ng morning.
Intelligence, however, having reached the British commander that a
party of Boers, stated to be 500 strong, were on his right flank, the
Scots Guards and the two companies of Royal Munster Fusiliers,
together with the Naval guns, remained at Belmont to protect the
railway and the rear of the column, but were ordered to march to
Enslin the next day.

[Sidenote: Swinkpan lacks water.]

[Sidenote: Methuen's intentions.]

This information as to the enemy and an unfounded rumour of a Boer
movement to the westward somewhat delayed the start of the whole
division; the troops, therefore, did not reach Swinkpan until after
dark. On arrival barely sufficient water was found in the pan for the
men, and none could be spared for the battery horses, a hardship which
told against them severely in the fight of the morrow. The cavalry
reconnaissance, which Lord Methuen personally accompanied, tended to
confirm the original report that the strength of the Boer force
holding the position did not exceed five hundred men. He considered,
therefore, that on the following day he would be able to shell the
enemy out of the kopjes, and hoped that by despatching his cavalry and
mounted infantry well forward on both flanks he might have the good
fortune to capture the entire detachment.

[Sidenote: Advance on Graspan. Nov. 25/99, 3.30 a.m.]

With this design the mounted troops, the Field artillery, and the 9th
brigade under command of Lieut.-Col. Money, marched from Swinkpan
bivouac on Graspan at 3.30 a.m. on the 25th of November, the Guards'
brigade, under Major-General Sir H. Colvile, following in rear with
the baggage train at an interval of more than an hour. The Naval guns
at Belmont, mounted on goods trucks, simultaneously moved forward up
the line with the armoured train, followed by the Railway Troops,
viz., the 8th, 11th and 31st companies of the Royal engineers. The 1st
Scots Guards and two companies Munster Fusiliers went by road as
rearguard.

To the 9th brigade had been attached this day a small Naval battalion,
commanded by Captain Prothero, R.N., consisting of a company of
bluejackets, one company of Royal Marine artillery, and two companies
of Royal Marine Light Infantry, the total strength of the battalion
being about 240 men. Besides this unit the brigade comprised the 1st
Northumberland Fusiliers, 2nd Northamptonshire regiment, 2nd King's
Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, and a half-battalion of the Loyal North