December 16th being Dingaan's Day, the garrison of Ladysmith was treated
to heavy shell fire at daybreak.

On December 17th the Regiment and the Gordon Highlanders were told off
as reserve battalions under the immediate orders of Sir George White.

It was officially given out that Sir R. Buller had been unable to make
good his advance at Colenso, and that the garrison must be prepared to
hold on for another two weeks. The orders publishing this news stated
that the "Lieutenant-General regrets to have to announce that the
Lieutenant-General Commanding-in-Chief in South Africa failed to make
good his first attack on Colenso; reinforcements will therefore not
arrive as early as expected."

On the evening of December 18th the Regiment gave over the good works
they had completed on Devon Post and Cemetery Hill to the Liverpool
Regiment, and moved into the latter's camp at Tunnel Hill, or, as it was
otherwise known, Railway Cutting Camp.

* * * * *

Helpmakaar Hill, on account of being so exposed, had, at the
commencement of the siege, been considered indefensible and untenable.

Under the vigorous superintendence of Colonel Knox, the commandant of
the section who planned the defences, the works on this hill had by now
been almost completed by the officers and men of the Battalion.

The defences were as complete as possible--flanking works, covered ways,
splinter and shell-proof covers were dug or erected, and the main