ht, to
occupy Hlangwhane Mountain if possible, and to assist the main attack
on Colenso by a flank fire." A little before 7 a.m., when the main
body of the brigade was still about two miles from Hlangwhane, the
scouts reported that the hill was held by the enemy. The 7th battery,
commanded by Major C. G. Henshaw, had already come into action, at
about 6 a.m., close to the right battalion of the 6th brigade, the
Royal Fusiliers, on an underfeature to the north of Advance Hill,
about 3,000 yards from Hlangwhane. The targets selected for the
battery were at first Fort Wylie and the other Colenso kopjes, the
range of the former being about 3,100 yards; but when Hlangwhane was
found to be occupied by the enemy, the fire of the right section, and
later on of another section, was directed on its south-western slopes
at a range of from 2,400 to 2,600 yards.

[Sidenote: It tries to capture Hlangwhane but finds Boers in full
possession.]

Meanwhile, the Brigadier had despatched the South African Light Horse,
under Lt.-Colonel the Hon. Julian Byng, to demonstrate against the
southern slope of the hill, and had directed Thorneycroft's and the
Composite regiment to work round by the Gomba Spruit, and to endeavour
to push through the dense thorn-bush up the eastern face. The 13th
Hussars were held in reserve close to Advance Hill. Deducting the
horse-holders, the force thus launched for the attack of Hlangwhane
was somewhat less in strength than the commando defending it; the
Boers were holding entrenched and well-concealed positions on the
lower southern slopes of the hill, with their left flank prolonged for
a considerable distance to the eastward. Lieut.-Colonel Thorneycroft's
men gained ground to the north-east for about a mile, under cover of
the spruit, and then moved through the bush northwards until they came
in contact with the enemy at a distance of about 300 yards from the
base of the hill. The two leading companies of Thorneycroft's corps
still tried to push on, but they were stopped by finding that they
were outflanked by Boers occupying the ridge to the eastward. The
advance of the South African Light Horse against the southern spur of
the hill was also checked. It was now about 7.40 a.m.

[Sidenote: Dundonald asks for infantry support, but does not get it.]

On receiving Lieut.-Colonel Thorneycroft's report that he could make
no further progress, and that the enemy was outflanking him, Lord
Dundonald sent "A." squ