the Tugela was but thinly defended, but, on the other hand, there was a strong chain of posts on the advance along the coast. The force at this period in the Lower Tugela command may be summarized as follows:--The 2-3rd Foot, the 57th, the 3-60th Rifles, the 88th, the 91st, the 99th, or six battalions of infantry, mustering some 5400 bayonets, with M battery 6th Brigade, O battery 6th Brigade, 8th battery 7th Brigade, and the 30th company Royal Engineers. To these may be added the Naval Contingent, and with the native force the total amounted to quite 10,000 men. But before the general advance was commenced there remained one sad duty to be performed--the burial of those who were still lying on the fatal field of Isandhlwana. It will be asked why this had not been done long since? The answer is simple: want of cavalry, want of transport, and want of opportunity. Since the day upon which the fatal surprise took place, there had rarely been an hour to spare from the trying ordeal of official duty, while the task of providing for the living and feeding the daily reinforcements had left no time to attend to the dead. The moment, however, Marshall's troopers were upon the frontier, it was felt that something could be done, and every measure and precaution were taken to bring about a satisfactory result. To avoid any chance of a mishap or failure, Lord Chelmsford personally consulted General Wood when at Kambula, and subsequently at Utrecht, and it was decided that, previous to any formidable cavalry patrol being undertaken in force, a series of short reconnaissances should be carried out by the indefatigable Buller and his ubiquitous horsemen. The purpose of this plan was twofold. In the first place, these perpetual scoutings so harassed the natives, that the majority, and certainly the wealthier majority, heartily wished the war was over; secondly, it was of great importance to learn the whereabouts of the two impis which it was well known had been for months waiting for the return of English troops to Isandhlwana, and this information was effectually obtained by Buller's zeal and activity. The first and most important reconnaissance was made by General Wood in person, who ordered a night-parade of a selected body of horsemen on the 9th May. The force on this occasion consisted of sixty Frontier Light Horse, under Captain D'Arcy; thirty Mounted Infantry, under Captain Brown; and forty Natal Native Infantry, under Captain Woodgate, 4th Regiment, General Wood's staff officer. Their road at first was an easy descent into the fertile plain that was spread out like a map at their feet; it then wound up in a somewhat zigzag manner by the sides of a steep hill, flanked on the one side by a ravine, and on the other by a dense bush. Presently a black body was seen by the advanced scouts, whom Buller always sent out as "feelers," creeping through the bushes on the left, and in our rear came a second. No shot,