ary._--Shifted my ammunition to fifty rounds per
gun to lighten the wagons, and moved off at 5 a.m., passing General
Hildyard who was looking on at the foot of the camp. We marched with
the whole force to Dorn Kop Nek and then halted; the General and
others, including myself, riding up to a high kopje to examine the
Boer position on the Tugela at about 8,800 yards off. Prince Christian
Victor came and sat on a rock by me and had a good look at the
position through my telescope which he borrowed. The General ordered
one of my guns up this kopje, and we brought it up with a team of oxen
and fifty men on drag ropes to steady her. It was an awful climb, and
the ground was strewn with boulders; the poor gun upset once, but we
got it up at last into position on a beautiful grass plateau on top
with a clear view of the Boer positions. The Queen's Regiment, who
were our escort this morning, carried fifty rounds of ammunition up
the kopje for me, and I shall always remember how on all occasions we
received the greatest assistance from the Queen's and West Yorks. The
General pushed on with the R.A. and the rest of the troops and
reconnoitred the enemy from the next kopje. Eventually we were all
ordered back to camp, and I had a great job in getting my guns down
the hill again. I think it was worse than going up.

_Friday, 12th January._--Prince Christian (Acting Brigade Major) and I
had a short talk together; we touched on a scheme of mine for making
light limbers for our guns. In the afternoon I rode out to General
Clery's camp, three miles to the west, to see our Naval guns, but
found they had been pushed on with Lord Dundonald's Cavalry to hold
ground leading to Potgieter's Drift. I dined with Captain Reed of the
7th Battery, R.A., who knew my R.A. brother well in the 87th Battery.
I found I had met him last year at the Grand National, and it is quite
curious that I meet out here everyone that I ever knew.

_Saturday, 13th January._--Sent Whyte, my middy, a nice fellow and
useful to me, over to Frere on a horse to see about many things I
wanted for the battery, and at 9.30 a.m. read out to my men on parade
General Buller's address to the troops, dated 12th January, 1900. This
is the text of it. "The Field Force is now advancing to the relief of
Ladysmith where, surrounded by superior forces, our comrades have
gallantly defended themselves for the last ten weeks. The General
commanding knows that everyone in the force will fee