far more profitable than
gold-mining.

I procured some tins of condensed milk, golden syrup, and jam for our
larder, and volumes by Ruskin, Meredith, Thackeray, and Kipling, for my
own somewhat small library. With these I proudly staggered back to camp,
aware of the royal and well-merited reception which awaited me, and
which I got. Whiteing was quite overcome at the sight of Ruskin and
Thackeray, while another friend implored permission to have a dip in
"The Seven Seas" (which seems a big request, I doubt not, to the
uninitiated).

I forgot to mention that on my return to camp I found mails awaiting me.
Thus passed a pleasant day. Tuesday I spent in camp, writing replies to
my kind correspondents, reading and re-reading my letters and papers. We
hear the C.I.V.'s are home, good luck to 'em, and though I have not read
the papers I can imagine to a slight extent the enthusiastic welcome
they were accorded. The knowledge that we have done our duty will be
enough for us; never mind the brazen bands, the free drinks, the
dyspeptical dinners, the cheers and jingo songs. Suffice it for us if
you will let us quietly alight from the train and get us home, to our
ain firesides. I fear I am rather bitter to-day; but, Christmas is
coming, and the date of our return no man knoweth! On Thursday we all
had to turn out to be inspected by "Bobs." If the turn out was to give
him an idea of our strength as a fighting force the whole thing was
"tommy-rot" for we paraded as strong as possible in numbers. The halt,
sick and the blind, so to speak, were in the ranks, every available
horse being used to mount them. Thus we turned out, our officers
anxiously making the centre guides prove, and issuing special orders to
us not to crowd when marching past in column of squadrons and all that
sort of thing. Then we marched to the parade ground, cow gun, field
guns, pom-poms, Infantry, Yeomanry, and Colonial mounted troops. After a
short wait a group of mounted beings appeared in the distance and
approached the force. We carried arms, and the infantry presented them.
The great little man and his staff passed along the front of the force,
and then cantered away, and the show was over, after having in all
occupied about five minutes. In the way of guards and pickets we are not
over-worked, the regiment having to supply a picket of one officer and
twenty men every night, which means each squadron comes on every fourth
night. The job is, also, what