When the mobilisation in England began the army organisation worked very satisfactorily and smoothly. No such task as the transport of an expeditionary force, 50,000 strong, six thousand miles over sea had ever before been undertaken in the whole record of military history. In the Crimean war we had moved 33,000 men with 3,350 horses and 54 guns a distance of about three thousand miles, and that was considered a very great feat. With each increase in the distance the space that must be allowed man and horse grows, and an extra amount of food and stores must be carried. For very short voyages of a few hours or less one man can be shipped for each ton of the vessel's displacement. For such a trip a steamer like the _Britannic_ could carry 5,000 or 6,000 men. Actually, she embarked only 1,200 men on the voyage to South Africa, for this reason, that if the troops were to arrive in good health and fit for service, they could not be packed on board like sardines. The British soldier is a valuable and expensive product, and far more carefully treated than the Frenchman or Russian. [Illustration: [_Photo by Gregory._ GETTING CAVALRY HORSES ON BOARD.] The Admiralty was charged with the duty of hiring and fitting transports. It was decided that, as the supply train for the army could not be ready in South Africa for some weeks, vessels of only moderate speed should be chartered. In acting thus the extremity of the emergency seems to have been in some degree overlooked. Long before the first batch of troop-ships was half way to the Cape troops were most urgently needed in all directions. In Natal and in central Cape Colony our generals might have been able to dispense with an elaborate transport system by making use of the railways. Of the steamers chartered the great majority steamed 12 or 13 knots. The _Aurania_ of 17 knots, _Britannic_ of 16, and _Roslin Castle_ of 15, were the fastest chosen. Though the cavalry and artillery should, strictly speaking, have sailed first, since horses always require some days' rest on land before they are fit for hard work after a long voyage, the time required to provide the horse-transports with proper fittings was so considerable that very few were able to leave with the head of the Army Corps. [Illustration: _Armstrong, Whitworth & Co._] 12-POUNDER NAVAL FIELD-GUN. The picture represents the 12-pounder gun on field carriage, as used at Ladysmith and elsewhere.] [Illustration: [_Photo by Gregory._ A 6-INCH HOWITZER OFF TO THE FRONT. This is one of the weapons of the siege train intended for the bombardment of Pretoria, and used against Cronje at Paardeberg.] [Sidenote: Embarkation of the troops.] [Sidenote: OCT.-NOV. 1899.] _Food for the Voyage._]