attacked rather
sharply, but they managed to hold their own and to beat off the Boers.
Two companies of the Liverpool Regiment, who formed part of the advance
guard, fell into an ambush and lost considerably, leaving, it was
reported, some eighty men either killed, wounded, or prisoners in the
hands of the Boers. Shortly after arrival in camp, five companies of the
Regiment were sent out on outpost duty, taking up a short line and
entrenching--two companies were entrenched in front and furnished
sentries, with three companies entrenched in rear in support.

On August 24th and 25th the force stood fast, exchanging occasional big
gun and musketry fire with the Boers. Information was received that Lord
Roberts had entered Belfast on the 24th, thus practically joining hands
with Sir Redvers Buller.

The position taken up by the Boers already referred to, an immensely
powerful one, straddled the Pretoria-Lorenzo railway east of Belfast and
west of Machadodorp. Botha had taken up a front of some fifty miles in
length, and his force numbered about 5000 men. His right rested on the
broken mountainous country of Elandskloof to the north, and his left on
the mountains overlooking the Komati to the south. His centre was at
Bergendal Farm and the rugged and precipitous hills in the rear of the
farm, through which wound the railway and road, his line of retreat,
quite concealed from the fire and view of the British force. On the
extreme left a big gun with two or three smaller pieces were mounted,
but these were useless to give much support to the centre, as they were
too distant. The line of retreat to Komati Poort, which, from the nature
of the country, could not be threatened except by an extended movement
round the north or south, lay along the Belfast-Machadodorp road and the
railway line.

Briefly, the course of the two days' battle may be described as
follows:--

While Pole Carew threatened the centre at Belfast and the position north
of the railway, French was sent with his cavalry division still further
north to threaten the Boer line of retreat towards Pilgrim's Rest, and
their right flank. Buller attacked the Boers' left with the intention of
driving it in and getting behind their centre on their line of retreat.
He on the first day, however, could make no impression on them, and the
two forces held on to the position they were in for the night. On the
morning of the second day Buller, leaving a brigade of infantry a