 His intention was to attack the British on the beach and then to withdraw to the interior, where he hoped to hold out until the French troopships arrived.However, on the morning of 8 January, while Janssens's columns were still slowly moving through the veld, Baird's brigades began their march to Cape Town, and reached the slopes of the Blaauwberg mountain (now spelled "Blouberg"), a few kilometres ahead of Janssens.Janssens halted and formed a line across the veld.