Since
Christmas black "runners" had contrived to pass out of the town with
cables, bringing us on their return scrappy news and very ancient
newspapers. For instance, I notice in my diary that at the end of March
we were enchanted to read a _Weekly Times_ of January 5. On another
occasion the Boers vacated some trenches, which were immediately
occupied by our troops, who there found some Transvaal papers of a
fairly recent date, and actually a copy of the _Sketch_. I shall never
forget how delighted we were with the latter, and the amusement derived
therefrom compensated us a little for the accounts in the Boer papers of
General Buller's reverses on the Tugela. About the middle of February I
was enchanted to receive a letter from Mr. Rhodes, in Kimberley, which I
reproduce.
[Transcription of letter:
"Kimberly "Jan 12 / 1900
"DEAR LADY SARAH,
"Just a line to say I often think of you[.] I wonder do you
play bridge, it takes your mind off hospitals, burials and
shells. A change seems coming with Buller crossing the Tulega.
Jameson should have stopped at Bulawayo and relieved you from
North. He can do no good shut up in Ladysmith[.] I am doing a
little good here as I make De Beers purse pay for things
military cannot sanction[.] We have just made and fired a 4
inch gun, it is a success.
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