Among the fugitives strong hopes were expressed
that the damage had been serious enough to interrupt the traffic for
some little time, and to cause serious inconvenience to the Boers, and
some even hazarded the hope that the bridge had suffered. This, however,
seemed unlikely in the extreme.
Fortunately the weather was fine on the run down to Durban, and the
passage of three hundred miles was effected in twenty-four hours. It was
now just a month since they had left Maritzburg, and as soon as they
landed with their horses and followers they learned that much had taken
place during that time.
They had started on the 10th of November. The Boers were then steadily
advancing, and so great did the danger appear, that Durban had been
strongly fortified by the blue jackets, aided by Kaffir labour. On the
25th Sir Redvers Buller had arrived, and by this time a considerable
force was gathered at Estcourt. The British advance began from that town
on the following day. The place had been entirely cut off, Boers
occupying the whole country as far as the Mooi river. General Hildyard,
who commanded at Estcourt, had been obliged to inarch out several times
to keep them at a distance from the town, and one or two sharp artillery
engagements had taken place, the Boers being commanded by General
Joubert in person.
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