celebration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.  Fully appreciating the value of his services, the Transvaal authorities had from the commencement given him the most arduous tasks, and always, she indignantly added, in the forefront of the battle.  As regarded the present accident, she said her father had repeatedly told the authorities these particular shells were not safe to handle.  Apparently the safety-bolt was missing from all of them, making them when loaded as brittle as an eggshell.  This young lady and her mother were certainly very anti-Boer in their sympathies, though terribly afraid of allowing their feelings to be known.  All that day and the next they spent in the laager, looking after the injured pere de famille, whom, by the way, I got quite friendly with, but who, I think, was rather relieved to see his family depart.  I rather regretted them, as Miss Hoffman used to bring me a lot of gossip overheard in the laager, where she assured me public opinion was running very strongly against me, and that all were of opinion the General should certainly not allow me to join my friends in Mafeking.

The morning dragged on.  It was a hot, gusty day, and I found the shelter of my poky little room the most comfortable resting-place, although instead of a chair I had but a wooden case to sit on.  About eleven I saw a clerical gentleman arriving, who I rightly concluded was the parson coming to conduct the service.  Presently the strangest of noises I have ever heard arose from the back-premises of the tiny house.  It is difficult to conceive anything so grotesque as some Dutch singing is.  Imagine a doleful wail of many voices, shrill treble and deep bass, all on one note, now swelling in volume, now almost dying away, sung with a certain metre, and presumably with soul-stirring words, but with no attempt to keep together or any pretensions to an air of any kind, and you will have an idea of a Dutch chant or hymn.  This noise—­for it cannot be called a harmony—­might equally well be produced by a howling party of dogs and cats.  Then followed long prayers—­for only the parson’s voice could be heard—­then more dirges, after which it was over, and all trooped away, apparently much edified.  One of the nurses brought me some lunch and spread it on the rickety table, with a dirty napkin as a tablecloth.  As regards the food, which these young ladies told me they took it in turn to cook, it was very fair; only one day we got no meat and no meal; the other days they gave me eggs, very good beef, splendid potatoes, and bread in any quantity.  Besides this, I was able to buy delicious fruit, both figs and apricots.  As beverages there were tea and coffee, the latter, of course, being the Transvaal national drink—­that is to say, when “dop” cannot be had.  Beer is almost unknown, except the imported kinds of Bass and Schlitz, for what is known as “Kaffir beer” is a filthy decoction.  About midday I received a formal reply from Gordon, as follows: