▁consult ing ▁with ▁President ▁Paul ▁Kru ger ▁of ▁the ▁Trans va al , ▁Ste yn ▁visited ▁the ▁front ▁on ▁ 4 ▁December ▁at ▁Kru ger ' s ▁suggestion . ▁Ste yn ▁also ▁wished ▁to ▁sett le ▁a ▁r ift ▁that ▁had ▁developed ▁between ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁and ▁Free ▁State ▁Bo ers ▁over ▁the ▁poor ▁performance ▁of ▁his ▁Free ▁Stat ers ▁in ▁the ▁battle ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁November . ▁He ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁tour ing ▁the ▁cam ps ▁and ▁def ences , ▁then ▁sum mon ed ▁a ▁k rij gs ra ad ▁( c oun cil ▁of ▁war ). ▁ ▁The ▁Bo ers ▁had ▁lear nt ▁in ▁earlier ▁batt les ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁art illery ▁was ▁superior ▁in ▁numbers ▁to ▁their s , ▁and ▁could ▁p ound ▁any ▁high ▁ground ▁where ▁they ▁placed ▁their ▁guns ▁or ▁rif le ▁p its . ▁At ▁Lad ys m ith , ▁the ▁Bo ers ▁used ▁rocks ▁to ▁build ▁def ensive ▁sang ars , ▁but ▁the ▁ground ▁at ▁Mag ers f onte in ▁was ▁sand y ▁and ▁less ▁rock y . ▁De ▁la ▁Rey ▁recommended , ▁contrary ▁to ▁common ▁practice , ▁that ▁they ▁should ▁ent rench ▁themselves ▁forward ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁kop jes , ▁rather ▁than ▁on ▁the ▁facing ▁s lop es . ▁The ▁tren ches ▁over looking ▁the ▁re ced ing , ▁open ▁ground ▁s lop ing ▁down ▁towards ▁the ▁British ▁axis ▁of ▁advance ▁afford ed ▁the ▁Bo ers ▁conce al ment ▁and ▁protection ▁from ▁fire , ▁and ▁permitted ▁them ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁flat