n wounded, and 7
missing.

[Sidenote: Heavy Naval losses.]

The proportion of these losses which fell on the Naval brigade was
very high, their returns showing 3 officers and 6 men killed and 3
officers and 89 men wounded. The Marines, who took part in the actual
attack, lost 47 per cent. of their strength. It is remarkable that the
North Lancashire, two of whose companies shared in that assault, had
only 1 man killed, 6 wounded, and 2 missing. The Guards' brigade did
not suffer and did not fire a shot all day.

[Sidenote: Boer losses.]

The enemy's losses are not accurately known; the bodies of 23 Boers
were found by the British troops, and buried after the fight; the
total republican casualties probably, therefore, amounted to about 80
or 90. Forty prisoners and a few ponies were captured.

[Sidenote: After the action. Night of Nov. 25th.]

Lord Methuen's division bivouacked the night of the 25th November at
or near Enslin station; the scarcity of water again caused much
discomfort to men and animals. Under the supervision of Colonel E.
Townsend, principal medical officer of the division, the wounded were
collected and entrained during the afternoon, the less severe cases
being sent off to Orange River, and the graver to Cape Town.

CHAPTER XV.

THE BATTLE OF THE MODDER RIVER.[167]

[Footnote 167: As a point of historical accuracy it should be
noticed that, for the battle of the 28th November, the
"Modder River" is a misnomer. The fighting, as will be seen
in this chapter, took place on the banks of the Riet; but
since the battle honours for the engagement have been given
for "Modder River," the name has become officially
recognised, and is therefore used here. See map No. 12.]

[Sidenote: Boers learn to change their ideas of a "strong position."]

[Sidenote: The ground chosen by De la Rey. Nov. 26th.]

When the Boers, after their defeat on the 25th November, retreated
from the heights of Graspan,[168] the greater part of their force
withdrew to Jacobsdal, little inclined to renew the combat. But
General De la Rey induced the burghers to make another effort to
arrest the British march on Kimberley, at a position of his own
selection at the confluence of the Riet and the Modder rivers, where
the terrain differed in character from that which had been occupied at
Belmont and Graspan. In those engagements the Boers had entrenched
themse