Except in Natal, the war has stagnated.…

Except in Natal, the war has stagnated. 

Other than a single attempt to storm Ladysmith, the Boers have made no attempt to capture the besieged towns.

In the Cape Midlands, the Boers had not exploited the British defeat at Stormberg, and have been prevented from capturing the railway junction at Colesberg.

In the dry summer, the grazing on the veld becomes parched, weakening the Boers' horses and draft oxen, and many Boer families join their menfolk in the siege lines and laagers (encampments), fatally encumbering Cronjé's army.