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The other day I was reading a print-on-demand copy of "The Story of South Africa" by Ridpath and Ellis (published by the Oceanic Publishing company, Sydney, New South Wales) and in Vol.2 I found an interesting comment about the use of homing pigeons from/to Ladysmith.

"The isolation of Ladysmith, Estcourt and other points by the Boers compelled the beleagured forces to resort to the only method left them of communicating with their friends outside. This was by means of carrier pigeons, a method employed long before the discovery of the telegraph, and one which under certain conditions, such as those named, must remain the most effective until some new means is brought into use, such as that of wireless telegraphy, which, it would seem, ought to supply the 'long felt want'.
"A good pigeon will fly at more than sixty miles an hour over short distances .... If the message to be carried is a long one, it is reduced from the original by photographic process, writing covering fully a foot of surface being thus compressed into an area of a square inch. This tiny photograph is then rolled and placed within a quill, which is introduced among the tail feathers and carefully bound there. The dispatch is removed by the officer at the receiving station and with the aid of the powerful oxyhydrogen microscope the writing is magnified to more than its first dimensions. At Ladysmith, probably due to defective appliances, the dispatches were not subjected to this process, only a few words being sent".





The attachment is from Vol.2 of "With The Flag ..." and it mentions a Mr. Hirst (of the Durban and Coast poultry club) volunteering to take charge of 165 birds in Ladysmith lofts.

David's inclusion of many books of the ABW period in the site's "Books" section is highly useful. However, some period books of the -shall we say, more obscure type - can be had reasonably by print-on-demand. I am sure that some might prefer the originals if they are ever available in complete form. However, in their absence, I am content to pay a fraction of the cost of an original and put up with occasional blurred words.
Regards
IL.

Sorry, the attachment did not go through:

Sorry, the attachment did not go through:

IL
Thank you for another interesting aside to the Ladysmith Siege.
I agree with you about cheap 'print-to-order' books. I bought a few of these books that had been authored by Interpreter J F Ingram, Murray's Scouts & FID, whose QSA I have. Original editions would have been expensive and difficult, if not impossible to find.
Regards
Brett

IL,

Another fascinating aspect of the siege.

Maurice says:

The nucleus of a fresh Intelligence staff had, however, been started by 2nd Lieut. A. N. Campbell, R.A., and was subsequently taken over by Mr. T. K. Murray, CMG, after the disbandment of his corps of scouts. The reports of Mr. Murray, who was subsequently created a KCMG for his
services, as well as information sent out by runners, heliograph, and pigeon post from Ladysmith, ....

I believe pigeons were also used at Mafeking too.

While I have no idea how they came by it, in the house of my great-aunts in Mossley, Lancashire, England a metal pigeon canister was found in 1991 (by me).

I unwrapped the flimsy paper inside and can remember the phrase 'Boers all around us' - but never thought to take a photograph.

The canister and message were donated to the Imperial War Museum who supposedly said it was the first example they'd seen of pigeon post being used in the Boer War.