1899 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross
Monday, 11 December
A very few shells in the early morning, and as it rained all day the enemy seem to have laid up in their waggons and huts, for since then they have been very quiet.
Creetje gave us four shells in the evening and a good-night one at 8 o’clock.
D. squadron had just arrived at the Court House and had all got inside when the enemy again poured volleys of Mauser bullets down the street, but they were just too late; the men are now going to make an entrance from the back, so Mr. Boer can go on shooting as long as he likes, but he is only wasting his ammunition.
No less than eight flags of truce passed between us and the enemy today. All the news we can find out is that printed despatches, re confiscation of property, were sent out to them.
About 9 o’clock the armoured train went out south as far as possible; we believe it has gone to cover some natives who are supposed to be out endeavouring to get some more cattle.
I had a most horrible experience last evening. The Court House where we were sleeping is covered on the floor with sawdust for the purpose of keeping the place dry, and on this we lay our blankets and sleep when we are not doing sentry-go. In the middle of the night I woke up feeling something crawling in my ear and endeavouring to get it out I must have pushed it further in, as it went on crawling right into my brain. I woke up the next man to me, and told him what had happened. By this time the sensation was getting maddening and I knew if it lasted much longer I should go completely off my head. This must eventually have happened, as I remember nothing more until again sensible when they told me what had happened. I seemed to wake up with a crowd of men holding me fast and sitting on me. They told me that I had yelled like a maniac and tried to smash my head on the floor, and it took six of them all their time to hold me down, whilst another one got some oil which is used for cleaning the guns, and heated it over a candle. They then poured this down my ear, I suppose eventually killing the insect. I had to undergo an operation at the hospital the next day and after a lot of trouble syringing with hot water Doctor Hayes managed to get away half the little beast. It turned out to be a large flying ant about half an inch long, and Hayes told me that it was very lucky that they had the oil there and thought about it, otherwise poor me would have had to have been strapped down as a lunatic.
