The third, or Natal brigade, had its origin in the _Terrible_ being sent to Durban, where she arrived on November 6th. Her Captain, Percy Scott, at once became Commandant and organised--from the _Terrible_, _Thetis_, _Forte_, _Philomel_, and _Tartar_, the defence of that town. Over thirty guns were placed in position and put under the command of Commander Limpus, of the _Terrible_, while a pair of 12-pounders, drawn from the _Powerful_, had been pushed on to Maritzburg and placed under Lieutenant James, of the _Tartar_, with the men of that ship already up there. It was from this force that, as troops arrived, Sir Redvers Buller drew the Naval brigade which accompanied the Ladysmith relief column. Captain E. P. Jones, of the _Forte_, commanded this brigade, with Commander A. H. Limpus, of the _Terrible_, second in command. After the relief of Ladysmith, Captain Jones reorganised the Naval brigade with ranks and ratings from the _Forte_, _Philomel_, and _Tartar_. The _Terribles_ and _Powerfuls_ rejoined their ships by March 13th. So reconstituted, the brigade served on with the Natal Field Force until June 24th, 1900, when all but the _Philomel's_ and _Tartar's_ men, under Lieutenant Halsey, were recalled to their ships. Lieutenant Halsey, with four officers and thirty-eight men of the _Philomel_, one officer and eighteen men of the _Tartar_, remained until October, 1900, when they also returned. [Sidenote: All Naval brigades within recall.] Essential as were the services rendered on shore[84] it was always arranged that, if it had become advisable at any time to recall officers and men to their ships, they should be able to rejoin them long before their presence was needed on board. Also as soon as any article, including guns and ammunition, was landed from the fleet it was replaced from England. When it became clear that the safety of Durban was assured, its naval defence force was re-embarked; but Captain Percy Scott remained on shore with his staff as Commandant until 14th March, 1900. His work there, in preparing and sending additional guns to General Buller--among them a 6-in. gun on a wheeled carriage--and also as an able Commandant of Durban under martial law, was highly appreciated.[85] [Footnote 84: See despatches giving the views of Sir Redvers Buller, etc., on these.] [Footnote 85: See despatch from the Governor of Natal to Admiral Harris, dated 9.3.00, and letter from the Colonial Office to the Admiralty, dated 7.5.00.] [Sidenote: Natal Naval Volunteers.]