than ever convinced that it
was the right policy for them to fight along with the Transvaal,
and they say, since they have seen the reports, that they will
fight with, if possible, more determination than ever.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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