TOPIC:

1900 - Mafeking siege day 162 (74%). Martial law extended to Gordonia.
1902 - Transvaal Government arrives in Pretoria on its way to Kroonstad to consult Free State leaders.

In Mafeking:

We shelled the brickfield trench, but did not succeed in drawing fire from the big gun, which has been almost silent for the last few days. ln the garrison there are soldiers from all parts of the world, one German veteran who served all through the Franco-German War in the 84th Regiment, Trooper Block by name, was through the Orleans campaign, and has since served in all the South African wars; there are men who served in the Chilian war, the Carlist, and in fact practically every known war for the last fifty years.

This is the final entry in the diary of Bella Craw.

It has been fascinating to read her account of the siege and to see things through differrent eyes.

Here is her diary entry:

Nearly a whole week since I last wrote in my diary. Have had a dreadful week of anxiety. Bert been very ill indeed, the worst case of enteric I have ever seen. The others have been nothing to it.

On Monday Uncle George wired from Maritzburg should he send a good nurse up. I wired back yes, for it was a case of night and day.

Poor old Bert, his depression and lowness is too dreadful, but he is so bad and remembering what he went through 2 years ago I don't wonder at it. Nurse Harrington, his old nurse, arrived on Tuesday night. I was truly thankful to see her.

Yesterday Major Bateson had a consultation with Dr. Buntine at Mr. Christopher's request. They said there were no dangerous symptoms except weakness. He is very restless and distended, and does not sleep at night.

At noon today received a long wire from Uncle Joe, anxious to know all details of patients, and saying Dr. Dumat was attending Mama, so we were very anxious until I received letters from Mama and Amy later on.

I think it has been, indeed, most fascinating, to read these posts, all the more so as the Natal campaign has long been an interest to me since a child and I'm sorry to see them come to an end.

djb wrote: This is the final entry in the diary of Bella Craw.

It has been fascinating to read her account of the siege and to see things through differrent eyes.

Here is her diary entry:

Nearly a whole week since I last wrote in my diary. Have had a dreadful week of anxiety. Bert been very ill indeed, the worst case of enteric I have ever seen. The others have been nothing to it.

On Monday Uncle George wired from Maritzburg should he send a good nurse up. I wired back yes, for it was a case of night and day.

Poor old Bert, his depression and lowness is too dreadful, but he is so bad and remembering what he went through 2 years ago I don't wonder at it. Nurse Harrington, his old nurse, arrived on Tuesday night. I was truly thankful to see her.

Yesterday Major Bateson had a consultation with Dr. Buntine at Mr. Christopher's request. They said there were no dangerous symptoms except weakness. He is very restless and distended, and does not sleep at night.

At noon today received a long wire from Uncle Joe, anxious to know all details of patients, and saying Dr. Dumat was attending Mama, so we were very anxious until I received letters from Mama and Amy later on.

1900 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Friday, 23 March

The enemy still continue to keep their big gun quiet, thank goodness, although often using their 5-pounder quick-firer.

We quite miss the noise of the big gun, but are quite content to miss it without any complaint.

Pool got a Mauser through the arm today whilst out with a working party of boys.

About midday quite a fusillade of rifles was being kept up strongly at the brickfields. It appears the enemy were endeavouring to get out of and retire from their advanced trenches, and our fellows would not let them, sniping all the time, and getting the C.P. Maxim on them, made them lie low. I happened to be in the Colonel’s yard at the time and he called down from the roof very excitingly "They’ve bagged one,” meaning the Maxim had managed to hit one of the Boers.

Our Hotchkiss was today removed down to the brickfields trenches, and gave the Boers a bit of an eye-opener.

B.P. has done everything he could to alleviate distress amongst the natives, none of whom need now starve, if they are not too lazy to walk as far as the horsemeat soup kitchens.