TOPIC:

1900 - Mafeking siege day 176 (81%).
1901 - Scheepers captures detachment of 75 men at Zeekoegat, near Cradock.
1902 - Kritzinger acquitted of charges of murder.

In Mafeking:

The morning began very quietly, and we were afraid that Smitheman would not get his introduction to " Creaky." However, in the afternoon she began, and lie had a full opportunity of learning the meaning of the various sounds of the bell, the joys of the rush to the "dug-out," and the philosophy with which you can see your friends in the distance shelled, when she diverted a certain portion of her fire on Cannon Kopje.

Major Goold-Adams had just shifted into a new office after his former one had been destroyed, and somewhat prematurely, for " Creaky" promptly blew it up with the first shell; fortunately it was empty at the time. They gave us a good doing and stopped for the night.

1900 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Friday, 6 April

From 7 to 7.30 our north-eastern outpost Maxim was continually on the rattle, and rifle-firing in volleys from both sides continually disturbed the early morning quietness.

Frank Smitheman did not go out last night owing to his movements having become so public.

Enemy sent us in eight 94-pounders with sundry smaller shells today but did very little damage.

Cannon Kopje have now pushed out an advanced sniping trench towards Jackal’s Tree, and are anxiously waiting for the Boers to run out their artillery for their usual practice at our cattle. It is impossible for the enemy to know of this trench as the whole work was done in one night.

From the diary of Lance Corporal Luke Gormley, 1st Royal Scots, at Wepener

Apr 6th, 1900

We have had another hard day of it and one of the men in our tent made a mistake this evening that nearly cost some of us our lives. It happened in the following manner. We had been issued out with some flour and were making scones when one of our mess got some yellow stuff from a farm which he thought was egg powder. He used it for baking powder. After we had all partaken of the scones, we were taken very ill with pains in the stomach and vomiting which went on for some hours. We all thought it was a case with us, especially when we discovered it was sheep-dip and not egg powder. By good luck we all recovered.