At the end of June, Fouche, one of the most enterprising of the
guerilla chiefs, made a dash from Barkly East into the native
reserves of the Transkei in order to obtain horses and supplies. It
was a desperate measure, as it was vain to suppose that the warlike
Kaffirs would permit their property to be looted without
resistance, and if once the assegais were reddened no man could say
how far the mischief might go. With great loyalty the British
Government, even in the darkest days, had held back those martial
races - Zulus, Swazis, and Basutos - who all had old grudges against
the Amaboon. Fouche's raid was stopped, however, before it led to
serious trouble. A handful of Griqualand Mounted Rifles held it in
front, while Dalgety and his colonial veterans moving very swiftly
drove him back northwards.
Though baulked, Fouche was still formidable, and on July 14th he
made a strong attack in the neighbourhood of Jamestown upon a
column of Connaught Rangers who were escorting a convoy. Major
Moore offered a determined resistance, and eventually after some
hours of fighting drove the enemy away and captured their laager.
Seven killed and seventeen wounded were the British losses in this
spirited engagement.
On July 10th General French, surveying from a lofty mountain peak
the vast expanse of the field of operations, with his heliograph
calling up responsive twinkles over one hundred miles of country,
gave the order for the convergence of four columns upon the valley
in which he knew Scheepers to be lurking.
