As to the "staff of life," it became by degrees abominable and
full of foreign substances, which were apt to bring on fits of choking.
In spite of this drawback, there was never a crumb left, and it was
remarkable how little the 6 ounces seemed to represent, especially to a
hungry man in that keen atmosphere.
One day it was discovered there was little, if any, gold left of the
L8,000 in specie that was lodged at the Standard Bank at the beginning
of the siege. This sum the Boers had at one time considered was as good
as in their pockets. It was believed the greater portion had since been
absorbed by the natives, who were in the habit of burying the money they
received as wages. In this quandary, Colonel Baden-Powell designed a
paper one-pound note, which was photographed on to thick paper of a
bluish tint, and made such an attractive picture that the Government
must have scored by many of them never being redeemed.
It was not till Ash Wednesday, which fell that year on the last day of
February, that we got our first good news from a London cable, dated ten
days earlier. It told us Kimberley was relieved, that Colesberg was in
our hands, and many other satisfactory items besides. What was even of
greater importance was a message from Her Majesty Queen Victoria to
Colonel Baden-Powell and his garrison, applauding what they had done,
and bidding them to hope on and wait patiently for relief, which would
surely come.
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