un to dry and cleaning their belongings in general;
but soon the camp began to look cheerful, the flags were hoisted on
headquarters and other tents, the bands were playing, and everything
forgotten except sore feet. Having enjoyed a day's rest, we marched to
Caesar's Hill, about the same distance as the previous march.

The mimic warfare commenced. We threw out an outlying picket with
supports and reserve, and the whole camp was placed in a state of
defence against a supposed enemy in the distance.

Parties were sent out, skirmishing extended and trenches dug. This was
quite exciting and gave us an idea of what we should have to confront
during our later service. The commissariat department supplied all
rations on the spot. They killed and baked on the camp grounds, and
issued groceries and vegetables every morning.

We remained two days in this camp. Our next march was to Sandhurst. We
were to be near the great military college whose cadet corps would take
part in the brigade drill. A regiment of hussars attached to our
brigade formed the advance guard, preceded us several miles, and on
their arrival accidentally set the heather on fire, so when the troops
arrived they were put to work. After some hard fighting and exciting
incidents we extinguished it. We remained here two days, continuing
camp life and field work, finally returning to our camp grounds, Cove
Common.

As the fall set in camp was broken up, and my regiment was to occupy
the west block of the permanent barracks, and my reward for the part I
had taken during the drill season was promotion to the rank of
lance-sergeant, and to my great delight I was occasionally called upon
to instruct a squad of recruits.

A very important factor in our training, one of the finest gymnasiums
in the world, was near completion and would be ready to receive squads
for instruction in a short time. Eventually we were ordered to prepare
squads for gymnastic work, and those who had the privilege of attending
it liked it very much. I was very fond of fencing, single stick and
sword drill. This gymnasium was built and equipped, and the exercises,
systematized and progressive, were the same as those at Oxford
University. They were under the supervision of Professor McLaren, and
in after years were introduced and used in the French and German
armies.

At Christmas I obtained a furlough to visit my people at Penryn. The
next day after arrival, in my sergeant's uniform with si