What diplomatic correspondence then passed between England and the foreign Powers we shall never know, for the utmost secrecy was observed throughout; but what we do know is, that the famous commission of inquiry, the "Whitewash Committee," so-called by the Pro-Boers in England, was very soon afterwards sent out. It consisted of six English ladies, and as a result of their investigations some of the inland camps were removed to the coast, the rations increased, additional medical and other comforts provided, and the general condition of the camps improved to such an extent that after some months the death-rate decreased considerably, continuing to do so until it became nearly normal. But, as I have said before, not until over 20,000 women and children had been sacrificed as a direct result of being torn from their homes, exposed to the elements, and herded together under conditions which only the strongest could survive. It would take too much space to insert copies of the petitions here, but they are to be found in Hansie's Dutch book on the Irene Concentration Camp, published in Holland from her diary a year after the war. The following statistics of what is known as "Black October 1901" are taken from the Blue Books of England and will give the reader an idea of the number of camps in the Transvaal alone, the number of their inhabitants, and the full death-rate within the period of thirty-one days:-- TOTAL CENSUS OF DEATHS, ETC. ETC., OCCURRING IN THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS, TRANSVAAL ONLY, DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 1901. Camps. Census. Deaths. 1. Barberton 1,907 12 2. Balmoral 2,580 70 3. Belfast 1,397 33 4. Heidelberg 2,173 41 5. Irene 3,972 101 6. Johannesburg 2,937 29 7. Klerksdorp 3,822 176 8. Krugersdorp 5,500 90 9. Middelburg 5,602 127 10. Mafeking 4,783 410 11. Nylstroom 1,819 52 12. Pietersburg 3,598 41 13. Potchefstroom 7,467 90 14. Standerton 3,005 215 15. Vereeniging 920 9 16. Volksrust 5,280 47 17. Vryburg 1,256 53 ------ ------ 58,018 1,596 ------ ------ During this terrible month there was a population of 112,619 in all the Concentration Camps in South Africa. There were 3,156 deaths, i.e. a death-rate of 28 per 1,000 per month. After "Black October" the mortality decreased steadily, as will be seen from the following figures: