(a composite corps from Burma, of Durham, Essex
and West Riding Tommies). Fifteen of these were added to our small
number, and between us occupied four sangars at the most suitable parts
of the kopje. Had we been attacked, we ought to have given a good
account of ourselves, as it was a lovely moonlight night. Poor Tommy
Atkins! You should have heard some of our reinforcements express
themselves on the social, military, political and geographical phases of
the situation. They had been rushed up from Kroonstad, and, after
various vicissitudes, had been despatched to us--without rations, of
course. This one wished that the By'r Lady war was over By'r Lady soon;
and his next cold, hungry, tired comrade agreed with him emphatically,
and consigned the whole By'r Lady country to a sort of perpetual
Brock's Benefit; also the By'r Lady army, and their By'r Lady military
pastors and masters, and so on. After Burma they found this country
cold, especially the nights, and with them the British soldier's wish to
get back to Mandalay, as expressed in the song, was a veritable fact. As
usual, their experiences were worth listening to. Amongst other things,
coming up from Kroonstad, they had found the burnt remains of the mails
destroyed by some of De Wet's minions a little while ago (some of mine
were there, I know), and had amused themselves by reading the various
scraps. Some of these, they told me, were very pathetic. In one, for
instance, a poor old woman had apparently sent her son a packet of
chocolate, bought with her last shilling, (she was just going into the
Workhouse), and she hoped that it would taste as sweet as if she had
paid a sovereign for it. Had they had any mails? No, not since they had
been here. They thought all their people must be dead, and "it does
cheer one up to get a letter." In Burma they always give a cheer when
the English mail comes in. I gave four of them some pieces of stale
bread, a handful of moist sugar, and four oranges; while another of ours
gave the others some bread and the remains of a tin of potted bloater.
The latest news, which I believe is quite authentic, is that the
remnants of the Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Sussex Yeomanry, about
seventy in number, are to be remounted and attached to the 18th Hussars.
This looks like more marching. I have bought, and intend bringing home
with me, a few sets of the surcharged Transvaal stamps. I am doing this
in a self-defensive way; my reason being that