678 
LAING's NEK AND INGO'GO. 
and continual ascent from Maritzburg. In consequence we had to 
bivouac, and buy bread and meat from the stores in Howick. The 
wagons with our tents came up in the afternoon of the next day, the 
22nd December. We remained that night at Howick, and proceeded the 
next day on our way to Newcastle. Every precaution was taken during 
the march; wagons laagered at night; scouting parties thrown out 
during the day; and outlying picquets posted at night, &c. The 
English horses during this trying march worked admirably, and we 
had no galls and no ffl sickness, which was rather remarkable as horse 
sickness was very prevalent everywhere. Our only difficulty was in the 
shoeing, as after a march over heavy and stony roads, many horses cast 
their shoes, in consequence (according to the veterinary surgeon) of 
the horses hoofs getting dry and hard during the twelve months* stable 
life they had been leading at Maritzburg. The little mountain guns 
we brought along with us very easily, considering the heavy roads 
and the low standing carriages. They of course easily and continually 
upset, but were just as easily put right again. The ammunition for 
these guns was carried on two high wheeled Scotch carts, peculiar to 
the country, drawn each by six mules. Two mules for the gun, driven 
tandem, were found quite sufficient. 
In addition to the four guns already mentioned, the late Captain 
Greer, R.A., drew out of store at Durban two 9-prs. of 6 cwt., that 
had been returned to the Ordnance Department soon after the ter¬ 
mination of the Zulu war; and these guns, drawn by bullocks and 
manned by garrison gunners from 10/7th Brigade at Cape Town, he 
brought up to Newcastle, joining us about the 20th January, 1881. 
The three weeks we spent at Newcastle previous to Greer's arrival were 
chiefly employed in buying and breaking in horses for his two guns. 
Cape horses proved very unsuitable for draught purposes, on account 
of their general light build and bucking propensities; but fortunately 
we managed to get from horse farmers living in the Newcastle district 
some of the dragoon horses they had only a few weeks previously 
bought at the government auction sales, on the King's Dragoon Guards 
embarking for India. With the help of these horses and one of 
the wagon teams of N/5, R.A., as a something to go upon, we managed 
to put together two scratch gun teams of eight horses each, driven 
by garrison gunners, assisted by the three wagon drivers of N/5, ft. A., 
who went over to those guns with their horses. The two ammu¬ 
nition wagons of these guns, 10/7 Brigade, R.A., as well as the one 
wagon of N/5, ft. A. that was unhorsed, were drawn by bullocks; 
thus we had— 
N/5, E.A. Guns and one wagon well horsed with English horses, and 
one wagon with bullocks. 
10/7, E.A. Guns horsed with a mixed lot of horses, and two wagons 
with bullocks. 
The late Major Poole, ft. A., suggested that as the horses were un¬ 
trained and the garrison gunners unable to ride or drive, the horses 
should be driven with reins from the limber boxes, but this was found 
to be impracticable. With the help of the three wagon drivers. 
