complete.

After the Regiment had been engaged in long-range firing for some time,
the head of the main column appeared on the Lydenburg road, and the
force finally went into bivouac for the night at Boshhoek. About 400
sheep and some cattle were picked up on the neighbouring farms.

The following morning the column marched north down the Waterval valley,
and after the mounted troops had experienced some opposition in very
hilly and rough country, Boshfontein was reached.

Shortly after the force had settled into camp heavy gun fire was heard
from the direction of Waterval. The Boers' shells exploded in the valley
immediately to the north of the camp and in the vicinity of a farm,
where it would appear the Boers considered the column should have
bivouacked. After the explosion of some twenty shells a louder report
than usual was heard, and the shelling ceased.

The mounted troops reported that the Boers were in position above
Waterval, where there was a large women's laager.

In the dark of the morning, at three o'clock, General Kitchener set his
column in motion: four companies, with a 12-pounder and two 5-inch guns,
under Major Davies, preceded the force, with the intention of capturing
the big Boer gun; four companies, with two field guns, under Captain
Jacson, made a flanking movement through scrub and dongas round the
left. Very little opposition was met with. The mounted troops captured a
few prisoners, and it was found that the Boers had blown up their big
gun. This was the gun that had been situated on Pepworth Hill, and which
had been disabled by one of the Naval Brigade's shells during the siege
of Ladysmith. Its muzzle had been shortened, showing that it had been
damaged. The Boers had blown the gun to pieces. The barrel of the gun
was blown about fifty yards in front of the emplacement, whilst the
breech-block was found afterwards 1-1/2 miles in rear. They had
destroyed also one pompom and one Maxim. Twenty-eight Boers were
captured, with about sixty head of cattle and thirteen wagons. The
Australians had one man killed and one man wounded.

[Illustration: Remains of Boer Big Gun, Waterval]

The Waterval valley was well watered and exceedingly rich in crops, and
the numerous farm-houses were full of families. These were collected
afterwards by Colonel Park's column and sent into Lydenburg.

On the 16th the column set out from Waterval in a north-westerly
direction, the objective being Secoconi's cou