Six days before the arrival of General Mahon's relieving column,
a very determined attempt was made to carry Mafeking by assault. The Boers, led by Commandant Eloff, entered and set fire to the native stadt, and captured the B.S.A. Police fort and the headquarters of the Protectorate Regiment, taking Colonel Hors prisoner. Meantime ths garrison had repulsed the main body of the enemy and on off the advanced guard. After several hours' despemte short. range fighting, in which Eloff's force was completely sup• rounded and divided into three parties, upwards of one hundred Boers, including Count de Bremont, Captain von Weiss, and six comets, were taken prisoners, Commandant Eloff surrendering to his own prigoner. The losses of the Boers were twenty killed and many wounded, the British casualties only amounting to three killed and seven wounded. Thus Mafeking's last action was the most successful and almost the fiercest of the whole siege.
