Owing to the disaster at Nitral's Nek, it now became evident that all the British movements within the capital were reported to the Boers--that, in fact, they had organised an elaborate intelligence department, some of their spies attending the markets as innocent farmers, while others figured in khaki in the guise of British officers. Steps were taken to identify _soi-disant_ soldiers attempting to pass through the lines, and to clear out the natives who, either from fear or for pecuniary advantage, were assisting in the transmission of information. Things in Johannesburg were no better. It needed all the acumen of Colonel Mackenzie, Director of Military Intelligence, to cope with the duplicities of the rogues and vagabonds of all nationalities that spent their time in hatching conspiracies. Three hundred and eighty of these were put in prison, while their respective Consuls were communicated with and held responsible for their good behaviour. In the course of these proceedings the whole of a dramatic plot came to light, and the following despatch, concisely describing the nature of the conspiracy, was forwarded by Lord Roberts to the Secretary of State for War:-- "The police and the Military Governor received information that, on the 14th July, the anniversary of the taking of Bastille, an attempt would be made to overpower garrison and murder British officers. "A race meeting was to take place on that day, and it was assumed that a large proportion of officers would attend it unarmed. "Bolder spirits among plotters were to go to the races armed, and murder officers, while an ostensibly French national gathering was to be the rallying point for the low class who were to murder all the police, and then take possession of the Government Offices, &c. "A Boer commander at Zwart Kop, to the north of the town, was in direct communication with the plotters. "By the 13th July the police were in possession of sufficient evidence to justify numerous arrests, which were accordingly carried out during the night of 13th to 14th. "At noon, 14th July, the Consuls of Germany, France, Sweden, and America, of which nations some subjects had been arrested, met the Commissioner of Police and discussed the question. "Each Consul concerned was furnished with a statement of the facts of the case. "The interview passed off most satisfactorily, and the Consuls expressed entire concurrence with action taken, and promised to render every assistance. "Between four hundred and five hundred arrests were made, but of these seventy-five were subsequently released on being vouched for by their respective Consuls." The rest were deported, and none too soon, as will be seen.