"The areas included in the theatre of war are as follows: Square Miles. Cape Colony 277,151 Orange River Colony 48,326 Transvaal 113,640 Natal 18,913 -------- Total 458,030 -------- Rhodesia 750,000 "And the distances troops have had to travel are: By Land Miles. Capetown to Pretoria 1,040 Pretoria to Komati Poort 260 Capetown to Kimberley 647 Kimberley to Mafeking 223 Mafeking to Pretoria 160 Mafeking to Beira 1,135 Durban to Pretoria 511 "From these tables it will be seen that, after having been brought by sea 6,000 miles and more from their base in the United Kingdom, the army in South Africa had to be distributed over an area of greater extent than France (204,146 square miles) and Germany (211,168 square miles) put together, and, if we include that part of Rhodesia with which we had to do, larger than the combined areas of France, Germany, and Austria (261,649 square miles)." Of the nature of the country and its inhabitants he wrote:[195] [Footnote 195: November 15th, 1900. Johannesburg.] "And it should be remembered that over these great distances we were dependent on single lines of railway for the food supply, guns, ammunition, horses, transport animals, and hospital equipment, in fact, all the requirements of an army in the field, and that, along these lines, bridges and culverts had been destroyed in many places, and rails were being constantly torn up." And of the Cape Colony he wrote:[196] [Footnote 196: February 6th, 1900. Capetown.]