Boer War soldier's letters home

here are the 2nd & 3rd covers (in chronological order by date mailed) in the Boer War collection I have.  The top cover's postmark says "British Army S. Africa" in the dial and is dated 7 August 1900. 
The 2nd and 3rd images show the front and back of the third cover.  It was mailed in September 1900 and the receiving mark on the back is dated 13 October 1900. Thus we see a month time for mail to sail from South Africa to the UK and then to Scotland.  The sending cancellation is different than the first and second ones; all I can read is "S. Africa".  The letters on the lower left are "AR" which may be 'Army'.

Unfortunately, the letters are no longer with these covers.  I wonder what they contained!

The 5th letter I have of James Angus is the longest.  It was posted on the 8th of February, 1901, and received in Aberdeen Scotland (see receiving mark on back of envelope) on the 4th of March.  You can also see that he didn't use the return address he had advised Kate to use in letter #3.  This postmark is simply "Pretoria/ Transvaal" so it's not got any sort of British military markings on it whatsoever.  Here is the text:
"Pretoria 7th Feb 1901
I suppose you have by this time heard a good deal of Pretoria.  For something over a week I have been here and my first impressions of it are favorable & unfavorable.  It is surrounded by hills, capped by forts, and outposts, from which one can get the best view of the Town but I have not yet had the pleasure of mounting any of them.  The Town is not to my mind healthy.  It lies too low.  Rain waters run into and through it.  By the street sides are open drains (say two feet deep 18 inches wide) by which the rain finds it way along.  It does seem so very strange the absence of running water in South Africa and in Pretoria a constant flow, the lie of the surrounding land, and the situation of the Town, accounts for that.  That accounts perhaps for the large family of musquitoes [sic] which at night time visit my tent and have created quite a decent number of minature [sic] -ant heaps- on my body.  These flying musical pests are credited with being a medium for malarial fever.  Here I may mention that Pretoria is furnished with a very large swiming [sic] bath, charge 1/- [one shilling].  Bathers are requested to shake the dust off their feet, at a shower bath provided, before entering the pond.  I fancy this rule applies especially to Tommies who have had no where to lay their head's [sic]. Economy compels me to use the Railway Station shower baths (gratis) instead.  The Town is lit up by electricity, is perhaps 5 miles of boundary.  Apart from Kaffir locations--or villages--and suburban buildings, and camp Hospitals, the town seems to lie on a square.  There are tramway lines, (unused meantime), cabs on hire, motor cars a few, many bycycles [sic] which must have registered numbers on if in use, some superior buildings, neglected grounds, streets rotten, pavements with one or two escceptions [sic] are break-neck, are not at all suited to a meditative pedistrian, an inquisitive stranger frequently, and unceremoniously, and involuntarily kisses the ground.  I am favourably impressed with the towns [sic] appearance--escternal[sic]--if city improvements were made, as is carried on at Aberdeen.  There is no congestion, a garden (or (Tuin) [sic] attached to most houses, plenty trees [sic], and vegetation.  I will finish this weeks description with this story (quite true). In the evenings I take a walk, a review of the town, and last night was passing a house, the door was open, everything very quiet, I saw a woman, she had an infant in her arms, no furniture, lamp burning; In short, the whole situation suggested--my husband is dead, a prisoner, at all events not here, alone in Pretoria, with hopes and aspirations dashed to pieces, esccept [sic], whatever hope and joy her arms burden gave her.  I passed on unobserved, and thought how necessary it is to see, before anyone begins to write, or speak of the awful consequences, following a war, made worse and unbearable by their own kith and kin.  Just yesterday, a train from Durban, having on board some nursing sisters, men civilians, and miitary, were fired upon by about 200 Boers, wounding 13 occupants, riddled the carriage and guards van with bullets.  they got possession of the train for about 10 minutes, indignities and insults (a passenger who escaped injury) were not in it.  From this we may escpect [sic] dastardly, henious [sic], murderous assaults.  Yet some one says all is fair in love and war, virtue here, is on the wane; what they have been I cannot say.  I noticed the bullets had perforated the carriage in line with the heads of the occupants.

