For these twenty-three days' rations could be left.
Major Morris, as senior officer, was to command the sortie.

The direct road down to the Cape was barred by a great force of the rebels, and he therefore chose the road that would lead to the Denkera country.

If that could be reached, they would be in a friendly country.

The line to be taken was kept a profound secret, and was not revealed until ten o'clock on the evening before starting.

The force consisted of six hundred soldiers, with a hundred and fifty rounds of ammunition a man, seven hundred carriers, and about a thousand refugees.
There was a mist in the morning, and the garrison who were to remain made a feint, to direct the enemy's attention to the main road.