This is a second letter from Sergeant-Major Edward Jollie of the British South Africa Police (written prior to the longer account he wrote of his experiences during the siege of Mafeking.
MAFEKING, B.S.A.B., [sic]
BECHUANALAND, SEPT. 3RD, 1899
Just a few lines to let you know how I am getting on. You will be pleased to hear I am now a full-blown sergt.-major. It was in orders about ten days ago and dated back to the day I first took over this paymaster’s job. I am now the proud possessor of four gorgeous stripes on my right arm. I have a room to myself and sojourn down in the sergeants’ mess, hobnobbing with the other P.M.’s, whom I had to treat with great respect before I rose to this exalted position. I really must summon up sufficient energy one of these days to photograph myself in all my panoply of stripes &c. I have been extremely busy for the last week, it being the end of one and the beginning of another month. We got through pay-day all right, and I sent off all the out-station cheques yesterday, so have got rid of them. My boss, Captain Greener, was good enough to say that so far I had managed very well, whereat I felt gratified.
One of our men deserted the other day, but was caught and brought back. He was tried by a board of officers and got 156 days in prison. Another trooper some time ago struck a corporal and got 122 days in gaol. He came out the other day, and hoping to get his discharge he refused to obey an order. Instead of his discharge he got another 56 days in prison, whereat he was considerably sold. They certainly are pretty strict in this corps, and rightly so at the present time when everything is so unsettled.
October 8th. – There are great preparations for war, which everyone seems to think is inevitable. They have recalled about 30 of our men from out-stations, and we are now very busy drilling with the seven pounder marine guns, &c.
The volunteers have been called out and all the able-bodied men in Mafeking enrolled as special constables. We have had several false alarms, when we had to turn out armed and mounted. The alarms are so frequent that we have all been to bed with our clothes on for the last two nights so as to be ready with our arms beside us. All the women and children have been ordered out of Mafeking, and earthworks have been thrown up round the town. To get the men used to the country we have had several sham fights. The Protectorate Regiment got up by Colonel Baden-Powell is here about 500 strong. Altogether with volunteers, police, &c., we are about 800 strong. None of us are allowed to leave camp in case there should be an alarm. Oh! I think we are going to have an exciting time. We had a sham fight this morning – turned out at six in the morning and got back to camp at 2.30 p.m., and jolly hungry too. Hope there will be no alarms to-night as I feel I could sleep for a week.
