rom Standerton next
day: "Admiral, Simon's Town, wires, Burne appointed _Victoria and
Albert_ Royal Yacht; he should proceed to Durban whence his passage
will be arranged." This came as a surprise to me, but at my seniority
to serve Her Majesty once more on her yacht, where I was a
Sub-Lieutenant in 1894, is a very great honour. I cannot well get away
however just yet, as arrangements are being made for the relief of all
guns by garrison gunners, and I am intent to "see it out," and indeed
I must do so in order to turn over all the ordnance and transport
stores and accounts for which I am personally responsible, and which
after six months mount up a bit. I expect therefore to leave this hill
and the front with our Naval Brigade next week, and then for "England,
home, and beauty" once more. I shall hope, when able to do it, to
revert to my gunnery line by-and-bye, as it has stood me in good stead
in the past.

_Monday, 15th October._--Another wire from Halsey, who is at
Standerton, telling me he hoped to arrange for our leaving together on
the 18th for Durban, so we are busy preparing, and I send off to-day
my returns of ox transport, which show that out of 84 oxen we have
lost 17 in action and otherwise. Old Scheeper, the Boer farmer at the
bottom of our hill, whose son is Assistant Field Cornet with the
Wakkerstroom commando, has sold me his crane and is making a cage for
it. I shall take it down to Maritzburg and present it to the Governor
(Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson), who has done me kindnesses in two parts
of the world. I am also busy packing up my collection of Boer shells
and relics of Colenso, Vaal Krantz, Almond's Nek, and Grass Kop. We
may yet be attacked before leaving, as Boers were reported about ten
miles off last night moving south along the Elandsberg. Sir Redvers
Buller passed through Sandspruit on the 14th _en route_ for Maritzburg
and England, so it is quite on the cards that I may go home in the
same ship which will be interesting.

_Friday, 19th October._--Still not relieved. The railway line has been
cut two nights running between Paardekop and Standerton, and about a
mile and a half of it torn up, and this perhaps accounts for the
delay. We hear that General Buller has had a great reception at
Maritzburg as he deserves and that he goes on to Durban this week; he
is undoubtedly the "Saviour of Natal," as they call him. The Governor
accepts my Transvaal crane for his garden, so I shall take it down