[Sidenote: General Buller's plan of attack.] [Sidenote: [JAN. 11-16, 1900.] After the seizure of Spearman's Hill and Potgieter's Drift, a long interval of apparent inactivity on the British side followed. The naval guns arrived at Potgieter's Drift and were placed in position on the hill, but they refrained from shelling the Boer lines. General Buller fixed his headquarters hard by at Spearman's Camp. Meantime, the British troops anxiously watched the Boers. "What are we showing ourselves and our guns here for?" was the question which they asked each other, to draw the not too satisfactory answer, "To give the enemy plenty of time to get ready." Yet, as a matter of fact, this criticism was not altogether just. Though in the light of after events it can be seen that a rapid blow would have had many chances in its favour, though, as Napoleon said, "Celerity is better than artillery," such action must have carried with it grave risks. General Buller, preferring caution and sure-going, wished to attract all the attention of the enemy to Potgieter's and then to strike elsewhere. Five miles west of Potgieter's were two fords known as Trichard's and Wagon Drifts; five miles east another known as Skiet Drift. Roads to these ran from Springfield, and the movement of troops along the roads could not be seen by the enemy, owing to the heights which fringed the south bank of the Tugela. When all his preparations were complete, ample supplies of food and ammunition accumulated at Springfield, and his army concentrated, General Buller had determined to move General Warren across at Trichard's Drift with instructions to turn the enemy's right. Thus the apparently foolish and purposeless demonstration at Potgieter's was not without its object. Great delay was caused by the state of the unmetalled roads and the immense difficulty of moving over them 650 ox-waggons. Between Frere and Springfield there were no less than three places where all the waggons had to be doubled-spanned and where some even required three spans. There the oxen had to be detached from two waggons and attached to a third, while the vehicles behind them were brought to a dead stop. The marching of the troops was not altogether well-managed, since the men had alternately to run and halt, than which nothing could be more wearying. [Illustration: [_Photo by Caney, Durban._ BREAKING CAMP: OX-WAGGONS MOVING OFF.] [Sidenote: JAN. 16, 1900.] _Preparations for the Coming Battle._]