at
eleven o'clock our guns fired two shots as a signal that the message had
been seen and understood.

_December 29._--Yesterday and to-day the bombardment has been vigorous
in spite of heavy rain, and directed mainly on houses in town. Colonel
Dartnell had a narrow escape on Friday, a shell bursting close to his
tent in the Police Camp behind the Court-House. Next morning one came
into and through my old room at the Royal, completing its ruin. To all
this shooting the naval guns have replied effectively at intervals.
Ammunition for them is precious, and Captain Lambton's gunners take care
not to waste it on chance shots, as the Boer artillerymen do. From five
o'clock last evening until dawn this morning rain fell heavily. The
river rose four feet in one hour at midnight, flooding out the 18th
Hussars, who are bivouacked by its banks, and carrying away the bridge
that had been built by the Imperial Light Horse. Many horses and mules
were swept down-stream by the roaring torrent, and drowned before
anybody could attempt to save them.

_December 31._--The old year closes in a quiet that is probably
deceptive. More Boers than we have seen for weeks past are gathered
behind Bulwaan, many having returned from leave which Joubert is said to
have granted them to visit their home, with a liberality that shows his
confidence in our inactivity. It has not been so quiet all day. The
Boers disregarded their customary Sabbath rule of refraining from
hostilities unless provoked by some apparently menacing movement on our
part. There was nothing of that kind to incense them this morning, but
their gunners, unable to resist the temptation offered by herds of
cattle on Manchester Hill (as Caesar's Camp is sometimes called), sent
one shell from "Silent Susan" on to that ridge. They missed their mark,
however, and did not get another chance until the afternoon, when
several "Sneakers" were aimed at the old camp, and one burst close to a
group of officers who were exercising themselves and their ponies for a
polo match. This may have been meant as a rebuke to the
Sabbath-breakers. Boer riflemen were engaged at that time in the more
reprehensible pastime of sniping our outposts at long range, and they
kept this up until near sunset, as if engaged in the most laudable duty;
but we have long since learned that the Boer judges his own conduct by
one standard and ours by another.

To-day the sun shone brilliantly, bringing back tropical hea