little details connected with the care of horses and harness, and all
along the ever-present problem of the next meal, and how to make it
meet the demands of your hunger. I don't mean that one is always
_worrying_ about such things. They generally have a most humorous
side, and are a source of great amusement; on the other hand, they
sometimes seem overwhelmingly important. Chiefly one realizes the
enormous importance of food to a soldier. Shortage of sleep,
over-marching, severe fighting, sink into insignificance beside an
empty stomach. Any infantry soldier will tell you this; and it is on
them, who form the bulk of a field force, that the strain really
tells. Mounted men are better able to fend for themselves. (I should
say, that an artillery _driver_ has in the field the least tiring work
of all, physically; at home, probably the heaviest.) It is the
foot-soldier who is the measure of all things out here. In the field
he is always at the extreme strain, and any defect of organization
tells acutely and directly on him. Knowing what it is to be hungry and
tired myself, I can't sufficiently admire these Cork and Yorkshire
comrades of ours, in their cheerful, steady marching.

By the way, the General was giving orders close to me this morning. He
said to our Major, "Your guns are the best--longest range; go up
there." So the Lord Mayor is justified; but the special ammunition is
a great difficulty. This, however, is only a matter of organization.
As to the guns themselves, we have always understood that the pattern
was refused by the War Office some years ago; it would be interesting
to know on what grounds. They are very simple, and have some features
which are obvious improvements on the 15-pr.

There was a serious alarm of fire just now. There is a high wind, and
the grass is unusually long. A fire started due to windward, and came