Guards were crossing the river, his battalion near the railway was to
cease fire so as to avoid the possibility of injuring their comrades.
This order was with the greatest difficulty conveyed to the right of
the 9th brigade, but as soon as it was obeyed, the musketry of the
Boers so redoubled in intensity that in self-defence the troops had to
re-open fire. Almost immediately after the message had arrived, Lord
Methuen came up and told Pole-Carew that the Guards had not succeeded
in their attempt to cross. His purpose was to arrange for concerted
action on the left flank. The Major-General explained to him the local
situation, and said that he proposed to reinforce the little party of
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the river bank, and under cover
of their fire on the farm, rush it, and then make every effort to
cross the river by the islands at Rosmead. Lord Methuen approved, and
some twenty or thirty more of the Argyll and Sutherland rushed down
into the donga. A strong flanking patrol of the King's Own Yorkshire
Light Infantry, under Lt. R. M. D. Fox, supported by a detachment of
the Argyll and Sutherland, was now utilised for the attack on the
house and kraal. The Boers did not make a vigorous resistance but
retreated across the river as the British advanced, and at about 11.30
the farm and the rocky ground were in Major-General Pole-Carew's
hands. The enemy on the north bank had been so greatly shaken by the
fire of two guns of the 18th battery, under Capt. G. T.
Forestier-Walker, that they were already in retreat from Rosmead when
the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry attacked the farmhouse. This
section, which at 10.15 a.m. was sent to assist the 9th brigade by
Col. Hall, the officer commanding the artillery, had come into action
on a small knoll south-west of the village of Rosmead, on the extreme
left of the line, and its shells had dislodged a party of about 300
Boers, who were seen galloping away northwards from Rosmead and from
the wood to the east of it.

[Sidenote: Situation at 11.30 a.m. Nov. 28th.]

At 11.30 a.m. the general situation was as follows:--the half
battalion Loyal North Lancashire was close to the southern bank facing
a ford, to which it had been sent by Capt. Bulfin. The farm covering
the weir was in our hands; thence eastwards to the railway stretched
the 9th brigade, immovable under the fire of the Boers entrenched
along both banks. The small detachment of Argyll and Sutherland
H