There were
other batteries on slopes at its foot commanding the bridge, to the
right of which on another hill was Fort Wylie, and in a bend of the
river by the railway could be seen the white roof of the church tower of
Colenso. There was another battery behind this, and others still farther
to the right on Mount Hlangwane. Heavy guns could be seen on other hills
to the left of Grobler's Kloof; while far away behind Colenso was the
crest of Mount Bulwana, from which a cannonade was being directed upon
Ladysmith and an occasional white burst of smoke showed that the
garrison were replying successfully. On all the lower slopes of the
hills were lines, sometimes broken, sometimes connected, rising one
above another. These were the Boer entrenchments, and Cairns said that
he heard that they extended for nearly twenty miles both to the right
and left.
"It is believed that we don't see anything like all of them," he went
on, "but we really don't know much about them, for the Boers only answer
occasionally from their great guns on the hilltops, and although
yesterday the sailors fired lyddite shells at these lower trenches,
there was no reply."
"It is an awful place to take," Chris said, after examining the hills
for a quarter of an hour with his glasses.
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