morning of the 21st, the General Officer commanding pushed
forward up the railway with the N.S.W. Lancers, followed by a section
of infantry in a train. The line was found to be broken one mile north
of Tweedale siding, but the cavalry advanced to within eight miles of
Colesberg without meeting the enemy (see map No. 10). On reporting by
telegram the result of this reconnaissance, General French added that,
on the arrival from De Aar of the two companies M.I., he proposed to
occupy a strong position north of Arundel, and that he considered
that, with a view to an attack on Colesberg, he should be reinforced
by two and a half battalions and a few squadrons of cavalry, "most
necessary for reaping fruits of victory in this country." The same
afternoon R. battery R.H.A. and an ammunition column reached
Naauwpoort by train from Cape Town. The two companies M.I., under
Lieut.-Colonel R. J. Tudway, marched in from De Aar, but were found to
be so insufficiently trained in their mounted duties that they were as
yet unfit to take the field as complete units against the enemy.[188]

[Footnote 188: These two companies were part of the M.I.
battalion of the cavalry division, and were composed of
sections drawn from various infantry battalions, and trained
in different districts in different ways.]

[Sidenote: Steps taken Nov. 22nd and 23rd. Reinforcements arrive.]

On the 22nd, culverts north of Tweedale siding were repaired, and an
obstruction on the line was removed. A patrol of the N.S.W. Lancers
was pushed on to a kopje north of Arundel, but no sign of the enemy
was seen. On the 23rd the other half-battalion Black Watch came in
from General Wauchope, and a reconnaissance of New South Wales Lancers
and a picked detachment of the M.I., supported by a company of
infantry in a train, was despatched up the line towards Arundel, with
a view to observing by patrols the vicinity of Colesberg; the kopjes,
however, north of Arundel station were found to be now occupied by the
Boers in sufficient strength to check further progress. In reporting
this to Cape Town by telegraph, General French stated that he did not
think that the enemy intended to attack Naauwpoort, but considered
that the Boers should be dislodged from Colesberg as soon as possible,
as they were obtaining recruits there. Naauwpoort had meantime been
placed in a thorough state of defence.

[Sidenote: French's command extended.]

Recon