CHAP. III. 
ENO’S BEAVE DAUGHTEE, 
9 
forces ; Dutch and English farmers, and some of the 
Graham’s Town inhabitants. We started with three 
days’ rations, expecting to be able to capture and live 
upon the cattle of the enemy. A good deal of secrecy 
was maintained as to our destination. Major Gregory 
and Lieutenant Granet, two officers of the 98th Regi¬ 
ment, who were on the Frontier shooting when the war 
broke out, also volunteered, and commanded some of the 
irregulars. We marched from Graham’s Town in the 
afternoon, and reached Commetty’s Drift, on the Fish 
River, just at dark. It was noticed that the river was 
turbulent and rising, and it would have been wise to 
have crossed at once ; as it wa§ we halted (but were not 
allowed to make fires) until three o’clock next morn¬ 
ing, when the column (all mounted men) began to 
cross the river, which had been rising during the night; 
and the ford or drift was now so deep that many horses 
had to swim. This brings the following anecdote to 
my mind :—One of the volunteers from Graham’s Town 
was a celebrated auctioneer, a plucky little fellow, but 
of so light a weight that he was being washed off his 
horse’s back while crossing the river. Immediately below 
him, in the ford, was a great big fellow of the name of 
6 Tom Bailie.’ The little man had already left his 
saddle; and as he was gliding by degrees towards his 
horse’s tail his auctioneering parlance came to his 
aid, for you heard ‘ Going, going, gone, by G—-.! ’ and 
