Kendal Franks wrote this report about Belfast Refugee Camp, which was published in "Reports, &c., on the Working of the Refugee Camps" (Cd. 819, HMSO, London, 1901).
This shows that Dr Wroughton was in charge of the refugee hospital situated in the Transvaal Hotel, in the town of Belfast, though he also took an active interest in the camp hospital.
BELFAST.
August 24th, 1901.
I visited this camp on August 24th, 1901. The town of Belfast is composed of a few widely-scattered houses, picturesquely situated on the slopes of small hills, hardly high enough to be dignified with the name of kopjes. It is distant about two miles from the railway station. In the middle of the town is a large clear space sloping downwards towards the north, upon which one division of the camp, composed of 60 tents, is pitched. Somewhat to the west of this is another good vacant site, upon which the second division of the camp is located; this consists of 50 bell tents. More to the north-west again is a large, healthy area, with the late Landrost's Court on one side and the gaol on the other, where it is proposed to pitch a third division of the camp as soon as possible. There are 1,399 refugees in Belfast, of which 239 occupy the tents in No. 1 Camp, of which 203 occupy the tents in No. 2 Camp, and the remainder, 957, are accommodated in the houses and stores in the town. Of these 1,399 refugees, 210 are men, 517 women, and 672 children. The town and camp are surrounded by blockhouses; the people have perfect freedom within the circle of these blockhouses and move about where they like. The town and camp are out of bounds to the military, and a strict watch is kept that no soldier makes his way within the circle of blockhouses. There are no police, burgher or military, employed in the camp, and they apparently are not needed.
All the officers connected with the camp seem to me to be as capable, energetic, and thoroughgoing as any I have yet met, and there seems to be a most excellent spirit, permeating this camp between the people and the several officers. The Superintendent, the doctor, the schoolmaster, and the matron of the hospital seem to have gained, not only the confidence but the affection of the refugees in this town, albeit the discipline is as strict as any I have met with in any of the camps.
The Superintendent is Mr David Murray. The camp was started on June 4th, and the manner in which the camp was laid out, and the tents pitched is deserving of the highest praise. In camp No. 1 the tents are pitched with mathematical accuracy, and the openings of the tents are so arranged that no one tent can look into another. The distance between the tents is 13 yards from pole to pole; each tent is surrounded by a trench. From this trench two narrow trenches run obliquely downwards and outwards to join a larger trench which runs parallel to the street from the top to the bottom of the camp. This is so well laid out that it seems as if it would be impossible for water to flood the tents in the heaviest rain even. The streets, which are of a good width and quite straight, were quite clean, as were also the surroundings of the tents. Owing to the want of transport, however, a good deal of the soil, which had been dug out of the trenches, had not yet been carted away. The Superintendent speaks in the highest terms of the assistance he has received from the storekeeper, Mr Manning.
There is as yet no camp matron here. Mrs Du Pries, a Dutch lady, whose husband is still on commando, is acting for the present as camp matron, and visits the tents. The people report to her cases of illness; she makes a list and goes round with the doctor. This has worked fairly well up to the present, because the camp has been small; but for many reasons it would be better for a regularly appointed camp matron, experienced and properly trained, to take charge of the entire camp, with probationers under her.
There is an inspector over the camp, Mr Coetzee. He is a lay preacher, and has much influence with Boers in camp. He visits the houses and tents to see that they are kept clean and in order. It is proposed to adopt a system here which the Superintendent says has proved most effective in Barberton. If it is reported to the Superintendent that a tent or its inmates are not clean, the names of the delinquents are to be posted in the rations tent, where all, when they go for their supplies, can see it. The force of the public opinion has been proved to be sufficient to cause a reformation. It is the duty also of the inspector to look after the latrines; this has proved to be one of the most difficult duties to perform in the camp, in spite of the fact that the refugees here are middle-class people, and come from well-to-do dorps. The women show no delicacy of feeling in this matter.
The water supply for this camp is derived from wells. There are four wells in camp No. 1 and three in camp No. 2; the water seems very good, but samples have been sent to Pretoria for analysis, and the results have not yet been received. There are no cases of enteric in the hospital or outside it, and very little sickness in the camp.
The rations here are the same as in the other camps. The supplementary ration of rice has been issued during the past fortnight, the rice having been brought up from Delagoa Bay.
The milk here is good. One tin of Milkmaid and two of Ideal are used to make nine bottles. Every child up to three, and old people, get a bottle per day.
There are three large public ovens in this camp, where the people can bake their own bread. These have been very much appreciated by the refugees.
14 lbs. of wood and 14 lbs. of coal are issued per week to every inmate of the camp, children included. Very little biltong is made in the camp, and under no circumstances is it allowed to be hung up in the tents or houses, as I have observed it elsewhere.
It is a well-known custom with the Boers to keep coffins ready for use in their houses, a wise precaution considering the hot climate and the isolated condition of many of the farmhouses. Two old Boers who came into camp brought their coffins with them and propped them up against the outside of their tents. They were removed to a place of safety by order of the Superintendent.
I think it is owing to the personal influence of the Superintendent that in this camp there has been no difficulty in getting the Boer men to work. Indeed, the supply exceeds the demand, and consequently the Superintendent has been obliged to give them employment in rotation. No pressure or coercive measures have been necessary.
