Churchill planned to publish his magnum opus in October 1899, “but when the middle of October came, we all had other things to think about”. He said “the Boer ultimatum had not ticked out on the tape machines for an hour” when Oliver Borthwick of the Morning Post, and the publisher of The River War, offered Churchill an appointment as principal War Correspondent of the Morning Post. He was to be paid £250 per month, all expenses paid and he retained the copyright on his articles. These were very generous terms and enabled him to engage a valet, Thomas Walden, who had travelled to Mashonaland with Winston’s father, Lord Randolph, in 1891. Churchill sailed on 14^th October on the Dunottar Castle – General Sir Redvers Buller was a fellow-passenger and it was an exceedingly rough passage. In those days before radio, they were completely cut off from the world while at sea. Approaching the Cape a passing ship held up a blackboard on which was written: BOERS DEFEATED   THREE BATTLES   PENN SYMONS KILLED. A staff officer ventured to address Buller. “It looks as if it will all be over, sir.” Buller only said “I dare say there will be enough left to give us a fight outside Pretoria.”