h sides was carefully scouted.

"By this means it was ascertained that there was a considerable
force of Boers (1) on the left front, (2) in the immediate front
(retreating hastily on Krugersdorp), (3) a third party on the right
flank.

"The force which had been following the column from Van Oudtshoorn's
continued to hover in the rear.

"Lieutenant-Colonel White, in command of the advanced guard, sent
back a request for guns to be pushed forward as a precaution in case
of an attack from the Boers in front. By the time these guns reached
the advanced guard, the Boers were still retreating some two miles
off. A few rounds were then fired in their direction. Had Colonel
White, in the first instance, opened fire with his Maxims on the
Boers, whom he surprised watering their horses close to Hind's
store, considerable loss would have been inflicted, but this was not
our object, for with the exception of the small skirmish on the
previous night, the Boers had not as yet molested the column, whose
sole aim was to reach Johannesburg if possible without fighting.

"At this hour Hind's store was reached. Here the troops rested for
one and a half hours. Unfortunately, hardly any provisions for men
and horses were available. An officer's patrol, consisting of Major
Villiers (Royal Horse Guards), and Lieutenant Grenfell (1st Life
Guards), and six men, moved off for the purpose of reconnoitring the
left flank of the Boer position, while Captain Lindsell, with his
permanent force of advanced scouts, pushed on as usual to
reconnoitre the approach by the main road. At the same time I
forwarded a note to the Commandant of the forces in Krugersdorp to
the effect that, in the event of my friendly force meeting with
opposition on its approach, I should be forced to shell the town,
and that therefore I gave him this warning in order that the women
and children might be moved out of danger.

"To this note, which was despatched by a Boer who had been detained
at Van Oudtshoorn, I received no reply.

"At Hind's store we were informed that the force in our front had
increased during the forenoon to about 800 men, of whom a large
number were entrenched on the hillside.

"Four miles beyond Hind's store the column following the scouts,
which met with no opposition, ascended a steep rise of some 400
feet, and came full in view of the Boer position on the opposite
side of a deep valley, traversed by a broad 'sluit' or muddy
watercourse.

"