Three camps full of provisions,
blankets, and the necessaries of Boer life fell into the hands of the
captors, together with a large amount of rifle and Maxim ammunition. The
place had been turned into a fortress. Trenches and some breastworks
covered all the approaches by which the Boers might look for an attack,
and as the whole mountain was covered with huge boulders, they were able
to withstand even the storm of lyddite shell that was poured upon them.
On the following day Hart's brigade received orders to advance towards
Colenso. This was still held in force by the Boers, but was now
commanded by guns that had been got up the slopes of Hlangwane, and on
Tuesday morning General Hart captured the position without serious loss,
the Boers suffering severely from our shrapnel fire as they retreated,
some by the iron bridge and others by a ford. Thorneycroft's Mounted
Infantry, which was called up in the evening, took advantage of the
discovery that a drift existed there, and a squadron forded the river in
spite of a scattered fire from the Boers on the opposite bank. Another
portion of the colonial force occupied Fort Wylie, a redoubt that had
been thrown up by our troops when they occupied Colenso, but had been
abandoned when the advance of the Boers to cut the line between Colenso
and Frere forced them to retire.
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