I stayed there for two interesting hours.  You can guess with what feelings I looked down on the plain from Long Tom’s redoubt, poor old Joey’s rival, and traced the long line of the river, with its fringe of willows, and marked, up and down, a score of places where we had skirmished or hidden, distinguishing the positions of our guns and pickets, and all the movements and manoeuvres of our army.  For the first time one realised what a bird’s-eye view the Boers had of it all, and how our whole position and camp lay unrolled like a map almost at their very feet.

I must add a word to tell you that the boxes have arrived!  I only wish you could have been here to see the contents distributed.  First (this was about a week ago) came a huge box full of good things to eat, raisins, figs, a great many tins of cocoa and milk, chocolate, and other things.  We spread them all out on sheets in the verandah of the farm in little heaps, and very pretty and tempting they looked, the white sheets down the shady verandah, and little piles of sweetmeats and things dotted all over them.  Each man drew a ticket and chose his eatable, some putting it carefully away, others bolting it immediately.  One can get absolutely nothing in Bloemfontein, and the men were as keen as school children.  It was an excellent idea sending such a lot of figs and raisins.  They are soon gone, but they are so immensely appreciated while they last; they give the men the badly wanted holiday feeling.  I almost think that, in the way of provisions, delicacies are more liked by men on service, and really do them more good than the more practically useful things.

Then, a day or two ago, came another great box full of clothing.  Flannel shirts, socks, under-clothing, &c.  There was, especially, in this box, a packet of little handkerchiefs with a card, and on it written:  “Worked by Mrs. Hope and her little girls for the soldiers.”  The little present touched us all very much.  I have kept the card with the intention of thanking “the little girls” if ever I get the chance.

We are only about a hundred strong now, and there were enough things to go round several times.  If you had foreseen and planned the date of their arrival they could not have reached us at a more opportune moment.  The men have scarcely anything to wear, for all our kit and clothes, everything we possess, was lost at the Sanna Post surprise party.  I assure you they are grateful.  I read them the names of the subscribers, and they all send their best thanks.  Several came up to me and asked that their thanks might be sent to you for your trouble in getting the subscriptions, &c.  No money that could have been expended in any charity could have been better spent than this.  The men have done fearfully hard work, and were many of them literally in rags.  It has been the greatest help.  The Major has sent you a few words of thanks, but has asked me to write more particularly.  You will let those know who have helped, will you not, how this Colonial corps of ours has appreciated your English present.