Mafeking : $b a diary of the siegeBaillie, Frederick David
History
Mafeking : $b a diary of the siege
Baillie, Frederick David
Mafikeng (South Africa) -- History -- Siege, 1899-1900; South African War, 1899-1902
Immediately after the relief column marched in our Baralongs under
Montsoia Wessels, Silas and Sekoko and Josiah, marched off on their own
to settle up Abraham Ralinti at Rietfontein, and bring in our trusty
ally, Saani. He had been utterly looted, and taken away from his own
stadt, and kept a prisoner at Rietfontein, his great notion being that
we should have a conference with the Boers, and then lay down what he
called "plenty polomite," and blow them up when they came to confer.
You cannot get very far ahead of a Baralong. I suppose this is the
first occasion on which one black man surrendered under a white flag to
another. These Rietfontein rebels have always been against the
remainder of the Baralongs, and have invariably fought for the Boers
since the disturbed relations between Briton and Boer have existed. I
hope they will shoot Abraham, as his people’s invariable cunning in
stopping our runners has caused us great inconvenience, not to mention
the numbers they have killed.
18th, Friday. Did very little. Went round and helped our pals to shop,
get stamps, money, &c., &c.
19th, Saturday. The garrison held its solemn Thanksgiving Service at
the cemetery, at the termination of which three volleys were fired over
our dead. We had been unable to do this before owing to the certainty
of drawing fire, not that that really much mattered, as they usually
fired on all our funeral parties, though there could be no mistaking
them. Still they had this excuse that the cemetery is fortified. After
the last post had sounded we reformed and sang the National Anthem.
Then, after Colonel Baden-Powell had spoken personally to each
detachment, we cheered him, and then with heartfelt cheers for Her
Majesty, the siege of Mafeking closed.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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