d great reliance on European
interference. In his opinion, the war would be over the moment we
entered Boer territory, and everything seemed at the moment to point
to this conclusion. These Boer prisoners, who were all got at
Elandslaagte, talked English well, and appeared, by all accounts, to
have a good feeling and respect for the English, but they were very
down upon the capitalists and others whom they blamed for the war.

To-day, at sea, as I write this (28th November), a S.E. breeze makes
it delightfully cool. Indeed, I found the climate of Capetown,
although the hot weather was beginning, delightful; a regular
champagne air and a very hot sun, yet altogether a nice dry heat which
quickly brought all the skin off my face at Simon's Bay after one
day's march with the Battalion up the hills. I expect to find Natal
much damper, and no doubt it will be very wet and cold at night in the
hill country.

_Thursday, 30th November._--The wind which has been blowing in our
teeth has now moderated, so we may reach Durban earlier than we hoped,
as we are only about 300 miles off. I watched the battery horses being
exercised and fed this morning; they are mostly well accustomed to the
ship's motion, but it is amusing sometimes to see about a dozen
stalwart gunners shoving the horses behind to get them back to their
stalls and eventually conquering after much energy and language, and
after desperate resistance on the part of the horses; these old 'Bus
horses are strong and fit, and have very good decks forward and aft
for their half-hour exercise each day; while they are exercising,
their stalls are cleaned out and scrubbed with chloride of lime. It is
most interesting to watch their eagerness to go to their food, for
they are always hungry!

[Illustration: A Battery crossing the Little Tugela.]

[Illustration: Naval Battery of 4.7's and 12-pounders at Durban.]

_Friday, 1st December._--We arrived at Durban at 5 a.m. and anchored
in the roadstead. In the Bay are H.M.S. _Terrible_ and _Forte_; also a
Dutch man-of-war, the _Friesland_, a fine looking cruiser; there are
also eleven transports at anchor. Inside the Bay are the _Philomel_
(my ship) and _Tartar_, besides a lot of other transports, including
my old friend the _Briton_. Durban is a striking place from the sea;
very green and cultivated, and with rows of houses extending along a
high ridge overlooking the town. It all looks very pretty and one
might fancy one's sel