1899 - Kimberley siege day 60 (48%). Ladysmith siege day 42 (35%). Mafeking siege day 62 (28%). Sir Charles Warren and part of Fifth Division arrive at Cape Town. Seventh Division to be mobilized at Aldershot. Boer attack at Arundel repulsed.
1900 - Clements attacked at Nooitgedacht by De la Rey and Beyers. Kritzinger overwhelms party of Brabant's Horse near Zastron.
1902 - Boer Generals sail for S. Africa.
In Kimberley:
“From Kekewich. To General Metheun. Dec 13 No 24. in Kimberley have 5000 private horses and mules inclusive De beers mares and mules. It is suggested that they should be driven South of Orange river after relief Kimberley will you have objections. Reported Boers have large camp on farm KOPPIE’S DAM west Spyfontein. Last written dispatch received from you yours Dec 10th No 46. Man escaped from Boers state their ammunition running short. Boers advised reserved fire for 500 yards range – Mafeking safe November 29th. In addition Free Staters you have 4000 Transvaalers opposing you according to enemy’s newspaper dated November 30th.”
“From Kekewich to General Metheun. December 13th No 25. reference removal civil population additional question raised will Government refund loss sustained for rent and rates f houses and premises during absence?”
A message was also sent from the Manager of the Standard Bank asking for money and notes. It is curious but in ordinary times about 75% of the notes and gold issued by the bank come back again to the bank. Now very little is returned. I suppose as people cannot send drafts or money orders they are keeping the money to send to their friends directly communications are opened.
In Ladysmith:
The early part of the day was distinguished by a violent fire from the big gun of Bulwan upon the centre of the town and the riverside camps. "Lady Anne" answered, for she has not yet been removed to her destined station on Waggon Hill. In the intervals of their fire we could distinctly hear big guns far away near Colenso and the Tugela River. They were chiefly English guns, for the explosion followed directly on the report, proving they were fired towards us. The firing stopped about 10 a.m.
All morning our two howitzers, which have been brought down from Waggon Hill, pounded away at their old enemy, the 6 in. gun now placed on Telegraph Hill as I described. They are close down by the Klip River, west of the old camp. Their object is to drive the gun away as they drove him before, and certainly they gave him little rest. He had hardly a chance of returning the fire; but when he had his shot was terribly effective, coming right into the top of our earthworks. Equally interesting was the behaviour of two Boers who crept down from Thornhill's farm among the rocks and began firing into our right rear. I detected them by the little puffs of white smoke, for both had Martini's. But no one took the trouble to shoot them, though they harassed our gunners. If there had been 50 instead of two they might have driven out our handful of men and tumbled the guns into the river. For we had no support nearer than the steep top of King's Post. Happily Boers do not do such things.
A Kaffir brought in a newspaper only two days old. It said Gatacre had suffered a reverse on the Free State frontier. There was nothing about the German Emperor, and no football news.
In the late afternoon I rode up to the Manchesters' lines on Cæsar's Camp, our nearest point to Colenso. But they knew no more than the rest of us, except that an officer had counted the full tale of guns fired in the morning—137. The view on all sides was as varied and full of growing association as usual, but had no special interest to-day, and I hurried back to inquire again after Mr. George Steevens, who is down with fever, to every one's regret.
