Sunday, February 11th.

Diverging slightly from the railroad, they marched due south--away from the enemy--seventeen miles to Ramdam, which is about ten miles east of Graspan Station.

At sunrise they were out of sight of the empty tents, standing deceitfully behind them.

At noon Ramdam was reached, and the division halted till 3 A.M.of the 12th, when it again marched due east for a ford called Waterval Drift, on the Riet River, which it will be remembered is a tributary of the Modder, flowing from south-east to north-west.

Reaching there soon after sunrise, the ford was found to be held by a party of the enemy.
Covering his change of purpose by a feint upon this position, French swung the rest of his division to the right, and with slight loss forced a passage at De Kiel's Drift, apparently somewhat higher up.
That evening he {p.271} held both sides of the Riet, the enemy having retreated.