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1900 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Wednesday, 14 February

Fairly quiet, enemy only giving us two or three big shells all day, sniping and one or two five-pounders of course in the usual way.

Late in the afternoon they could be seen bringing their legs and waggons, apparently preparatory to moving Big Ben, and towards dusk their horses could be seen, already saddled-up all round the fort. They are going to do something which I suppose we will know in the morning.

An incendiary shell going through the roof of Stenson’s house burst in their front sitting-room, and the splash of the concoction contained in the shell burnt holes immediately in everything inflammable about the room, such as curtains, carpets, table covers, etc., but was very soon extinguished with sand, nobody being hurt. The combustible must be carefully covered with sand, otherwise if only a small layer be put over it it burns through.

The stench is simply unbearable and is about ten times worse than being shut up in a fumigating box. These shells I should think would be very useful for setting fire to a native village, but for towns they are not much use as the fire can be easily put out before it has time to fire timber or such like.

Another nail in our coffin. The authorities are going to put a stop to the private sale or purchase of fresh milk or eggs, saying that the hospital being in want, everything of that sort must go there. As far as eggs are concerned this may be all right, but one would hardly think the patients want a milk bath every morning, and there is quite enough supply in town every day to almost do this, for nurses as well as patients. Whilst on the hospital tack the thoughts of the little "scandal” again crops up.

Today being the final day for the nurses to send in the returns required by the Board, formed for the purpose of enquiry, and as the matron and two or three of her particular friends kicked against this and at the time absolutely refused to do what was asked, it is presumed some correspondence appertaining to resignation will be floating about tomorrow. I always try to be charitable in ideas and arguments, but according to all outside hearsay evidence matters have been indeed going decidedly wrong up there somehow or other. If Nurse Hill (matron) resigns, it is understood that the position will be offered to Mrs. McCallum, who is both qualified and very clever at her work, and who is respected and beloved by those who have been under her care. Whenever a patient is sent in to the hospital he always begs that Mrs. McCallum be sent to attend him. Surgeon-Major Dowling (late Dr. practising in Cape Town) has a good deal to say privately about the goings-on up there, and is exceedingly strong and weighty evidence against the mismanagement of what should be an ideal institution. I should like to write what I have been told but' 'dar’nt’ ’.

The next thing our energetic local mechanics are endeavouring to do (especially Fodisch) is to reload all the fired-off M.H. cartridge cases with powder and ball made from the "Mafeking arsenal”. The only drawback is the want of percussion caps, there being very few to be found. If anybody says very much, they will be making those as well.

Today they made their first attempt at firing home-made shells with home-made powder from our 7-pounder. The shells burst excellently but it was found the powder had not so much driving power as the imported. For instance, the gun was sighted at 1600 yards but the projectile fell short, say at about 1200 yards. This can be easily remedied by putting a stronger charge in the gun. The powder will also be very good to use as a bursting charge in the shell, thereby saving the better stuff for reloading the guns. We are anxiously waiting to see what our 5 [inch] mortar is going to do, [with its] 2 3-pound shell to carry between 2 and 3 miles.

Owing to the numerous thefts committed lately the Town Commandant has instructed the Town Guard forts to supply consecutively four men from each fort for the purpose of patrolling the town at night. Each fort also has instructions to form a fire fatigue party with shovels, buckets, ladders, etc., and have instructions to watch certain areas allotted to them for the purpose of extinguishing any fire that may arise from the enemy's incendiary shells or otherwise. So what with sentry-go, etc., the Town Guard are not idle. Poor old Town Guard! On Oct. 2nd [18)99 were enrolled just about 200 men each receiving a M.H. rifle, and since then they have one and all taken their share of the defence work of the town. From the commencement of the siege they have alone held the east front with their rifles and one Maxim. They assisted the C.P. also at their fort, [and] they have manned the Nordenfeldt on the south-east. The northern advance posts have been pushed out and garrisoned by the Mafeking Volunteers. All this time they have done sentry-go and patrolled the town, N.S.E. and W. besides doing all the clerical and subordinate staff work from the commencement, with plenty of kicks, sneers, and arrogance and very little thanks. We were the very first got together for the war, and it looks very much like our being the very last to be disbanded.

Snyman sent in a message today to the Colonel under cover of a white flag, saying that we were not observing the sabbath in the manner originally agreed upon, as he allowed men to come out reconnoitring their trenches and positions under cover of Sundays, and also complained of our frivolous desecration of the sabbath, by holding sports and having music, etc., and if this was carried on he should fire on the town. This is jolly hard lines on the townspeople as we have our church as well as they do, and as for the sports, well, after being cooped up in holes best part of the week, it is absolutely necessary for us to get some healthy excercise. Certainly, the dance was not quite in accordance with these views, but then everybody did not go to that, and opinions were very much divided as to whether it should have been given or not. It is only to be hoped that the Colonel has diplomatically and amicably arranged the continuance of this much esteemed boon, greatly appreciated by the whole camp. The man who brought in the white flag was asked if there was any news; he replied, "Yes, there has been a big battle in Natal,” and when interrogated as to the result said, "I don’t know,” in a very surly manner. This looks rather well for our side. It is about time we got some news.

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