The building in the town which was formerly the Transvaal Hotel has been converted into a hospital. The officer in charge of the hospital and of the camp is Dr Wroughton, R.A.M.C. He is also in charge of the military stationed at Belfast Station. He has taken very great interest in the hospital in the camp, and has brought it to a great state of efficiency. I think, however, that there is too much work for him to attend to the camp as well. I would recommend that a civil medical officer be sent here to live in and take charge of the camp, but that the hospital, where Dr Wroughton has done such good work, be left in his charge as heretofore. The rooms in the hospital make excellent wards. There are 35 beds, all supplied with wire wove mattresses. Dr Wroughton has borrowed some of these from the military hospital, where they were not being used, to relieve the pressure in the camp hospital. There were 34 patients in the hospital when I visited it, many of them being measles. Some of the very small children were put two in a bed, one at each end.
The matron of the hospital is Sister Herbst, under her are two trained nurses, one for day work and one for night. One of these, Sister Lambart, who has had much experience as a district nurse in the slums of Sydney and Melbourne, the Superintendent considers would make a most excellent camp matron. He is very anxious that another nurse should be sent up from Pretoria to work in the hospital to take Sister Lambart's place, so that the latter should be set free to undertake the duty of camp matron. I think this would be a wise step to take.
Under the trained nurses are four probationers, girls, selected from the camp. Three are for day work and one for night. They are given a uniform, viz., a dress and apron, to be worn on duty only, and are paid at the rate of £2 10s a month until they have learned their duties and become efficient, when their pay is raised to 2s 6d a day.
The number of sick in hospital when I visited it was 34, the average number for each week in July was 20, and for each week in August was 30, this increase being entirely due to the epidemic of measles. The total number of deaths in the hospital has been five; four occurred in July, and one from pneumonia, one from bronchitis, one from measles, and one from membranous croup. Only one death occurred in August up to the 23rd from an extensive burn. Altogether 75 patients have been admitted to the hospital.
Prior to July 26th no distinction was made in the returns between the sick in the hospital and the sick in the camp. Since that date the average number of sick, that is, those requiring medical attendance, in camp has been 11. The number of deaths in the camp during July was eight, the number in August, 18; of these 18, 10 were due to measles, complicated by bronchic pneumonia, or by haemorrhage, and only four to other causes. I think these returns show very satisfactory condition of this camp.
The school in the camp at Belfast deserves special mention. It is under the management of the schoolmaster, Mr Munro. The late Landrost's Court has been converted into a schoolhouse, for which it is admirably suited, and Mr Munro's experience and energy here made the class-rooms all that could be desired. The number of scholars on the books is 325 , and the daily average attendance is 200. At first there was some difficulty in getting the children into the school, owing to the suspicions arising in the parents' minds. Mr. Munro's method of combatting this is characteristic. He instituted a rehearsal of the week's work in a large room outside, which he uses as a drill hall. To this rehearsal the parents were all invited, as well as their friends. When they saw how happy the children were and the progress they were making all opposition soon died a way.
Under Mr Munro there are five teachers, one male and four female, of these two are Dutch and three English colonials. Mr Munro himself is a Scotchman. He has also started classes for technical instruction. In order to teach the children gardening he has enclosed and prepared a large piece of ground, which he is about to divide into small allotments as gardens for the older children who may wish to learn. The children are all drilled and put through calisthenic exercises. Two football clubs have been formed among the boys. They have also a lawn-tennis club.
In carrying out all these plans Mr Murray and Mr Munro have acknowledged to me, evidently with deep gratitude, the very great assistance they have received from Major Bulam, the Commandant at Belfast. He has taken the greatest interest in all concerning the children. It was he who supplied the boys wit h footballs and the girls with skipping ropes, and in a hundred other ways has won the affection and gratitude of all in the camp. Lieutenant Patterson, of the Lancashire Fusiliers, has also rendered much assistance while stationed at Belfast. He devoted part of every morning to teaching the head English class. I had an opportunity of looking through some of the "English compositions" written by these scholars, and in them some of their feeling regarding the school, Mr Munro, and Mr Patterson are expressed. I have been allowed to keep some of the originals. One of them reads: –
"Our school, our School; that word is enchanting; when we are in school, it is the best days of our life, with exception when we get punishment, but if that is not the case, we know from no sadness in school. We have three teachers and four mistresses. 'But by which of these teachers, you learn the best', you perhaps ask. 'Well may I say what I think, respectable teachers? yes?' I hope I shall not offend one of the teachers with my feeling, and, in case I do that, I ask them lowly for excuse. Well, perhaps I am wrong, but I think Mr Patterson.
"I am very thankful for the kindness that the teachers showing me every day, and I say with a voice that come out of my heart, Long live our teachers, – P.J. MALAN".
Another, signing herself Isie Malan, says: –
"I will try to learn English that I can say to the Kakky, handsup; I am twelve years old. This is my first English writing".
Another composition on "Our School at Belfast" reads: –
"Now I want to tell you how Mr Minnero is, he is a small man, he has a grey mustache and grey hair, on his head is no hair, and he is well a funny teacher, and makes us always happy. Our School is now in good order. We drill always in the afternoon it is very nice to drill, I think if you know how nice it is, you will wish that you can drill also with us. I am learning knitting, but I think I can kni t as well as the Mistress that it l earns it to me, my pair of stocking which I knitted, is finished to-day. August 1, 1901. C.W. DIPPENAAR".
All the others are in the same strain, and show that the school here is a great success, and is exerting a useful influence upon the Dutch children. When Mr Patterson left, the boys and girls wrote him a letter, which they all signed, regretting his leaving and hoping he would live to be an old man.
(Signed) KENDAL FRANKS.
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