No answers yet to my inquires about my right to a free passage home when this job breaks up; nor to my inquiries, why your allowance was stopped on November instead of being as the captn. said paid up to Dec 31st inclusive; up to that date, my allowances to you, was kept out of my accounts, and why it has not been paid you puzzles me altogether, however we will wait and see what happens.   Yesterday I went to Kaaffontein with one  train, and returned with another.  We take our turns of that here.  I trust you are getting along all right that you have got the 28 [pounds Sterling] I sent you last week.  by the mail leaving this in the first week of March you may hope to get another pay 14 [pounds Sterling] or more if I can manage it. 

I must now close for I am clean run out, and until the well gets somewhat filled again you must patiently wait yours affectionately James Angus XXXXXXXX"

Quite a chatty letter this one!  A lot of insight to his thoughts while alone, feeling alone, and some military incidences which often occurred but were never put in the history books.

here is page 2 of the 6th letter of James Angus to his wife Kate.

"In many places wooden painted crosses (memoriams painted thereon) mark the spot where men have fallen or buried.  Some less fortunate have but a few loose stones some nothing at all.  Huloa here is Rhenoster River, and that the exact spot in the drift where on my way down sick on a bullock waggon [sic] we stuck and had to stay for a whole night.  Two days and a half and two nights on nothing.  Hundreds of tons of all sorts of stuffs, guns and so on passing north through at the time.  The Bridge seems all right again.  Here the Derby's and Imperial Yeomanry (I think) got a shake up by the Boers.  Noticeable at Bridges is the injuction posted up "Not to exceed 5, 8, or 10 miles an hour" as is deemed safe by the Engineer.  the Engine whistle is blown in quick succession I look out and see an ox on the track which gets a gentle lift, to a point of safety, by an arrangement on front of the Engine called cow-catcher. It did not catch that cow, but broke a leg.  At mileage 623 as far as the eye can reach I cannot see a single antheap.  I wonder what accounts for their absence in this locality.  What is meant by mileage, the railway is measured and a stone placed every 1/4, 1/2 and mile distance all the way from Cape Town to Pretoria.  I arrived at Viljoens Drift at 5pm and stayed there for the night, tipped the conductor two bob, 1st class compartment, good bed do you know.  Next morning 24th Jan[uary] stared for Pretoria.  In no mood for writing notes today.  Pleasant scenery on through the mining Districts, land at Pretoria Station at 3pm.  Shall give you what I think of this place later on.  It is without a doubt a great contrast to any other portion of south Africa that I have been in.
    David Frost is in Celon [Ceylon?]  there are of my company discharged and on civil employ in Pretoria 7 all told.  Though not alone, might will be reckoned so.  I hear the company will very probably leave Cape Town for home in the middle of March.  we hear so much that we are driven to turning the deaf ear to a great deal.  I went to a house the other night on entering--'Hands on your watches chaps'--On leaving --'now Angus are you sure you have got all that belongs you'  Answer 'I think I have old chap but there will be no harm in you sending your bed clothes (on which I had been sitting) to the wash'  I would not wonder if this overtakes the other letters I sent you. the English Mail I have been tod was espatched before I psted yours.  Better late than never.  And now I must conclude with the hope that you are all doing well at home.  I must write a letter to Mr. Chapman this week if possible.  You can give him the gist of this one if you happen to see him.  You will observe I have done what I can to reconcile you and my mother that having said or rather written nothing in reference to your troubles, neither of you can turn upon me or blame me.  I will not be slow to give you every assistance in my power if I am certain you are in the right in anything like difficulties.
I am, Madam, your Leige Lord and yours affectionately James Angus"

Another letter filled with many interesting (to me!) observations of war time.