On October 11th, before the burghers crossed the frontier at Laing's Nek, a religious service was conducted.

Every burgher in the commandos knelt on the ground and uttered a prayer for the success and the speedy ending of the campaign.

Hymns were sung, and for a full hour the hills, whereon almost twenty years before many of the same burghers sang and prayed after the victory at Majuba, were resounding with the religious and patriotic songs of men going forward to kill and to be killed.

In their laagers the Boers had religious services at daybreak and after sunset every day, whether they were near to the enemy or far away.

At first the novelty of being awakened early in the morning by the voices of a large commando of burghers was not conducive to a religious feeling in the mind of the stranger, but a short stay in the laagers caused anger to turn to admiration.