It is necessary now to turn from the north-east to the north-west of Pretoria, where the presence of De la Rey and the cover afforded by the Magaliesberg mountains had kept alive the Boer resistance.  Very rugged lines of hill, alternating with fertile valleys, afforded a succession of forts and of granaries to the army which held them.  To General Clements’ column had been committed the task of clearing this difficult piece of country.  His force fluctuated in numbers, but does not appear at any time to have consisted of more than three thousand men, which comprised the Border Regiment, the Yorkshire Light Infantry, the second Northumberland Fusiliers, mounted infantry, yeomanry, the 8th R.F.A., P battery R.H.A., and one heavy gun.  With this small army he moved about the district, breaking up Boer bands, capturing supplies, and bringing in refugees.  On November 13th he was at Krugersdorp, the southern extremity of his beat.  On the 24th he was moving north again, and found himself as he approached the hills in the presence of a force of Boers with cannon.  This was the redoubtable De la Rey, who sometimes operated in Methuen’s country to the north of the Magaliesberg, and sometimes to the south.  He had now apparently fixed upon Clements as his definite opponent.  De la Rey was numerically inferior, and Clements had no difficulty in this first encounter in forcing him back with some loss.  On November 26th Clements was back at Krugersdorp again with cattle and prisoners.  In the early days of December he was moving northwards once more, where a serious disaster awaited him.  Before narrating the circumstances connected with the Battle of Nooitgedacht there is one incident which occurred in this same region which should be recounted.

This consists of the determined attack made by a party of De la Rey’s men, upon December 3rd, on a convoy which was proceeding from Pretoria to Rustenburg, and had got as far as Buffel’s Hoek.  The convoy was a very large one, consisting of 150 wagons, which covered about three miles upon the march.  It was guarded by two companies of the West Yorkshires, two guns of the 75th battery, and a handful of the Victoria Mounted Rifles.  The escort appears entirely inadequate when it is remembered that these stores, which were of great value, were being taken through a country which was known to be infested by the enemy.  What might have been foreseen occurred.  Five hundred Boers suddenly rode down upon the helpless line of wagons and took possession of them.  The escort rallied, however, upon a kopje, and, though attacked all day, succeeded in holding their own until help arrived.  They prevented the Boers from destroying or carrying off as much of the convoy as was under their guns, but the rest was looted and burned.  The incident was a most unfortunate one, as it supplied the enemy with a large quantity of stores, of which they were badly in need.  It was the more irritating as it was freely rumoured that a Boer attack was pending;