On April 28th the force turned south, and on May 4th they had reached the railroad at Eerstefabrieken close to Pretoria.

They had come in touch with a small Boer force upon the way, and the indefatigable Vialls hounded them for eighty miles, and tore away the tail of their convoy with thirty prisoners.

The main force had left Pretoria on horseback on March 28th, and found themselves back once again upon foot on May 5th.

They had something to show, however, for the loss of their horses, since they had covered a circular march of 400 miles, had captured some hundreds of the enemy, and had broken up their last organised capital.

From first to last it was a most useful and well-managed expedition.
It is the more to be regretted that General Blood was recalled from his northern trek before it had attained its full results, because those operations to which he turned did not offer him any great opportunities for success.