The battle raged until it became dark; and I think we were justified in
being satisfied with what we had achieved. We had captured sixteen
hundred oxen and forty prisoners; whilst General Fourie, whom I had
ordered to attack the camp on the south, had taken several prisoners and
a few water-carts.

We remained that night in our positions. The small number of burghers I
had at my disposal made it impossible for me to surround the English
camp.

To our great surprise, the following morning, we saw that the English
had gone. About twenty soldiers had, however, remained behind; we found
them hidden along the banks of the Riet River at a short distance from
the convoy. We also discovered thirty-six Kaffirs on a ridge about three
miles away. As to the enemy's camp, it was entirely deserted. Our booty
was enormous, and consisted of two hundred heavily-laden waggons, and
eleven or twelve water-carts and trollies. On some of the waggons we
found klinkers,[19] jam, milk, sardines, salmon, cases of corned beef,
and other such provisions in great variety. Other waggons were loaded
with rum; and still others contained oats and horse provender pressed
into bales. In addition to these stores, we took one field-piece, which
the English had left behind. It was, indeed, a gigantic capture; the
only question was what to do with it.

Our prisoners told us that columns from Belmont might be expected at
any moment. Had these arrived we should have been unable to hold out
against them.

By some means or other it was necessary to get the provisions away, not
that we were then in any great need of them ourselves, but because we