ght.

_New Year's Day, 1900._--At midnight of the old year my middy, Whyte,
and myself turned out, struck sixteen bells quietly on a 4.7 brass
case, and had a fine bowl of punch, with slices of pine-apple in it,
which we shared with our men on watch, wishing them all a happy New
Year. Good old 1899! Well, it is past and gone, but it brought me many
blessings, and perhaps more to come. We gave the Boers some 4.7 liver
pills, which we hope did them good. All our men are well and cheery,
but our Commander has a touch of fever, so that I am left in executive
charge of the men and camp. Winston Churchill came up to look at our
firing. During the next few days, in addition to our firing, our
12-pounder crews started to make mantlets for the armoured train; a
very big job indeed, as they had to cover the whole of the engine and
tender, afterwards called "Hairy Mary," as well as the several trucks.
The officer in command congratulated our men on their work under the
indefatigable Baldwin, chief gunner's mate of the _Terrible_, who was
in charge. The military also started entrenchments and gun pits on the
hill, which we call "Liars Kopje"; at dusk they came to a standstill
over some big boulders that the General asked us to remove, which was
a compliment to the powers of the Navy. We soon made short work of the
boulders, much to the General's satisfaction, and got on fast with the
mantlets. Still heavy rain at night.

_Thursday, 4th January._--Again more firing. My own 12-pounder crews
and those of Richards' guns hard at the mantlets for the armoured
train, and doing the job very well. On the 2nd, Lord Dundonald rode up
and arranged an attack on a red house 6,000 yards from us and supposed
to contain some of the enemy, but we found nobody at home. We were all
glad to receive letters from home to-day. I was busy all day shifting
one of my 12-pounder gun wheels for a new and stronger pair of
skeleton iron ones, just sent from Durban, in view of a feint to the
front with the object of drawing the Boers away from Ladysmith.

_Saturday, 6th January._--This feint was made and we had no
casualties. Poor Ladysmith! Our men there are hard pressed and must
have a bad time; very heavy firing all day, and we heard by heliograph
that the Boers had made a heavy attack in three places, although,
happily, repulsed with heavy loss (including Lord Ava) to ourselves.
We have Bennet Burleigh, Winston Churchill, Hubert of _The Times_, and
many ot