from our main position in the river. I did not wish the
fire of the main body to be in any degree hampered by a fear of
hitting the men on Waschout Hill, especially at night. If we knew it
was not possible to hit them, we could shoot freely all over the hill.
This detachment was to have a double lot of water-bottles, besides
every available receptacle collected in the kraal, filled with water,
in anticipation of a prolonged struggle.

The general idea for the main defensive position was to hold both
sides of the river, improving the existing steep banks and ravines
into rifle-pits to contain from one to four men. These could, with
very little work, be made to give cover from all sides. As such a
large amount of the work was already done for us, we were enabled to
dig many more of these pits than the exact number required for our
party. Pathways leading between these were to be cut into the bank, so
that we should be able to shift about from one position to another.
Besides the advantage this would give us in the way of moving about,
according as we wished to fire, it also meant that we should probably
be able to mislead the enemy as to our numbers--which, by such
shifting tactics might, for a time at least, be much exaggerated. The
pits for fire to the north and south were nearly all so placed as to
allow the occupants to fire at ground-level over the veldt. They were
placed well among the bushes, only just sufficient scrub being cut
away to allow a man to see all round, without exposing the position of
his trench. On each side of the river, just by the drift, were some
"spoil" heaps of earth, excavated from the road ramp. These stood some
five or six feet above the general level, and were as rough as the
banks in outline. These heaps were large enough to allow of a few pits
being made on them, which had the extra advantage of height. In some
of the pits, to give head-cover, loopholes of sandbags were made,
though in most cases this was not needed, owing to the concealment of
the bushes. I found it was necessary to examine personally every
loophole, and correct the numerous mistakes made in their
construction. Some had the new clean sandbags exposed to full view,
thus serving as mere whited sepulchres to their occupants, others were
equally conspicuous from their absurd cock-shy appearance, others were
not bullet-proof, whilst others again would allow of shooting in one
direction, or into the ground at a few yards' ran