here was a ferry-boat. The
latter had been rendered useless by the Boers, but as they had left
the wire hawser, it was easy for the Royal Engineers to construct a
raft, on which the left half-battalion crossed comfortably and
quickly.
The right half-battalion joined the left half at the ferry, and
breakfasts were cooked. Before leaving the river-bank everybody made
an inspection of the Boer trenches, which formed an exceedingly strong
position. They were very deep, and so well adapted to the ground, that
it was no easy matter to discover them from the opposite bank.
Evidences of the hurried Boer retreat were plentiful in the shape of
full ammunition-boxes, half-cooked food, blankets, and kettles. One
Boer, who was too ill to march, was captured in the trenches.
After breakfasts, the battalion moved through a piece of ground
thickly covered with bush, and eventually bivouacked about one mile
from the Vaal, near the railway line. The 6th Brigade halted near the
same place, and the whole force was occupied for the next fortnight in
covering Fourteen Streams. The important railway bridge at this point
had been destroyed by the Boers, and the Royal Engineers, aided by
large working parties from the infantry, at once commenced to
construct a deviation bridge. This necessitated a great amount of
labour, and since, in addition, defensive works had to be made, we
were all kept very busy.
The stay at Fourteen Streams was interrupted on May 15th by a movement
on Christiana, a town in the Transvaal, reported to be held by a
strong party of Boers. The whole of the 10th Division took part in the
operations, and were thus the first regular troops to enter the
Transvaal. The frontier was crossed at 9 a.m. The advance was through
an undulating country, at times thickly covered by bush. Towards the
afternoon the brigade halted, as news was received that the mounted
troops had entered Christiana. A bivouac was formed in a clearing
among the bush, and dinners were cooked.
The next day the brigade marched back to Fourteen Streams, and reached
that place early on May 17th, having done some twenty-six miles in
nineteen hours. Work on the railway bridge was resumed, and, as the
6th Brigade had not returned, the battalion had to watch a more
extensive area. Each company was given a section, and constructed a
redoubt.
[Illustration: Captain Jervis, General Fitzroy Hart, C.B., C.M.G., and
Captain Arthur Hart.]
About May 24th, Secon
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