unshine and almost tropical heat to
cloudy skies that send the temperature down to shivering point. Few
shells fell in the town this morning, when groups gathered at street
corners discussing rumours of Lord Methuen's victory on Modder River,
which are now officially confirmed. General Clery is also said to have
defeated the Boers near Estcourt, but if so he did not get back the
cattle they had looted, for we have watched them for hours driving great
herds from southward up the roads that lead to Van Reenan's Pass.

Our batteries here have for once been most aggressive, shelling the
enemy's position at Rifleman's Ridge vigorously, while the howitzers
directed their fire on Middle Hill without drawing a reply from the
6-inch Creusot, which Captain Christie and his gunners believe to have
been put out of action completely. His twin brother, "Puffing Billy" of
Bulwaan, was also silenced for a time, but has come back to quite his
old form this evening, and threw several shells into the town and camps,
where troops assembled to cheer the news of Lord Methuen's victory when
it was read out in general orders.

_December 5._--The bombardment has been slack again to-day: all the
enemy's big guns silent. But there is great movement among the Boers,
who are apparently holding a great council of war at General Joubert's
headquarters. This may account for rumours of dissensions between the
Free State and Transvaal commandos.

_December 6._--Now we know what the firing of Boer guns all round
Ladysmith at midnight of 19th November meant. It was a night alarm
magnified by imagination into a desperate sortie from Ladysmith, and a
correspondent of the _Diggers' News_ telegraphed his version of the
affair in glowing terms to that paper, giving full details of things
that never happened. A copy just received in camp causes much amusement.
Reference to my notes for the 19th of last month will show that we were
at perfect peace here. Not a man of this force except the ordinary
patrols moved on the night when we are reported to have made that
strenuous but futile effort to break through the enemy's lines, and not
a shot was fired on our side. The Boers must have been startled at their
own shadows or at the movements of a subaltern's patrol which they
magnified into an army, and having beat the big drum they perhaps tried
to justify themselves by sending that cock-and-bull story to Pretoria.

To-night our troops are out for exercise, marchi