The train was painfully slow, and rarely attained a speed of more than five or six miles an hour.

At Elandsfontein the engine gave out entirely, and a long delay ensued while another was being procured.

At all the stations were small camps and pickets of bronzed and bearded soldiers, and on the platforms could be seen many officers newly arrived from England, distinguished by their brand-new uniforms, nearly all carrying the inevitable Kodak.

At length we arrived at Johannesburg as the daylight was fading, and found excellent accommodation at Heath's Hotel.

In the "Golden City," as at Pretoria, the shops were open, and seemed wonderfully well supplied, butter and cigarettes being the only items that were lacking.