Today in Kimberley's History
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62 days since beginning of the Siege of Kimberley, 1899
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
Had a pleasant time in the afternoon watching sports at the Mounted Camp, and listened to the combined bands. Considering the hard-worked condition of the men and horses it was surprising to see what energy they displayed in all the events. The beheading of the 'Turk's Head' was the only thing the horses refused to do - the preliminary jump over a bundle stuffed with blue-bush being quite against the principles of an Afrikander pony. Owing to the state of the siege an old tuber potato was used in the traditional 'lemon-cutting' event, and though it had not quite the 'go' of the familiar fruit, it made an excellent substitute. The Officer's tent-pegging was a great success, Captain Harris, K.L.H. winning the final heat with the peg placed edge-on in the ground. During the afternoon 60/0s was collected in boxes for the 'Widows and Orphans' Fund.
A letter from the non-Conformist parson in Barkly, named Jennings, came in to Mrs Granger by a native runner. It said that the Boers had left Barkly in possession of a Landdrost and a few Dutch policemen, and these would not allow any rumours to be circulated about the Boer losses. Several people had already been fined UK PNDS 10 each. Also a Mrs Gennising had been sent to Bloemfontein for speaking her mind too boldly. Food was all right, only sugar and soap running rather short. The Landdrost had collected the Mining Licences in the district and sent them to the O.F.S.
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
Had a pleasant time in the afternoon watching sports at the Mounted Camp, and listened to the combined bands. Considering the hard-worked condition of the men and horses it was surprising to see what energy they displayed in all the events. The beheading of the 'Turk's Head' was the only thing the horses refused to do - the preliminary jump over a bundle stuffed with blue-bush being quite against the principles of an Afrikander pony. Owing to the state of the siege an old tuber potato was used in the traditional 'lemon-cutting' event, and though it had not quite the 'go' of the familiar fruit, it made an excellent substitute. The Officer's tent-pegging was a great success, Captain Harris, K.L.H. winning the final heat with the peg placed edge-on in the ground. During the afternoon 60/0s was collected in boxes for the 'Widows and Orphans' Fund.
A letter from the non-Conformist parson in Barkly, named Jennings, came in to Mrs Granger by a native runner. It said that the Boers had left Barkly in possession of a Landdrost and a few Dutch policemen, and these would not allow any rumours to be circulated about the Boer losses. Several people had already been fined UK PNDS 10 each. Also a Mrs Gennising had been sent to Bloemfontein for speaking her mind too boldly. Food was all right, only sugar and soap running rather short. The Landdrost had collected the Mining Licences in the district and sent them to the O.F.S.