llop behind Bulwaan,
followed by nearly two hundred waggons. Last night we heard rifle-firing
on the ridges south of Caesar's Camp and Waggon Hill. It sounded so near
that for a time we thought our own outposts were engaged with the enemy.
Kaffirs say this was a Boer attack on Pieter's Station, but their story
is not confirmed. General Buller heliographs that he is still going
strong, but the country is difficult and progress slow. Lord Roberts,
according to another helio-signal, has Cronje surrounded. Two attempts
to relieve him have been frustrated. All this puts new life into the
garrison here. A newspaper telegram was also heliographed announcing
that Cronje had surrendered with 6000 men, after losing 1700 killed and
wounded. This is probably a bit of journalistic enterprise in
anticipation of events.

_February 27._--Majuba Day. We expected the Boers to celebrate it at
daybreak or before by a salute of shotted guns, but they are silent,
apparently watching as we watch, and awaiting the issue of events
elsewhere. We know that a fierce fight is raging not twelve miles
distant. The thuds of big guns are frequent, we hear the booming of
field artillery in salvos, and the shrill ripple of rifles is almost
incessant. But our view is narrowed by hills, and we can only see shells
bursting on the crests of Grobelaar's Kloof and about flat-topped Table
Hill. From their commanding position on Bulwaan the Boers can overlook
Pieter's Station to the earthworks that girdle Grobelaar's Kloof, and
part of the road by which our troops must advance from Colenso if they
advance at all. Noon passed without any Majuba Day salute, but an hour
later Bulwaan battery fired twelve shots up Bester's Valley at cattle
and men cutting grass, then turned to shell Cove Ridge and Observation
Hill, on which one of Captain Christie's howitzers had been mounted
during the night. Thus they made up a salute of twenty-one guns.
"Puffing Billy" seemed bent on showing what he could do. Three shells
burst near where I stood, on the extreme western shoulder of Observation
Hill, just missing the howitzer, and one went far beyond the longest
range yet reached by any of the enemy's Creusots. For a long time I
watched Boer movements, and saw their waggons hurrying back in some
confusion from the Helpmakaar road across Conrad Pieter's farm towards
Elandslaagte.

At night came a signal from General Buller, "Doing well," followed by a
longer message announcing th