The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-19

OF October 81 when a detachment Of the
British South African police. under Coo
mel Walford made such a gallant resist
anee to the Beers in a daybreak assault
that the whole scheme of attack on the
town was foiled. In this fight fell the
Hon Douglas Marsham and Capt Charles
PecheH Their burial in the cemetery out
side the town. at the dead of night. and
with the lantern dimly burning. made an
affecting scene
The day after Christmas Day the garri-
son received its worst check. A so;tie was
planned for the capture Of Game Tree Fort,
which was greatly harrassing the town.
Three officers who rushed up to the wall
OF the fort and thrust their revolvers
through the lOopholes. were killed in the
assault-the commander. Capt. Ronald
Vernon. with Capt. Harry Sanford ard
Lieutenant Patton. Out Of the storming
party of eighty, tweDty-one we're XII lei
and thirty-three wounded. Capt FitZ
Clarence. who was wounded. recovered. and
was able later to take an active part in the
defence.
Life ON short RatiOns.
At the outset OF the siege Messrs- Wiel,
the Government contractors, forwarded
supplies of food for thirty days for 40 Eu-
ropeans, so colored. and 30 natives. with
$40 horses and % mules. The contractors
also forwarded. some say at Lord Edward
Cecil's suggestion, large stores for the
population Of Mafeking, which included
about 1000 natives. Altogether the be-
sieged, II is estimated have numbered
1000 people. With this plentiful sore the
garrison did not begin to feel the pinch
OF hunger until the beginning of January.
The commander had. however. taken pre-
cautions to husband his resources In food.
was estimated that by their means the
meal that would have lasted only three
weeks would be made to last three months.
Vegetables were grown where possible,
but could only be obtained az famine phi es.
Then came the slaughter of the horses.
Any shot by the enemy were promptly
handed over to the cOmmissariat and sent
to the stew pot. In the middle of February
the ordinary ration for an adult consisted
OF four weevily biscuits and piece Of
/ meat which could truthfully be called
! beef" Three weeks later the meal ration
> was half a pound a man. a quarter OF
] pound for woman, and two ounces for
| each child. Five horses were killed daily.
Great difficulty was experienced in feed
! ing the natives, until an enterprising
Scotchman evolved a mess closely akin to
sOwan. substitute for porridge. which
became their sole diet. as they objected TO
eating hOrsefiesh through religious scru-
Piles. By Good Friday the ration for the
whites had been reduced to six ounces Of
oaten -four biscuit and three-Quarters of a
pound OF meat. An attempt by Colonel
Plumer to send forty head of cattle into
the town by night was frustrated by the
/ Boer Gordon just as the party had reached
! the lines OF the besieged
On April 25. when 1t was stated that
] Mafeking could still hold out for a month.
/ the bread rations had come down to four
ounces. a case Of whisky was rallied at
this time and fetched elO7 los. while a
| pound Of -four brought two guineas and a
| fowl twenty-four shillings.
sunday sports stopped.
By the middle Of January life had be-
| come monotonous beyond measure. All the
excitement provided was by the unpleas-
| ant visitation Of shells. The hottest fire
! when the big Creusot gun fired more than
a hundred rounds. and the field guns from
| every side kept up a constant rain OF
| shells Four Of these entered the hospital
and il seemed as if a deliberate attempt
! was being made 10 pierce the bOmbprOOf
| shelters Of the women.
In these dug-out caves the loss Of life
was due more 20 malaria and dysentery
than TO the missiles Of the enemy. II was
| dangerous during the last month OF the
! siege to move out Of them. for Shippers
I were always on the watch. and bullets
I flew through the streets at all times
Early in the siege Sunday was observed
by common consent as a day Of truce. The
garrison was able 20 keep up its spirits By
games in the open. Football and cricket
matches were played with much delight
and were followed by concerts and amuse
ments, which relieved the strain Of tht
Imprisonment. Gradually the Beers CAV,
up these concessions. so that nothing re
manned to the besieged but to sit and
await the end with what patience the!
could command.
/ On one occasion the Sunday relaEa tom
were to wind 10 with a dance given b,
the bachelor officers Just, however. a.
the dancing was about to begin the Boo
guns opened FIRE and. as on the famous ey
r Of Waterloo. all the comhatants wer
forced 10 leave and spend the night unde
arms in the trenches, which were swim
/ ming with recent rain.