left had a hot time of it just at this moment and drew out of action
for a breather quite close to our guns. I myself saw a dozen shells
from the Boers go clean through their ranks, although, happily, they
did not burst and did but little injury. Our troops were admirably
steady throughout this hot shell fire.

Our Naval guns on Gun Hill, at about 5,000 yards range, were hard at
it all this time trying to silence the Boer guns, and the lyddite
shells appeared to do great damage; but the enemy never really got
their range in return, and many of their shells pitched just in front
of my own guns with a whiz and a dust which did us no harm. A little
1-pounder Maxim annoyed us greatly with its cross fire, like a
buzzing wasp; it was fired from some trees in Colenso village, and
enfiladed our Infantry in the supporting line, which was in extended
order; but it did not do much damage so far as I could see, although
it was cleverly shifted about and seemed to be impossible to silence.

By 11 a.m. (15th) we saw that our left attack was a failure; exhausted
men of the Connaughts and Borderers poured in saying that their
regiments had been cut up; and, indeed, many of their officers and men
were shot and many drowned, in gallant attempts to cross the Tugela.
Soon the ground was a mass of ambulance wagons, and stretcher parties
bringing in the wounded; and a mournful sight, indeed, it was! The
centre attack also failed, our men retiring quite slowly and in good
order.

On the right, where the object of the advance was to carry a hill
called Hlangwane, which was afterwards recognised to be the key of the
whole position, our men, owing to want of numbers, could make but a
feeble attack and were unable, unsupported, to pass the rifle pits
which had been dug all along the valley in front of the hill. The
Cavalry were, of course, of no use behind a failing Infantry attack
with a river in front of them, and although extended to either flank
it never got a chance to strike.

At 1 p.m. all firing ceased, except an intermittent fusillade by the
Boers on our ambulance tents till they saw the red cross, when this
ceased; the troops were all retired in mass to their original
positions, and I myself had to clear out my guns as best I could to
our old camping ground in the rear. To crown all, it came on to rain
heavily about 5 p.m. by which we all got a good wetting. On our march
back I had a few minutes of interesting talk with General Ba