These have often been spoken of as "explosive bullets," and sometimes as "man-stopping," or "soft-nosed bullets." When they penetrate the body they spread out or "mushroom," assuming some such form as that indicated in the illustration in the corner, inflicting terrible wounds, and leaving a gaping hole at the point of exit. A shows the origin of the Dum-dum bullet, which is so called because it was first made at the Arsenal of Dum-dum in India. The nickel coating of the bullet is filed away at the top to allow the lead to expand. B is the British regulation Dum-dum, now prohibited, and C is a section of the same. D is the soft-nosed expanding bullet, of which hundreds were found in the Boer trenches at Paardeberg and elsewhere.] [Illustration: BEGINNING THE ASCENT OF COLES KOP. Taking guns to the top of the hill, 800 feet high. This photograph gives some idea of the difficult character of the ground over which the men had to drag their guns by hand labour.] [Sidenote: Occupation of Slingersfontein.] [Sidenote: JAN. 11-15, 1900.] _Artillery on Coles Kop._] On January 7, General French with a squadron of Household Cavalry pushed out a reconnaissance to the east and examined a position near Slingersfontein. The enemy opened a long range fire, and succeeded in cutting off and capturing Captain Ricardo with four troopers. Two days later, Slingersfontein was occupied by Colonel Porter with a force of 600 men and four guns, after a brush with the enemy in which the New Zealanders distinguished themselves. To cover the movement the rest of the artillery shelled the enemy's lines. From his new position, Colonel Porter could see all that was going on in the Boer rear, and noted the arrival of large reinforcements from Magersfontein and Ladysmith. General French, in fact, was acting as a magnet and attracting the enemy's forces. The Boers opposed to him were now about 4,000 or 5,000 strong, and in the course of the next few days were yet further strengthened to 6,000 or 7,000. On his part, General French was reinforced by half the 1st Welsh Regiment and the 4th Field Battery, and was promised a part of the Sixth Division, now beginning to reach South Africa. [Illustration: _C. H. Taffs._] [_After a sketch by F. Villiers._ THE WIRE HOIST USED FOR DRAGGING AMMUNITION AND SUPPLIES UP COLES KOP.] [Sidenote: Guns and supplies hauled up Coles Kop.]