TOPIC:

In two letters published in the Blackburn Times, on 28th July 1900, 3,996 Private J. Kelly, of the F Company 1st Gordon Highlanders, refers to an engagement over two days at the above place, "in the vicinity of Doorn Kop," but the printing makes the spelling unclear. Can anyone identify it, please?
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The two letters, as published, read as follows:—
....Writing to Mr R. M. Bottomley, tailor and clothier, of King-street, Blackburn, under date June 2nd, from Johannesburg, No. 3,996 Private J. Kelly, of the F Company 1st Gordon Highlanders, says:—"Since we departed from Bloemfontein a considerable amount of hard marching and heavy fighting has been experienced, defeating the Boers on every occasion. Since I last wrote to you I have taken part in four battles, the most notable being Hoelas Nek and Brows Nest, situated in the vicinity of Doorn Kop, where Dr. Jameson made his famous stand. At this particular place we charged the Boers with the cold steel, driving them from behind boulders and rocks. The fire poured into us was terrible, but on we pressed inflicting great damage on our foes. We lost 106 killed and wounded, whilst the Boers must have lost tremendously. I suppose you will have read all about our behaviour on these occasions. I have a Mauser clip of five cartridges in my posession. The Boers used explosive bullets which sounded like Chinese crackers as they travelled through the air. The staff and war correspondents who observed our advance, expressed their opinion that the whole regiment behaved in a manner beyond praise, and worthy of the best records of the British Army. We bivouacked on the enemy's position all night, and buried our dead the following morning. The wounds inflicted by explosive bullets are terrible. I saw one of our fellows who was shot in the forehead, and an egg could be easily placed in the hole the bullet caused after penetration. At present we are camped four miles west of Johannesburg.
....In a second letter to Mr. Bottomley, Private J.Kelly says:—"Just a few lines to inform you that I still exist among the elements of the stern realities of war. Since February 21st, the date on which we left Bloemfontein, our brigade has accomplished important steps in favour of British supremacy in South Africa. The day following our unexpected departure from the Free State capital, we came in contact with a Boer commando, which had for its object the seizure of the waterworks which supplied the peaceful inhabitants of the surrounding districts with water. We attacked the Boers in real earnest, and after two hours experience of shell and rifle fire, they withdrew and left us masters of the situation. Our next encounter was at Hoelns Nek. Here the enemy were determined to impede and, if possible, prevent our advance in the direction of Pretoria, but after two days' fighting we hunted them across the veldt as fast as horses could carry them. In fact we engaged the enemy nearly every day, until we arrived at the Zand River, where we gave them the soundest thrashing they had had for some time. The next time we engaged 'Krugerine' was at Doorn Kop, where we experienced stubborn resistance, but brought the dispute to a successful issue by charging them with the bayonet, which I expect all the world knows. The people who saw our advance on the Boer position are reported to have been lost in admiration at the gallant conduct of the Gordons. The war correspondents, foreign military attaches and others, said they had never before witnessed such a steady advance under such a murderous fire, which gave us the heavy casualty list you may have seen in the papers. How any of us were able to escape, I cannot say, unless the 'Krugerines' rifle practice was bad. We bivouacked on the position all night, which was a bitter cold one. Our next fight took place four miles outside Pretoria, where we assisted in moving the Boers from behind boulders and trenches. Our regiment has not received a mail since the week before we left Bloemfontein and there are persistent rumours that our two months mail has been captured by the Boer forces under Commandant De Wet, so you will know how our Brigade has been when out of communication with the outside world. I received your kind and handsome present. We are at present occupied in the protection of the gold mines here, which number a great many, and one can easily understand Kruger's objection to the franchise."

Here's a possibility Berenice?

I'm with Dave on this one - Tommy's very often gave free reign to poetic licence when naming Dutch geographic locations.

Thanks, Dave and Rory, I'll go with Houtnek.