Each four-wheeled vehicle is drawn by ten mules; twowheeled, by six mules. The average load of four-wheeled wagons is 3,000 pounds; of two-wheeled, 1,500 pounds. The four-wheeled vehicles are designated buck and general-service wagons, and the two-wheeled Scotch carts.

The buck wagon, weight 2,500 pounds, has vertical sideboards of about 1 foot only in height, the sideboards from that point sloping outward at an angle of about 45° for 1 foot. They have no bows. It is impossible to pack these wagons properly, and the result is that the loads are often tumbling all over the road. Our six-mule army wagon is infinitely better in every respect.

The general-service wagon is almost identical with our escort wagon, weighing 1,708 pounds. It is used also without bows, the army service people stating that the bows made in England were always breaking, so they abandoned their use.

All these wagons have on them what is called the colonial brake, the best army-wagon brake I have ever seen.

All the mules are small, about the size of our pack animals and come from Italy, Spain, Argentine Republic, and New Orleans. The British have used on this campaign very few pack animals of any kind.

SUPPLIES.

The following table of rations and forage is the allowance of the troops in the field in South Africa.

The daily ration is as follows:

MEAT.-One pound fresh or preserved.

EQUIVALENTS.-Cheese, 2 ounces, equals 4 ounces fresh or 3 ounces preserved meat; bacon, 4 ounces, equals 4 ounces fresh or 4 ounces preserved meat; maconochies, equals ration of meat and vegetables.

Supply of fresh meat may be increased when possible, by special order of commander in chief, to 1 pounds.

BREAD.-One and one-fourth pounds fresh bread or 1 pound biscuit, flour, or meal.

When flour or meal is issued, seven cakes of patent yeast will, if available, be issued per 100 pounds of flour.

COFFEE.-Two-thirds ounce coffee or ounce tea or 1 ounce chocolate; 3 ounces of sugar, ounce of salt, ounce of pepper.

VEGETABLES.-One ounce of compressed vegetables, or pound of potatoes or other fresh vegetables, or 2 ounces split

peas, or pound onions, or 2 ounces rice, or 1 tin pea soup (Erbswurst).

OCCASIONAL ISSUES WHEN AVAILABLE.-Lime juice, ounce (gill), when fresh vegetables are not obtainable. Spirits, gallon ( gill), when notified in army orders. Jam, pound tin (about 4 ounces), but not oftener than three days per week.

Tobacco, in quantities not exceeding 1 pound per man a month on payment of 1 penny per ounce.

FORAGE. The daily ration will be: Horses, 12 pounds; mules, 8 pounds.

Two pounds of hay may be substituted for every pound of grain, but not in excess of 8 pounds per diem.

SUPPLIES FOR TROOPS AND ANIMALS PROCEEDING BY RAIL.Troops and animals entrained at coast ports for conveyance to advanced posts will, in addition to the emergency ration carried by the soldier, be furnished with three days' rations on the following scale:

Troops.

One pound meat, 1 pound bread or biscuit, and a full grocery ration.

Animals.-Grain: Horses, 9 pounds; mules, 6 pounds. Bran: Horses, 6 pounds; mules, 6 pounds. Salt: Horses, ounce; mules, ounce.

RATIONS FOR NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS.-Rations may be issued on repayment to newspaper correspondents duly authorized to accompany the troops in the field. They may also draw rations for one servant and one horse.

The authorized rate of stoppage will be 4 shillings per man's ration and 5 shillings per forage ration. Payment for a month in advance will be made to an army paymaster, who will notify on the receipt the number and description of the rations paid for.

Previous to the advance there had been accumulated, at Orange River, 2,000,000 full rations and 1,000,000 forage rations.

At Enslin and Graspan the same quantities.

At Modder River Station, 100, 250,000 rations [thus in report; evidently an error.-Ed.], and 400,000 forage rations. A large quantity of these was for the resupply of the Kimberley garrison and inhabitants.

The supplies for the army are now drawn from Port Elizabeth.

The jam ration is greatly appreciated by the men, as is also the lime juice, both of which the medical officers say are health preservers.

Both the transport and supply departments-our Quartermaster and Subsistence-are in the British service consolidated in one corps, designated "the army service corps" under one general chief. It has worked during this difficult campaign most admirably. The same officer in collecting supplies, collects the transport to haul them and makes all arrangements for their shipment, thus obviating friction, confusion, and unnecessary delay.

I consider the army service corps one of the best things I have seen in the British army.

FIELD TELEGRAPH.

The field telegraph has been admirable. It has advanced usually in rear of the cavalry, a cable being used which was picked up by another section and ordinary wires and poles used.

The aerial line was working before the infantry approached. In camp each division was connected by cable with headquarters and each brigade with its division.

Headquarters have been in communication by it with the base on the railroad throughout.

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

This has been a failure. The poles were not long enough, and kites and balloons which were tried were found uncertain and unsatisfactory.

There were many stations established above De Aar along the railroad, but after many attempts all were abandoned. It was hoped by the engineers that with their 30-foot bamboo pole they could transmit 10 miles, and by splicing the poles to 75 feet in height, 100 miles, but it would not work.

SIGNALING.

The signaling by search-light from permanent camps has been very successful. In cloudy weather, when the heliograph could not be used, it has been the only manner of communicating with besieged places.

The heliograph has been in general use by both armies, and has proven invaluable to the British, and equally so, I suppose, to the Boers. In the British army each brigade has its

heliograph and sends to its division headquarters, which transmit in same manner to army headquarters. These messages were constantly coming in during action.

Whistles were used by all officers, and the trumpet was never heard. When too distant for use of whistles, flags were used. The night-signal lamp or lantern was used generally and with great success.

Throughout the campaign, communication between different units has been excellent by these different methods, and it was rarely that a message had to be sent by a mounted man. The telephone has not been used.

TOTAL CASUALTIES.

Up to the 13th day of March, the total casualties were: Killed: Officers, 23; men, 312. Wounded: Officers, 119; men, 1,662. Missing: Officers, 11; men, 222. Prisoners: Officers, 2; men, 14.

THE PRESENT OUTLOOK.

The signs would now seem to indicate that the majority of the Orange Free Staters have practically given up.

The President is at Kroonstad trying to rally around him a fighting force.

The Free Staters south of here are coming in daily and surrendering their arms in reponse to Lord Roberts's proclamation, hereunto affixed.

The Transvaal Boers seem determined to fight it out.

Should the Boers change their tactics and assume the offensive, as they may possibly do from now on, Lord Roberts will find many difficulties before reaching Pretoria.

General Buller is in Natal, with about 30,000 men, including the 9,000 men of the Ladysmith garrison, and is ready to advance into the Transvaal from that flank when Lord Roberts directs. I understand, but am not sure, that a force will also operate from the railroad from some point south of Mafeking.

Lord Roberts's force will be reenforced by some of those from the south; one division of infantry and three batteries of field artillery, three fresh regiments of cavalry, four 9.8inch siege'guns and four 6-inch naval guns mounted on railway trucks.