Had he the whole of the end plateau, and had he guns, he might hope to command the rest of the position.

But he held only half the plateau, and at the further end of it the Boers were strongly entrenched.

The Spion Kop mountain was really the salient or sharp angle of the Boer position, so that the British were exposed to a cross fire both from the left and right.

Beyond were other eminences which sheltered strings of riflemen and several guns.

The plateau which the British held was very much narrower than was usually represented in the press.