Peep into a Besieged Town.

Manawatu Herald, 12 December 1899, Page 2

Peep into a Besieged Town.

Letters from Kimberley, dated 21st October, give iull accounts of life on the diamond fields during the siege. One writer stated : — We are all right although cut off completely from the outer world. The pumping station at the waterworks has been cut off, and our supply of river water has been confined to two hours per day for strictly domestic purposes only, no water being allowed for garden purposes. Foodstufts went up 200 per cent in some cases. Paraffine went up to £5 per case, but the military authorities put down their foot firmly, and orders were issued to storekeepers that they must sell at the same rates as before the siege, and no more, on pain of severe punishment. People here are naturally anxious, though we can hold out for six months bar accident, and have no fear of being taken. The Boers are all round us. Sorties are occasionally made to prevent them from planting their cannon in a position to shell us. The finest sight I ever saw was about 200 of our Cape Police riding as hard as they could in pursuit of a commando of Boers, which were creeping up to the half-way pumping station. They wanted to take that position and put their guns there, but, egad, they flew for their lives after seeing our men. You could literally not see them for the dust they threw up. Our guns were in position and ready to give them a warm reception from one of our redoubts.

All the wayside places around Kimberley are in the hands of the Boers. We may be attacked at any moment, in which case they will get it hot, as a finer state of defence never existed, and every man of us is determined to fight hard to give them a lesson. Of course, we are wofully short of men, and although we can keep them back unless they came on in very large numbers, still it would be a very unpleasant time while it lasted.