is life.

At 10 a.m. on the 24th, the head of the column reached the Waschbank
(thirty-six miles), crossed, and halted on the south side of the
river. The waggons were not over until 12.30 p.m. A welcome meal and a
bathe in the stream refreshed the men, some of whom had had no proper
sleep for three nights. Heavy firing was heard from the direction of
Ladysmith, and the mounted troops, with the artillery, were sent off
to reconnoitre and see if they could render any assistance to Sir
George White. They met with nothing, however, and returned before 5
p.m. Meanwhile the infantry had also been disturbed, for at 2 p.m.
they recrossed the river in order to occupy a better position to
oppose a rumoured pursuit of the Boers. As the latter did not appear,
the river was again forded at 4 p.m., and only just in time. A violent
thunderstorm burst, and the water rose ten feet in two hours. 'H'
company, under Lieutenant Shewan, and a patrol of the 18th Hussars
were left on the north bank, and were thus cut off from the main body
for several hours.

It rained in torrents until 11 p.m., and the battalion, formed in
quarter-column, had to lie down in pools of water, and get what sleep
it could. At 5 a.m. on the 25th, in bright sunshine, the retreat was
resumed. 'H' company crossed to the south bank a few minutes before
the column moved off, although the water was still up to the men's
waists. The Dublin Fusiliers formed the rearguard, and marched till
mid-day, when Sunday's River (forty-eight miles) was reached. 'A'
company remained on the north bank to cover the crossing of the
waggons, and at 2.30 p.m. the column went on, only halting at 4.30 for
tea. Everybody hoped to have a long rest here, but at 6.30 p.m. Major
Bird was sent for, and informed that, as the Boers were in close
pursuit, a night march was necessary.

The brigade accordingly started at 7 p.m., at the same moment that
heavy rain began to fall. The road quickly became inches deep in mud,
every one was soon wet to the skin, and the night was so dark that a
man in each section of fours had to hold on to the canteen strap of
the man in front in order to keep the proper direction. As an
additional evil, the battalion was still rearguard, which is generally
the most tiring position in a column. Halts were frequent, and the men
were so exhausted that many of them, when they stopped for a moment,
fell down in the mud and slept. Soon after midnight the 18th Hussars,
who we