ered very tasty.

Two items of news were received on February 4th, one being that General
Buller had again crossed the Tugela in three places and was to be
expected shortly, and the other that the garrison of Ladysmith was to be
attacked again next morning by 10,000 Boers. Arrangements were made to
meet the latter, the arrival of the former being considered
hypothetical. The garrison stood to arms at three o'clock the following
morning and anxiously awaited the dawn, but everything went off quietly,
and at 5.30 a.m. General Buller's guns commenced in three different
directions. The sound of the heavy gun fire increased in intensity, till
at 2.30 p.m. the noise could be compared to a heavy storm with incessant
thunder.

The Regiment was now told off as part of a flying column. This was
hopeful, as it was supposed that arrangements were being made to
co-operate with the relieving army.

At 5.15 a.m. on the 5th Buller's guns began firing again and continued
the whole day.

For the next few days there was no news from the outside world. Buller's
guns were heard incessantly, and one Boer big gun was seen firing on
Dornkloof, south of Manger's Hill. A few of Buller's lyddite shells were
bursting near him, and one shell was seen to strike his magazine and
explode it.

On the seventh night 100 men of the Regiment were again engaged in
shifting the 4.7 gun "Lady Anne."

On the 9th nothing was heard of Buller's guns--perfect silence!

This gave rise to all sorts of reports, one actually given out being
that Buller had taken his position and could come in at any time he
liked, but he had been stopped by a telegram from the Cape in order to
allow of Lord Roberts pushing up through the Free State; and then both
Buller and Roberts would relieve Ladysmith and take Bloemfontein
respectively on the same day. And this on the very day on which Buller
was retiring south of Tugela again from Vaal Krantz.

It was now considered advisable to strengthen the defences held by the
Regiment by an additional work, and the men were kept hard at it from
7.15 p.m. till 10 p.m. A dish of chevril was served out to each man of
the working party before turning in.

On February 13th information was received that Buller had taken two
positions on the north side of the Tugela with small loss--one Krantz
Kloof, and the other Vaal Krantz Spruit. This information seemed
somewhat belated. A message was also received from Lord Roberts in which
he stat