Glencoe (Talana Hill).—A now notable little town, N.E. of Ladysmith.
Guards.—The Guards compose the Household Brigade. This consists of 1st and 2nd Life Guards—red, the Royal Horse Guards—blue, the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, and the Irish Guards. The Life Guards greatly distinguished themselves at Waterloo. The Horse Guards (Oxford Blues) took part in the campaigns of both Marlborough and Wellington. The Grenadier Guards is the senior regiment of infantry in the army. The devoted royalists clinging to Charles II. in 1656 formed the first nucleus of this gallant regiment. The Coldstreams were raised in 1660, by General Monk, when Parliament consented to give a brigade of guards to Charles II. The splendid work done by the Guards in the present war speaks for itself.
Gun.—The modern word for cannon of all kinds.
Gunner.—A private in the Royal Artillery. The duties of the gunner are manifold—he has to be instructed in drill and in the services of the various natures of ordnance, heavy and light, to be acquainted with ammunition, mode of using it, and caution required in dealing with it. In other days few gunners were attached to either train or battery, only one per gun, assisted by a matross. The duties of a matross were only in some ways similar to those of the present gunner. The men belonged to a class termed artificers, and were engaged more for the usefulness of their trade than for the knowledge of artillery. With the increase of guns came the increase of gunners, and the mere artificer was superseded, and the gunner became the handy, well-instructed, yet dashing man he has proved himself to be.
Harrismith.—Situated near the Natal border in the Orange Free State, an important trading centre and a highly approved health resort. Population—mostly British—1700.
Heidelburg.—Town on the rail 50 miles south of Pretoria. Population about 2500.
Heliograph.—An apparatus invented by Mr. H. C. Mance, for telegraphing by means of the sun’s rays reflected from mirrors. The mirror, generally of steel, mounted on a stand, is movable, so that its reflections flash in given figures across the sky. The process has been adapted to the Morse system of dots and dashes, and messages have been successfully carried over a distance of 150 miles. The signal can be read in ordinary weather without telescopes up to 50 miles.
Helmet.—A head-dress of light cork or wicker generally covered with kharki, to protect the troops from the sun. It is the universal head-dress for officers and men in India.
Honourable Artillery Company.—A volunteer force—the oldest military body in England.
Horse Artillery.—Mounted branch of the British Service. On account of its mobility, it acts with cavalry. Field Artillery is also a mounted branch.