CHAP. IY. 
MURRAY'S KRAANTZ. 
15 
known to be defending this particular point, and 
Sir Harry Smith marched in command of a separate 
column to attack this stronghold. The troops moved 
from camp before daylight, and Sir Harry at first in¬ 
tended to march round the east point of the bluff and 
attack it from the north side; but as we were marching 
over the ridge running down to the Buffalo River, 
a beacon-fire was lit at the bluff itself, and Sir Harry 
then decided to go at once to the attack. Daylight 
broke as we reached the edge of the rocky glen, 
and troops were at once sent in to the attack. It 
was a most difficult position to approach. Before 
reaching the solid cliff itself the troops had to pass 
between high masses of perpendicular rocks towering 
more than 100 feet above their heads on each side, 
with a passage not ten feet wide between them; this 
narrow passage serpentining round boulders and zig¬ 
zagging round corners in the most extraordinary 
manner. 
The Kafirs were quite prepared for us, for they 
commenced at once to throw down great rocks and 
spears, &c. from the precipices above, which had 
evidently been collected there for the purpose. We, how¬ 
ever, forced our way on until we came to the bluff or 
acute angle of the cliff itself; here only one man 
could pass at a time, and as that man came to the 
corner he was either shot down or assaigaied. I was at 
