arrow Nek which divided the south of the
hill from the main plateau. The Black Watch was moved over the river
to the right bank in support. In the afternoon arrived large
reinforcements, which had been despatched by Cronje from Scholtz Nek
to aid De Wet. These, estimated by the British troops to be about
2,000 strong,[317] enabled the enemy to push on again up the reverse
slopes of the Berg and definitely establish themselves on the northern
and western edges of the plateau. On this the British field-works were
further strengthened. Visser's homestead, a farmhouse lying in the
plain to the south-east of the kopje and to the north of the drift,
was placed in a state of defence, and occupied by two companies of the
Black Watch. The two squadrons of 9th Lancers during this time were
manoeuvred by Major Little near to the farm, with the object of
inducing the Boers to come out into the open and attack, but they
confined themselves all that afternoon to heavy sniping. At dusk the
companies of the H.L.I. on the eastern extremity of the Berg were
relieved by another company of that battalion and four companies of
the Seaforth.

[Footnote 316: The actual strength of this force was 350. Its
leader was C. De Wet.]

[Footnote 317: General De Wet officially reported that he
only received a reinforcement of 200 men. Other Boer accounts
give his total strength during the action as 800.]

[Sidenote: Course of struggle.]

As soon as it was dark the Boers dragged a gun, which, with a further
reinforcement of 200 men, had been received from Cronje, up the
north-western slopes of the hill, and at 9 a.m. (7th February) they
opened with shrapnel on the breastworks at the eastern edge of the
plateau. The troops holding that ground were now reinforced by two
more companies of the H.L.I. and four of the Black Watch,
Lieut.-Colonel Hughes-Hallett being placed in command. A little later
the cavalry patrols reported that a party of Boers was passing across
Painter's Drift, two miles down the river, to attack the left flank.
The defence of the bank of the Riet had been entrusted to Lt.-Colonel
A. Wilson, commanding the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, and that
officer despatched two and a half companies of his battalion with two
guns, under Major E. B. Urmston, to meet this movement. The rest of
Major Granet's battery was in action on the left bank of the river
against the enemy's artillery. On t