Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Christine P. Travers and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: The Colonel at Work.] THE SIEGE OF MAFEKING BY J. ANGUS HAMILTON WITH FIFTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS AND TWO PLANS METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON 1900 PREFATORY NOTE I have to acknowledge gratefully permission to publish in this book certain articles contributed before and during the siege of Mafeking to _The Times_ and _Black and White_. To the editor of the latter paper I am indebted also for leave to reproduce photographs taken by myself and published, from time to time, in that journal. I would acknowledge, too, in anticipation, any kindly toleration my readers may extend to me for the many shortcomings, of which I am dismally conscious, arising from the hasty preparation of this volume. When I explain that between the date of my return to England and this date--when I start for China--barely a fortnight has elapsed, I shall make good, perhaps, some small claim upon the indulgence of the critics and the public. J. A. H. _July 21, 1900_ CONTENTS CHAPTER Page I. AT SEA 1 II. A GLANCE AHEAD 11 III. ON THE ORANGE FREE STATE BORDER 22 IV. BRICKS OF STRAW 34 V. DIAMONDS AND WHITE FEATHERS 41 VI. TWO DAYS BEFORE WAR 49 VII. THE SKIRMISH AT FIVE MILE BANK 57 VIII. THE FIRST DAY OF BOMBARDMENT 67 IX. THE ADVENT OF "BIG BEN" 78 X. A MIDNIGHT SORTIE 88 XI. CANNON KOPJE 97 XII. A RECONNAISSANCE 108 XIII. THE TOWN GUARD 120 XIV. WASTED ENERGIES 130 XV. SHELLS AND SLAUGHTER 140 XVI. A SOFT-WATER BATH 147 XVII. THE ECONOMY OF THE SITUATION 152 XVIII. A VISIT TO THE HOSPITAL 158 XIX. A LITTLE GUN PRACTICE 165 XX. THE ATTACK UPON GAME TREE 175 XXI. THE ADVENT OF THE NEW YEAR 188 XXII. NATIVE LIFE 196 XXIII. BOMBAST AND BOMB-PROOFS 202 XXIV. SOME SNIPING AND AN EXECUTION 212 XXV. LIFE IN THE BRICKFIELDS 220 XXVI. FROM BAD TO WORSE 225 XXVII. THE FIRST ATTACK UPON THE BRICKFIELDS 232