ads. Our bullocks slipped along at the rate of three
miles an hour, and passing farms flying white flags and flat veldt
country we bivouacked for the night on Gansvlei Spruit, finding the
boundary here of the Transvaal (a bend of the Klip River) quite close
to us.

[Illustration: Naval 12-pounders advancing after Almond's Nek.]

[Illustration: 4.7 on a bad bit of road.]

_Monday, 11th June._--Off at 5 a.m., and got our Naval guns in
position to attack, but found that the Boers had evacuated the ground
in front of us. Up and on at a great rate over the grassy veldt, the
guns now marching in four columns and keeping a broad front. At about
1 p.m. sudden firing in front and the familiar whirr of Boer shells
made us come into action at 4,500 yards on Almond's Nek Pass, through
which our road lay. The Boers were evidently in possession, judging by
the warm greeting of Pom-poms and the Creusot 5", which played on us
without much damage. The troops were now all halted, and formed up for
attack which was to commence in an hour's time. The Commander-in-Chief
(Buller) directed the operations, carried out at 2 p.m. by the
Infantry advancing in long extended lines, the 10th Brigade in the
centre, the 11th on the right, and the 2nd on the left, the field
batteries and Naval guns covering the advance with lyddite. The 10th
Brigade, which had 3,000 yards of plain to cross and a small kop to
take, dislodged the Boers and their Pom-poms quietly and steadily
under a heavy rifle and gun fire, the noise being terrific, as the
hills and ravines were smothered by shrapnel and lyddite; in
half-an-hour the Boers were on the run again and their fire was
silenced, after treating us with Pom-pom and 45-lb. shrapnel, one
piece of which narrowly escaped my left foot--a detail interesting to
myself to recall. The attack of the Queen's, East Surreys, and Devons,
on the left of the pass, and especially of the Dorsets on the conical
hill, was most gallant and irresistible. Thus, about 5 p.m., at dusk
we were in possession of the ridges 5,000 feet high on the left and
right of the pass, which we thought a great achievement, while the
Cavalry and Horse Artillery were pushed on to complete the Boer rout,
but darkness coming on prevented this. General Buller and his Staff
rode along our guns evidently very pleased, and indeed the force had
won a brilliant little victory which cleared our way effectually and
turned Laing's Nek besides. The Boers lost, as