Of the rest of Buller’s troops, one portion only, namely Hildyard’s Division, was actively engaged in the movement.  Its menace to the Boer centre near Glencoe, through which passed the railway to the north, attracted commandos away from the enemy’s left flank at Helpmakaar and facilitated the turning movement.  Lyttelton’s Division and two cavalry brigades, which although Buller had informed Lord Roberts that he “was short of his proper strength” for the advance he had left behind near Ladysmith, took no part in it; and the absence of the cavalry allowed the enemy to retreat without molestation.  The advance of Hildyard’s Division was retarded, not by opposition, but by the duty which fell upon it of repairing the railway along which it advanced, and it did not reach Newcastle until May 27.  On the 23rd Lytteltonand most of the cavalry were ordered up from Ladysmith.

As soon as Buller reached Newcastle he sent on Dundonald to reconnoitre the Laing’s Nek position.  On the west it was flanked by Majuba Hill, on the east by Pougwana, and was found to be strongly held.  He therefore decided to make no further advance until he had concentrated his force at Newcastle.  The cutting edge of the reconstructed Natal wedge had not as yet sufficient substance behind it to warrant its being put into operation.  Pending the assembly of the Army Buller prodded across the Buffalo at Vryheid and Utrecht in order to safeguard his right flank.  The expedition against the former town was ambushed and compelled to retire; while the two strong columns which were sent against Utrecht were hardly more successful.  The town did indeed profess to surrender, but no garrison was left to enforce the submission, and on the withdrawal of the troops the Boers hovering in the hills returned like birds who have been temporarily scared out of their nests.

By the end of May, Buller’s Army was concentrated in the northern corner of Natal.  Towering over his left front was the Drakensberg Range through which Botha’s Pass runs into the Orange Free State; on his right front was the Buffalo River with a difficult country beyond; and on his front was Majuba of ill-omened memory and Laing’s Nek, over which the road to Volksrust and the Transvaal passed.

Buller remained at Newcastle for eighteen days, of which three were an armistice during negotiations for surrender with C. Botha, who was unable to accept the terms offered.  On June 5 the advance was resumed, Laing’s Nek being the immediate objective.  At first Buller proposed to attack it directly, but soon after reaching Newcastle he found that the enemy was unassailably established on the position, and that it must be turned either from the east or from the west.  The former movement would involve a wider detour through difficult country to the line of advance which would be taken up after the Transvaal was entered, and the western movement through Botha’s Pass was therefore selected.  Lord Roberts had for