5 
for the competitors, and the sports went off very well. The divisional tug-of-war 
was won by the left division, the open tug-of-war was easily won by the battery 
team, their only opponents being the 84th team. The open tent-pegging was 
won by Sergt. Connor, R.A., though there were five N.-C.O.’s of the Dragoons 
and two of the Natal Carabineers competing. The prizes were given away by 
Mrs. Fulton. 
On the 17th November, a cup, competed for by tug-of-war teams representing 
England, Scotland, Ireland and Natal, was presented to the victorious English 
team. Out of this team of ten (which was coached by B.S.M. Humphreys, K.A.) 
eight men came from the battery, and nine of the Irish team were also gunners ; 
the best pull was between these two teams. 
Cricket has been going on since October, but the battery team is not very 
strong; so far it has won two matches, lost two and drawn one. 
Polo has been rather slack since the departure of the 11th Hussars, as the 3rd 
Dragoon Guards have had a good deal of difficulty in getting ponies, the lltli 
having taken their best ones to India. When Captain Gonne returns from leave 
(at the end of April) the battery hopes to be able to put a team in the field, 
though they will be somewhat short of ponies. 
The golf links are, unfortunately, only playable on for about three or four 
months in the year (June to September), as during the other months the grass is 
too long. 
Quail shooting has been going on since the beginning of November, bags of 20 
brace being often made by a couple of guns in a day, within five or six miles of 
Maritzburg. Guinea fowl and partridges can be shot on private grounds only. 
Buck can only be got in any number up in the Drakensburg, or in the Free State. 
Game is now closely preserved in Zululand, as a few years ago it was nearly becom¬ 
ing extinct. The nearest place for large game is up the Pungwe river, where buffalo, 
eland, quagga, and every kind of buck can be got in any quantity; there are 
plenty of lions there too, but though always heard at night, they are very difficult 
to find by day. Two officers of the 11th shot four last year, but others (of the 
lltli and 84th), who have recently been up the Pungwe, have not succeeded in 
shooting any. These trips are very expensive, and a man must have £200 at 
least to spare before undertaking them. In the Addo bush, near Port Elizabeth, 
there are a lot of elephants ; they are very destructive, and the colonial authori¬ 
ties are only too glad to have them shot, but it is dangerous work as, if once a 
herd winds a man, they set to work to hunt him down. Captain Gonne, last 
year, was lucky in coming across two elephants by themselves, and getting them 
both with the expenditure of three cartridges. 
In September, Lieuts. A. S. Miller and A. A. McHardy, R.A., went up to 
Zululand on three weeks’ leave, going as far as the Tugela with an infantry com¬ 
pany on its way to Eshowe. During this part of their expedition they got a 
certain amount of shooting, but on reaching Eshowe—where they were most 
hospitably put up by the 84th officers—they decided to push on via Ulundi to 
Rorke’s Drift, and as they would not have much time to spare, they did not take 
guns with them. The trace of the fort at Eshowe is still visible. Ulundi was a 
two days’ ride from Eshowe, a store forming the stopping place. One day was 
spent at Ulundi, and the battle-field visited; the spot where the square stood 
when charged by the Zulus is still distinctly marked out by the empty cartridge 
cases. The grave is just outside the square and is well looked after. Two davs 
were taken in getting from Ulundi to the Nondwere Gold Fields (which do not 
appear to be very productive), whence the Prince Imperial’s monument was 
visited; this is well kept and looked after. The next day’s ride brought them 
past Isandhlwana to Rorke’s Drift. The field of Isandhlwana is dotted over with 
heaps of stones marking the graves. The men were buried where they fell. A 
few of the graves are marked with crosses. The tent-pegs of the camp, cartridge 
