ow with the
infantry escort and to unlimber on the left of the field batteries.
The ground scouts of the brigade division had by this time reached the
bush, lining the south bank of the river, and had ascertained that
this bank was clear of the enemy. A section of the infantry escort had
also been sent forward to reconnoitre Colenso. Not a sign had been
given by the Boer guns and riflemen concentrated in front of Hunt, on
the far side, for the defence of the Colenso crossings. As soon as the
batteries approached the spot selected by the artillery commander, it
proved to be within 1,250 yards of Fort Wylie, and not much more than
1,000 yards from the Boer infantry entrenchments between that work and
the river. Then Louis Botha, fearing that their further advance would
intimidate his inexperienced burghers, gave the order to fire.
Immediately a storm of bullets and shells burst on the British guns,
both field and Naval. The Boers knew the exact range from whitewash
marks on the railway fence and adjacent stones; their fire was
therefore from the outset accurate.[232] The field batteries, led by
Lieutenant-Colonel Hunt, continued to go forward at a steady trot and
came into action at the chosen place in an excellent line. The limbers
were taken to the rear and wagons were brought up in the ordinary
manner.

[Footnote 232: In addition to the field guns on the Colenso
kopjes, a heavy gun, north of them, was observed by the Naval
officers of Capt. Jones', R.N., battery.]

[Sidenote: The Naval guns also come into action.]

The two leading Naval guns, under Lieutenant James, R.N., had at this
moment just crossed the drift of a deep donga, about 400 yards behind
Hunt. The central section of the battery was still in the drift, and
the rear section on the south side. The leading section, by direction
of the battery commander, Lieutenant Ogilvy, moved a little to the
left and opened fire against Fort Wylie. The native drivers of the
ox-spans of the other four guns had bolted, and the central guns were,
for the moment, jammed with their ammunition wagons in the drift, but
eventually the oxen were cut loose, and the guns, together with those
of the rear section, brought into action on the south side of the
donga, whence they also fired on Fort Wylie. During all this delay the
enemy's artillery, and in particular a pom-pom, had maintained a
well-directed fire on the drift.

[Sidenote: The batteries suff