No. III.--Lieutenant-Colonel Hore (Captain),
Captain Sandford,
Captain Vernon,
Lieutenant Bridges.
No. IV.--Major Godley (Captain),
Major Goold-Adams, C.B., C.M.G.,
Captain Fitzclarence,
Lieutenant Moncreiffe.
No. V.--Major Baillie (Captain),
Captain Marsh,
Captain Cowan,
Lieutenant Paton.
*Match.* *Goals scored*.
1 Colonel Hore . . . . . . . . . 1
Lord C. Bentinck . . . . . . . 1
2 Colonel Baden-Powell . . . . . 0
Major Godley . . . . . . . . . 1
3 Lord C. Bentinck . . . . . . . 1
Major Baillie . . . . . . . . 1
4 Colonel Baden-Powell . . . . . 0
Colonel Hore . . . . . . . . . 1
5 Major Godley . . . . . . . . . 0
Major Baillie . . . . . . . . 2
6 Lord C. Bentinck . . . . . . . 0
Colonel Baden-Powell . . . . . 1
7 Major Godley . . . . . . . . . 1
Colonel Hore . . . . . . . . . 1
8 Major Baillie . . . . . . . . 0
Colonel Baden-Powell . . . . . 1
9 Lord C. Bentinck . . . . . . . 1
Major Godley . . . . . . . . . 0
10 Major Baillie . . . . . . . . 1
Colonel Hore . . . . . . . . 0
Total
goals scored.
Colonel Baden-Powell's team . . . . 2
Captain Lord C. Bentinck's team . . 3
Lieutenant-Colonel Hore's team . . . 3
Major Baillie's team . . . . . . . . 4
Major Godley's team . . . . . . . . 2
Colonel Baden-Powell's team had a Captain who played an excellent game. Major Baillie was decidedly the mainstay of his team, not only by the unerring accuracy with which he hit the ball, but also on account of the verbal assistance delivered unceasingly in stentorian tones to his side.
We are now making great preparations for Christmas, which we are apparently condemned to spend here. Church services as usual.
18th. A quiet day; except on the western front, where their five-pounder keeps pegging away; however, no one takes any notice of it, as our new gun-pit is not yet completed. To-morrow we hope to have another lively morning. The Boers have been drilling, apparently practising an attack formation, somewhat late in the day, however, and not of much use now, as they could not get in if they tried, and they are not likely to make the attempt. As I before said, Colonel Baden-Powell has collected some thirty lances and armed a troop with them, so that, if the enemy depart hurriedly, we may be able to speed them on their way. Went sniping in the evening; they fired the one-pound Maxim and a good deal of musketry fire. Our troops in the advance trenches had quite good shooting all day.
19th. As I anticipated. The Boers' reveille was sounded for them at 4.30 a.m. by our seven-pounders, which made excellent practice on the brickfield trench. Their big gun repeated its performance of Saturday harmlessly. We shifted them from their trenches and turned Maxims on them, while the Nordenfeldt at long range volleys pestered their big gun. Their one-pound Maxim fire was wild, but they slew an inoffensive jackass. This lasted until about 6, and was very pretty. At about 7 Creaky began to fire at Cannon Kopje, but without effect; she shot straighter in the morning; and at about 9 our seven-pounders began again, but the enemy would not be drawn, and now only occasional dropping shots come idly from both sides. On the western front our seven-pounder silenced the five-pounder at Game Tree fort. On the eastern front the race-course trench much annoyed the gun under Major Panzera, with volleys, till kept under by the convent Maxim and our one-pound Maxim. These two artillery fights cannot much impress the Boers with the extraordinary value of the much belauded ten-tonner, and must destroy her moral effect, for whichever of our guns she fires at immediately returns her fire. However, she has annoyed us quite enough and done sufficient damage to life and property, but if we had only had a gun which could have reached her properly, we should have knocked her out long ago. A duel between our Nordenfeldt and Creaky began this afternoon, and has since been of daily occurrence, amidst the laughter and applause of the spectators. No sooner has the big shell struck, than crack, crack, comes from the Nordenfeldt. Indeed, of late the little gun fires when the smoke from Creaky's muzzle appears, and gets off its three shots before the arrival of the shell, which the gunners of the monster do not seem to appreciate at all. It is a regular case of dignity and impudence with the laugh on the side of impudence. In the evening Captain Sandford silenced the Boer gun on the western front.
20th and 21st. Quiet days.