The Overwhelming Forces of Lord Roberts I speedily discovered the object which the English had in view in taking such advanced positions and in bombarding Magersfontein.

They wished to give us the impression that they were able to attack us at any moment and so to keep us tied to our positions.

In the meantime they were making preparations in another direction, for the movement which was really intended--namely, the advance of Lord Roberts with his overwhelming force.
The Commander-in-Chief, Piet de Wet (and before him Commandant H.
Schorman), had plenty of work given them by the English.

But General De la Rey had been so successful that he had prevented Lord Roberts, notwithstanding the enormous numbers he commanded, from crossing the Orange River at Norvalspont, and had thus forced him to take the Modder River route.
Lord Roberts would have found it more convenient to have crossed the Orange River, for the railway runs through Norvalspont.

Yet had he attempted it, he would have fared as badly as Sir Redvers Buller did in Natal.