Indeed, the New Year opened well, and many little things seem to favour the hope that it is the turning point of the war.  Besides our tiny skirmish on the right, Captain Gough, of the 16th Lancers, on the left, made his way along a convenient depression, almost to the river bank, and discovered Boers having tea in their camp at scarcely 1,800 yards.  Forthwith he opened fire, causing great commotion; hurried upsetting of the tea, scrambling into tents for rifle, ’confounded impudence of these cursed rooineks!  Come quickly Hans, Pieter, O’Brien, and John Smith, and let us mend their manners.  What do they mean by harassing us?’ And in a very few minutes there was a wrathful rattle of firing all along the trenches on the hillside, which spread far away to the right and left as other Boers heard it.  What the deuce is this?  Another attack!  Till at last the Maxim shell gun caught the infection, and began pom, pom, pom! pom, pom, pom! and so on at intervals.  Evidently much angry passion was aroused in the Boer camp, and all because Captain Gough had been trying his luck at long range volleys.  The situation might have become serious; the event was, however, fortunate.  No smoke betrayed the position of the scouting party; no bullets found them.  A heavy shower of metal sang and whistled at random in the air.  The donga afforded an excellent line of retreat, and when the adventurous patrol had retired safely into the camp they were amused to hear the Boers still busy with the supposed chastisement of their audacious assailants.

But these are small incidents which, though they break the monotony of the camp, do not alter nor, each by itself, greatly accelerate the course of the war.  Good news came in on New Year’s Day from other quarters.  Near Belmont the Canadians and Queenslanders fell on a raiding or reckless commando, took them on at their own game, hunted them and shot them among the rocks until the white flag was upon the right side for once and hoisted in honest surrender.  Forty prisoners and twenty dead and wounded; excellent news to all of us; but causing amazing joy in Natal, where every colonist goes into an ecstacy over every crumb of British success.

Moreover, we have good news from East London.  General Gatacre is stolidly and patiently repairing the opening misfortune of his campaign:  has learned by experience much of the new conditions of the war.  Strange that the Boers did not advance after their victory; stranger still that they retired from Dordrecht.  Never mind whether their stillness be due to national cautiousness or good defensive arrangements.  Since they don’t want Dordrecht, let us go there; and there we go accordingly.  Out of this there arises on New Year’s Day a successful skirmish, in the account of which the name of De Montmorency is mentioned.  In Egypt the name was associated with madcap courage.  Here they talk of prudent skill.  The double reputation should be valuable.